Donizetti's opera "Poliuto", based on the play "Polyeucte" by the French composer Pierre Corneille, is now one of the rarest works in the classical opera repertoire. However, this live recording, recorded in the Vienna Konzerthaus in 1986, impresses her with an impressive cast: star tenor José Carreras in the role of Poliuto is accompanied by Italian soprano Katia Ricciarelli as Paolina, who is an absolutely equal star in this recording. The choir of the Wiener Sängerakademie sings, accompanied by the Wiener Symphoniker under the direction of Oleg Caetani.

Anna Moffo, as the young and vulnerable heroine Lucia, produces a wonderfully sincere, yet highly romantic performance in this classic recording of Donizetti's Lucia Di Lammermoor. Featuring Georges Prêtre conducting the RCA Italian Opera Chorus and Orchestra, the recording features a stellar cast of singers, including the incomparable Carlo Bergonzi, Mario Sereni, and Ezio Flagello.

Revived after 171 years in oblivion, the staging of Rosmonda dInghilterra at Bergamos Teatro Donizetti proved fascinating for the Italian public. From the excellent cast of singers, Jessica Pratt and Eva Mei gave standout performances. The opera revolves around a tale of love and intrigue surrounding the main protagonists- the famous Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, her husband Henry II of England, and the fair Rosamund de Clifford. Rosmonda is the quintessential innocent, unaware that the man she loves is the King of England and that she has unwittingly become a rival to the much-feared Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine. Eleanor, having already had her first marriage annulled for reasons of consanguinity, is unwilling to se her second marriage also fail.

Star tenor Javier Camarena makes his Pentatone debut with Signor Gaetano, together with Gli Originali under the baton of Italian opera specialist Riccardo Frizza, presenting a carefully-curated exploration of Donizetti's greatest tenor arias. Besides famous excerpts from L'elisir d'amore, Don Pasquale and Roberto Devereux, this project focuses on hidden gems from rarely-recorded works such as Betly, Maria de Rudenz and Il giovedì grasso. Camarena and Frizza's exceptional sense of style is enhanced by the period instrument playing of Gli Originali.

Album notes The exact spelling of the title is crucial here, for this is the original French version of 'La Favorite' written for the Theatre l'Opera in Paris, not the frequently performed but badly censored and edited Italian version, 'La Favorita.' In the tradition of French grand opera, the subject is historical, involving a love triangle in the court of King Alphonse XI in 14th-century Seville. And though it is not regarded to be among the greatest of Gaetano Donizetti's works, it is still his work, and as such, brimming with melody and opportunities for beautiful singing. This live performance features the ravishing voice of Bulgarian mezzo Vesselina Kasarova as Léonor de Guzman, the favorite of the title, and the alert direction of Marcello Viotti, whose Munich Radio Symphony Orchestra is recorded with great clarity and presence, beautifully balanced with the singers in a natural, atmospheric soundstage.

Lucrezia Borgia is a lyrical masterly example of Donizetti's art that delights the ear endlessly… Sutherland made the low key arias breathtaking vehicles for the most ravishing singing one is likely to hear on any opera stage in the world.

Marie, found abandoned as a baby on the battlefield, was adopted and raised by soldiers. She is the darling of the regiment. When the Marquise of Berkenfield tells the Sergeant that Marie is actually her niece and she must leave the regiment, the troops are heartbroken. The Marquise plans to educate and marry Marie in a manner befitting a lady of quality, but Marie wants only to return to her regiment and the man she loves.

With her sensational role debut at the Vienna State Opera, superstar diva Anna Netrebko displays a performance of rare vocal and dramatic power. The Russian soprano sings the role of the unjustly accused second wife of British King Henry VIII, ‘veering between indignant fury and tender righteousness’ and demonstrating a new level of confidence in her technique with excellent ‘passagework, particularly in trills, and seamless runs even to the lowest notes’.

Italian opera in Japan got started in the mid-1950s. The series title was Lirica Italiana, and back in the early days the international stars who appeared would have had to make at least six stops when flying out from Europe. Despite this exhausting journey the productions, mounted with the help of Japanese orchestras and choruses, were often legendary, and they are now being issued on DVD by the admirable American company Video Artists International.

This new Dynamic opera, Elisir d’amore was performed in Donizetti’s native city of Bergamo, during the most important world festival dedicated to the Italian composer. The opera is set in a rural environment and the action takes place in a country farm. It is a brilliant comedy with many points of contact with semi-serious operas. The choice of this subject must have been strongly influenced by the successes of Vincenzo Bellini’s La Sonnambula.

Having dazzled opera audiences from St. Petersburg to L.A. as Lucia, Anna Netrebko triumphantly returns to the Metropolitan Opera in this touchstone coloratura role. Mariusz Kwiecien’s Enrico delivers theatrical truth with a matchless baritone, the lustre of polished mahagony.

Diana Damrau gave her first performance as Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor at the Metropolitan Opera in October 2008, to much critical acclaim. This recording with the Munich Opera followed almost five years later, in July 2013, showing that she has staying power in the ultimate coloratura role. The Munich performance was conducted by Jesús López-Cobos, and Damrau was joined by an exceptional cast, which included Joseph Calleja as Edgardo, Ludovic Tézier as Enrico, and Nicolas Testé as Raimondo.

Known for her dramatic singing style, Renata Scotto excelled in the Italian repertoire, including Bellini's Norma and Puccini's Madame Butterfly. She performed in more than 45 operas all over the world and worked with such singers as Renata Tebaldi and Mario Del Monaco.

Renata Scotto (born 24 February 1934) is an Italian soprano and opera director.
Recognized for her sense of style, musicality and as a remarkable singer-actress, Scotto is considered one of the preeminent singers of her generation, specializing in the bel canto repertoire with excursions into the verismo and Verdi repertoires.
Since retiring from the stage as a singer in 2002, she has turned successfully to directing opera as well as teaching in Italy and America, along with academic posts at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome and the Juilliard School in New York.