Donizetti in the 1830s (7-CD boxset)

£32.00 £24.00

7 disc set
Single Track Download

To conclude the celebrations of its 50th anniversary, Opera Rara is releasing a limited edition of three sought-after complete operas by Gaetano Donizetti.

Written in the 1830s, when Donizetti was at the height of his popularity in Italy, these operas showcase the composer’s keen sense of drama and his increasingly international aspirations.

Remastered to the best audio quality and featuring a specially commissioned essay by Donizetti specialist Roger Parker, these recordings, unavailable for over a decade, will delight Donizetti collectors.

Click on the links below to download the libretti in Italian and English: 

Release date: 24 September 2021

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Description

To conclude the celebrations of its 50th anniversary, Opera Rara is releasing a limited edition of three sought-after complete operas by Gaetano Donizetti.

Written in the 1830s, when Donizetti was at the height of his popularity in Italy, these operas showcase the composer’s keen sense of drama and his increasingly international aspirations.

Remastered to the best audio quality and featuring a specially commissioned essay by Donizetti specialist Roger Parker, these recordings, unavailable for over a decade, will delight Donizetti collectors.

Cast

IL DILUVIO UNIVERSALE
Azione tragico-sacra in 3 acts
Libretto by Domenico Gilardoni

Mirco Palazzi (Noè), Colin Lee (Cadmo), Majella Cullagh (Sela), Manuela Custer (Ada), Roland Wood (Artoo)
Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Giuliano Carella – conductor
Recorded at the Conway Hall, London, October/November 2005

***

UGO CONTE DI PARIGI
Tragedia lirica in 2 acts and 4 parts
Libretto by Felice Romani

Della Jones (Luigi V), Eiddwen Harrhy (Emma), Janet Price (Bianca), Yvonne Kenny (Adelia), Maurice Arthur (Ugo), Christian du Plessis (Folco d’Angiò)
Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, New Philharmonia Orchestra, Alun Francis – conductor
Recorded at the Henry Wood Hall, London, July 1977

***

L'ASSEDIO DI CALAIS
Dramma lirico in 3 acts
Libretto by Salvadore Cammarano

Christian du Plessis (Eustachio), Nuccia Focile (Eleonora), Della Jones (Aurelio), John Treleaven (Edmondo), Eiddwen Harrhy (Isabella), Norman Bailey (L’Incognito)
Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, Philharmonia Orchestra, David Parry – conductor
Recorded at All Saints Church, London, June 1988

Tracklist

CD1 – Il diluvio universale Act 1
1
Il diluvio universale, Act 1: Sinfonia
2
Il diluvio universale, Act 1: ‘Oh Dio di pietà’ (Noè, Tesbite, Asfene, Abra, Sem, Jafet, Cam)
3
Il diluvio universale, Act 1: ‘Di Cadmo la consorte’ (Jafet, Tesbite, Noè, Sela)
4
Il diluvio universale, Act 1: ‘Mentre il core abbandonava’ (Sela, Noè, Chorus)
5
Il diluvio universale, Act 1: ‘Perché nell’alma’ (Sela, Chorus)
6
Il diluvio universale, Act 1: ‘Corriam l’arca a incenerir!’ (Artoo, Chorus)
7
Il diluvio universale, Act 1: ‘In quell’arca rispettate’ (Noè)
8
Il diluvio universale, Act 1: ‘Sì. Quell’arca nell’ira de’ venti’ (Noè, Sela, Noè’s sons, their wives)
9
Il diluvio universale, Act 1: ‘Di Cadmo il cenno ognun’ (Sela, Artoo, Noè)
10
Il diluvio universale, Act 1: ‘Qui vederlo poss’io’ (Ada, Artoo)
11
Il diluvio universale, Act 1: ‘Sela!… Ah tu non la vedesti’ (Artoo, Chorus)
12
Il diluvio universale, Act 1: ‘(Oh gioia!) Un tanto eccesso’ (Ada, Artoo, Chorus)
13
Il diluvio universale, Act 1: ‘Ada, e non altri qui ritrovo?’ (Cadmo, Ada)
14
Il diluvio universale, Act 1: ‘Ah perfida, a me spergiura’ (Cadmo, Ada)
15
Il diluvio universale, Act 1: ‘Con mio dolor rammento’ (Cadmo, Ada)
16
Il diluvio universale, Act 1: ‘Franco inoltrate il piè’ (Chorus)
17
Il diluvio universale, Act 1: ‘Taccion sin anche l’aure’ (Sela, Noè)
18
Il diluvio universale, Act 1: ‘Quel che del ciel su i cardini’ (Noè, Sela)
19
Il diluvio universale, Act 1: ‘Padre… Ah sappi’ (Jafet, Noè, Sela)
20
Il diluvio universale, Act 1: ‘Cadmo!… O cielo!’ (Sela, Cadmo, Ada, Jafet)
21
Il diluvio universale, Act 1: ‘Signor, dell’empio i figli’ (Artoo, Chorus, Noè, Cadmo, Jafet, Sela, Ada)
22
Il diluvio universale, Act 1: ‘Ah! ti calma!’ (Sela, Cadmo, Noè, Ada, Artoo, Chorus)
CD2 – Il diluvio universale Act 2
1
Il diluvio universale, Act 2: ‘Non mi tradir, speranza!’ (Ada)
2
Il diluvio universale, Act 2: ‘Ah non tacermi in core’ (Ada)
3
Il diluvio universale, Act 2: ‘Sarà lieve il mio tormento’ (Ada)
4
Il diluvio universale, Act 2: ‘Ada, t’arresta!’ (Cadmo, Ada)
5
Il diluvio universale, Act 2: ‘Non profferir parola’ (Cadmo, Sela)
6
Il diluvio universale, Act 2: ‘Ebben se chiudo’ (Sela, Cadmo)
7
Il diluvio universale, Act 2: ‘E tanta crudeltade’ (Sela, Cadmo)
8
Il diluvio universale, Act 2: ‘Gli empi ’l circondano’ (Noè’s family)
9
Il diluvio universale, Act 2: ‘Ah… Padre…’ (Jafet, Noè, Tesbite, Sem)
10
Il diluvio universale, Act 2: ‘Dio tremendo, onnipossente’ (Noè, Sela, Cadmo, Jafet, Artoo, Chorus)
11
Il diluvio universale, Act 2: ‘L’abisso freme’ (Noè, Cadmo, Artoo, Chorus, Sela)
12
Il diluvio universale, Act 2: ‘Stirpe angelica, ti bea’ (Chorus)
13
Il diluvio universale, Act 2: ‘Sì. Popoli, gioite’ (Cadmo, Ada, Artoo, Chorus)
14
Il diluvio universale, Act 2: ‘Senza colpa mi scacciasti’ (Sela)
15
Il diluvio universale, Act 2: ‘Non dar fede a quegli accenti’ (Ada, Sela, Cadmo)
16
Il diluvio universale, Act 2: ‘Perché un ignoto brivido’ (Sela, Cadmo,   Chorus)
17
Il diluvio universale, Act 2: ‘Manca il respir’ (Ada, Chorus)
CD3 – Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 1
1
Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 1: Sinfonia
2
Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 1: ‘No, che in ciel de’ Carolingi’ (Chorus)
3
Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 1: ‘Vani voti!’ (Falco)
4
Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 1: ‘No, che in ciel de’ Carolingi’ (Chorus)
5
Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 1: ‘Principi, Conti, cavalieri’ (Ugo)
6
Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 1: ‘Si: discoprire il pertido’ (Luigi, Emma, Folco)
7
Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 1: ‘L’orifiamma ondeggi’(Chorus, Ugo, Emma)
8
Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 1: ‘Al tempio ei move’ (Bianca)
9
Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 1: ‘Ah! Quando in regio’ (Bianca, Chorus)
10
Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 1: ‘No, che infelice’ (Bianca)
11
Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 1: ‘Uscite tutte’ (Bianca, Adelia)
12
Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 1: ‘Io lo vidi’ (Bianca, Adelia)
13
Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 1: ‘Là, nel natal mio suolo’ (Bianca, Adelia)
CD4 – Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 1 (end)
1
Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 1: ‘Bianca!… Mi fuggi’ (Luigi, Bianca)
2
Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 1: ‘Oh! Supplizio!’ (Bianca, Adelia, Luigi, Folco)
3
Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 1: ‘Hai ben pensato’ (Bianca, Luigi, Adelia, Folco)
4
Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 1: ‘Che veggo?’ (Ugo, Adelia)
5
Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 1: ‘Li saprà’ (Ugo, Adelia)
6
Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 1: ‘Se tu m’ami’ (Adelia, Ugo)
7
Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 1: ‘Tu di me in traccia?’ (Adelia, Bianca, Luigi, Folco, Chorus)
8
Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 1: ‘Quando fia sgombro’ (Luigi, Ugo, Bianca, Folco, Adelia)
9
Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 1: ‘E giunto l’orribile istante’ (Adelia, Ugo, Bianca, Folco)
10
Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 1: Ugo!.. Udisti?’ (Luigi, Ugo, Adelia, Bianca, Chorus)
11
Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 1: ‘Non mentir’ (Bianca, Ugo, Luigi, Adelia, Folco Chorus)
CD5 – Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 2
1
Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 2: ‘No, non fia mai’ (Ugo, Bianca)
2
Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 2: ‘Tu lo sdegni?’ (Bianca, Ugo)
3
Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 2: ‘Ugo!’ (Adelia, Ugo, Bianca)
4
Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 2: ‘Io l’amai dal dì fatale’ (Adelia, Ugo, Bianca)
5
Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 2: ‘Viva Ugo!’ (Chorus, Adelia, Bianca, Ugo)
6
Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 2: ‘Tu mi spingi’ (Ugo, Bianca, Adelia, Chorus)
7
Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 2: ‘II suon dell’arrni’ (Chorus)
8
Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 2: ‘Lasciami’ (Luigi, Emma,Chorus)
9
Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 2: ‘Prova mi dai’ (Luigi)
10
Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 2: ‘Io tel prometto’ (Ugo, Luigi, Emma, Adelia, Chorus)
11
Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 2: ‘Quanta mi costi a svellere’ (Luigi, Chorus)
12
Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 2: ‘Fino all’aurora’ (Bianca, Falco)
13
Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 2: ‘Si, mia vendetta è posta’ (Bianca)
14
Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 2: ‘Perdono, o ciel’ (Emma, Bianca)
15
Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 2: ‘Ah! Tutto il mira’ (Emma, Bianca)
16
Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 2: ‘Il rito!’ (Bianca, Chorus, Emma)
17
Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 2: ‘A me, guerrieri’ (Emma, Bianca, Chorus, Luigi)
18
Ugo conte di Parigi, Act 2: ‘Di che amor’ (Bianca, Chorus)
CD6 – L’assedio di Calais, Act 1
1
L’assedio di Calais, Act 1: Preludio and Introduzione
2
L’assedio di Calais, Act 1: ‘Fuggi, codardo!’ (Chorus)
3
L’assedio di Calais, Act 1: ‘Qual silenzio funesto!’ (Eustachio, Eleonora)
4
L’assedio di Calais, Act 1: ‘Le fibre, oh Dio!’ (Eustachio, Eleonora)
5
L’assedio di Calais, Act 1: ‘Ah! Signor’ (Giovanni, Eustachio, Eleonora)
6
L’assedio di Calais, Act 1: ‘Ebben, teco non giunge’ (Giovanni, Pietro, Eleonora)
7
L’assedio di Calais, Act 1: ‘Al mio core oggetti amati’ (Aurelio)
8
L’assedio di Calais, Act 1: ‘Basti… ah! basti’ (Aurelio, Eleonora, Giovanni, Eustachio)
9
L’assedio di Calais, Act 1: ‘Giammai del forte’ (Aurelio, Eleonora, Eustachio, Giovanni)
10
L’assedio di Calais, Act 1: ‘All’affidato in carco’ (Giovanni, Aurelio, Eustachio, Eleonora, Chorus)
11
L’assedio di Calais, Act 1: ‘Che s’indugia?’ (Eustachio, Aurelio, Eleonora, Giovanni, Armando, Giacomo, Pietro, the Stranger, Chorus)
12
L’assedio di Calais, Act 1: ‘Si tenti ancor’ (the Stranger, Eustachio, Chorus)
13
L’assedio di Calais, Act 1: ‘Come tigri’ (All, Chorus)
CD7 – L’assedio di Calais, Act 2 (end) & Act 3 – Appendix
1
L’assedio di Calais, Act 2: Introduzione
2
L’assedio di Calais, Act 2: ‘Breve riposo’ (Eleonora)
3
L’assedio di Calais, Act 2: ‘Figlio!… t’arresta barbari!’ (Aurelio, Eleonora)
4
L’assedio di Calais, Act 2: ‘Io l’udia chiamarmi a nome’ (Aurelio, Eleonora)
5
L’assedio di Calais, Act 2: ‘Suon tremendo!’ (Aurelio, Eleonora, Giovanni)
6
L’assedio di Calais, Act 3: ‘D’un popolo afflitto’ (Chorus)
7
L’assedio di Calais, Act 3; ‘Araldo, esponi’ (Eustachio, Ermondo, Chorus)
8
L’assedio di Calais, Act 3: ‘Oh colpo!’ (Chorus, Aurelio, Eustachio)
9
L’assedio di Calais, Act 3: ‘Esci, e sappi chi t’invia’ (Aurelio, Eustachio, Edmondo, Chorus)
10
L’assedio di Calais, Act 3: ‘Padre, ah! dì!’ (Aurelio, Eustachio, Chorus)
11
L’assedio di Calais, Act 3: ‘Io la pagina di morte’ (Eustachio, Aurelio, Chorus)
12
L’assedio di Calais, Act 3: ‘O sacra polve, o suol natio’ (Chorus)
13
L’assedio di Calais, Act 3: ‘Tosto che approdi’ (Edoardo, Edmondo)
14
L’assedio di Calais, Act 3: ‘Ogn’inciampo è alfin distrutto’ (Edoardo)
15
L’assedio di Calais, Act 3: ‘Ebben? Fra lieti evviva’ (Edoardo, Edmondo, the Queen, Chorus)
16
L’assedio di Calais, Act 3: ‘Il suon di tanto plauso’ (Edoardo, the Queen, Chorus)
17
L’assedio di Calais, Act 3: Ballabile
18
L’assedio di Calais, Act 3: Danza militare
19
L’assedio di Calais, Act 3: ‘Signor, giunsero al campo’ (Edmondo, Edoardo, Eustachio, Eleonora, the Queen, Chorus)
20
L’assedio di Calais, Act 3: ‘Raddoppia i baci tuoi’ (Aurelio, Eleonora, Eustachio, the Queen, Chorus)
21
L’assedio di Calais, Act 3: ‘Al supplizio ne traete’ (Chorus, the Queen, Edoardo, Eustachio)
22
L’assedio di Calais, Act 3: ‘Fin che i secoli vivranno’ (Chorus, Edoardo)
23
L’assedio di Calais, Appendix: ‘Questo pianto che sul ciglio’ (Eleonora, Aurelio, Chorus, Edoardo)

English

Il diluvio universale

Il diluvio universale tells the biblical story of Noah but is given further human and dramatic interest by also presenting the story – and the tragedy – of Sela, the favourite concubine and wife of Cadmo, Chief of the Satraps of the Babylonian city of Sennáár. In order to please the Neapolitan censors, who forbade opera during Lent, Donizetti called this work an ‘azione tragico-sacra’, a staged oratorio. The genre allowed him to develop further the idea of an ensemble opera, with the emphasis on a group of people – Noah and his family – rather than a pair of lovers or a hapless heroine awaiting her fate.

Ugo conte di Parigi

Ugo conte di Parigi tells the story of Princess Bianca of Aquitaine, who is betrothed to the young king of France, Louis V, but is in fact in love with Ugo, Count of Paris, regent until Louis comes of age. Ugo is engaged to Adelia, Bianca’s sister. When Bianca tells Adelia that she wants to call off the royal wedding, the young king suspects a relationship between Ugo and Bianca and sends Ugo to prison. The convoluted plot culminates in a magnificent poison scene in which Bianca, broken-hearted, drinks the poison she had prepared for Ugo.

Composed immediately before his great opera buffa success, L’elisir d’amore, and written for the cast that had created Bellini’s Norma, Ugo presents some of the composer’s most intricate ensembles to date.

L’assedio di Calais

The opera is set in 1347. Calais is under siege by the English army under Edward III. Six noblemen of Calais, including the mayor, volunteer their lives in exchange for lasting peace. The English Queen is so moved by their valour that she persuades her husband to end the siege and spill no more blood.

L’assedio di Calais is one of Donizetti’s most interesting and innovative works of the 1830s. It is a pivotal score in the composer’s developing relationship with Parisian opera, and was deliberately written in a manner that would transfer to the French stages.

Press Reviews

One cannot recommend them highly enough and I can only concur with the Sunday Times: “No Donizettian will want to miss this.”

British Theatre Guide

[…] This handsome newly remastered 7CD box set has three [Donizetti operas] which have been out of the catalogue for ten years. Fans of the byways of bel canto should snap one up.  […] all are enjoyable, the singing, orchestral playing and recording quality are top-notch. Parigi is the standout with a star turn from Welsh coloratura mezzo Della Jones in the trouser role of the King of France – she’s worth the admission price!

Full review here.

 

Midlands Music Review

About Il diluvio universale: ‘The performance is all-round good and a must for the Donizetti collector’

American Record Guide

About Ugo conte du Parigi: ‘An irresistible addition to Opera Rara’s collection’

Records and Recording

About L’assedio di Calais: ‘One of the most invigorating of all the complete opera recordings made over the years by this enterprising organisation’

Penguin CD & DVD Guide

This seven CD set of three Donizetti operas is a necessity for those who missed them individually and I also commend the release to general enthusiasts of bel canto opera.

Music Web International

The quality on all three recordings is very high, whether it be the singing, orchestral playingor the newly remastered sound – all characteristic of the company’s excellent outputthrough the years… In short, this is a must for any lover of bel canto.

Capriccio

As usual with Opera Rara, these rarities on the company’s own label enjoy outstanding singing, playing and conducting.

The Quaterly Review

Inserts

Libretto of Donizetti's "Il diluvio universale" (PDF)
Download Libretto of Donizetti's "Il diluvio universale" (PDF)
Libretto of Donizetti's "Ugo conte di Parigi" (PDF)
Download Libretto of Donizetti's "Ugo conte di Parigi" (PDF)
Libretto of Donizetti's "L'assedio di Calais" (PDF)
Download Libretto of Donizetti's "L'assedio di Calais" (PDF)

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