January 2025 Recording of the Month: Caterina Cornaro

Our first Recording of the Month of 2025 is Donizetti’s Caterina Cornaro featuring Carmen Giannattasio in the title role and Colin Lee as Gerardo. The cast is completed by Troy Cook, Vuyan Mlinde, Graeme Broadbent, Sophie Bevan and Loïc Félix with David Parry conducting the BBC Symphony Orchestra and BBC Singers.

Written in the extremely productive last period of Donizetti’s life – between Don Pasquale and Linda di Chamounix – Caterina Cornaro was, in fact, the very last of his operas to be premiered in the composer’s lifetime. One of Opera Rara’s founder Patric Schmid’s favourite works, this is one of Donizetti’s most deeply felt, atmospheric and dramatically truthful scores. As David Parry explains: This is the only opera of this later period not to have had the benefit of a decent modern recording… the opera requires a prima donna with a wonderful voice, extraordinary technique and exceptional histrionic ability, which we have in Carmen Giannattasio: the role could actually have been written for her.

Recorded in November 2011, The Guardian at the time of the release said: Powerhouse performances by Colin Lee (Gerardo) and Troy Cook (Lusignano), whose big duet together is very classy indeed;and Gramophone said: Giannattasio shows once again how admirably suited she is to the bel canto repertoire. Her opening Romanza encapsulates her virtues: a good legato line… followed by an equally expressive cabaletta.

Head over to our YouTube channel to listen to excerpts from the opera and look out for track reveals over the coming days and weeks: