Lives in Song is Opera Rara’s new Opera Insider series exploring musicians’ biographies through their music. In this first series, join our hosts Flora Willson and Roger Parker, as they put the music of prolific composer Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848) under the microscope and tell the story of his life through some of the songs he composed.

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By 1843, Donizetti was on the move again. He relocated from Paris to Vienna, stopping off in Munich and and composing for some friends there the song “La fiancée”, a setting of a Victor Hugo poem.

In this YouTube livestream, Flora and Roger consider Donizetti’s final years, which saw a marked decline in his health. Although he continued to compose operas in Vienna, including Maria di Rohan, his life was cut short. What would Donizetti’s operas have sounded like if he had lived longer, and what legacy did he leave in the composers who took over where he left off?

Streamed live on Opera Rara’s YouTube channel. Register to receive email ​reminders and a link to the show notes following the stream.