Introduction Until about 50 years ago, Donizetti’s reputation and place in the international opera repertoire rested largely on three operas: Lucia di Lammermoor, Don Pasquale and L’elisir d’amore. Since then many of his remaining nearly 70 operas have been produced, the exact number being difficult to give because of the reworking of several of them into other operas. Thus, on being banned in Naples, Maria Stuarda had to be rapidly reworked as Buondelmonte, while others received quite substantial revision, such as Lucia di Lammermoor becoming Lucie de Lammermoor for the French stage. The following lists the librettist, date of
composition, opera type and first performance. A
more comprehensive list that includes opera
synopses, recordings and history can be found at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_operas_by_ Donizetti also wrote some religious works and orchestral, chamber and piano music. Some details of these can be found on the the Scores page. Further web sites for Donizetti and for other composers of this era can be found here.
|
Donizetti's Operas 1816-1825 Il Pigmalione (1816), one act opera Librettist: Adapted from A. S. SografiFirst performed: Believed not to have been performed until October 13, 1960 at Teatro Donizetti, Bergamo.
L'ira d'Achille (1817), fragments Librettist: Scenes from a libretto, possibly by Romani, originally done for an opera by Nicolini.First performed: Possibly at Bologna where he was studying. First modern performance in Bergamo, 1998
Enrico di Borgogna (1818), opera semiseria Librettist: Bartolomeo MerelliFirst performed:November 14, 1818 at Teatro San Luca, Venice.
Una follia (1818), farsa, score and libretto have been lost. Librettist: Bartolomeo MerelliFirst performed:December 15, 1818 at Teatro San Luca, Venice.
Le nozze in villa (1819), opera buffa Librettist: Bartolomeo MerelliFirst performed: According to Weinstock (p.316) and Ashbrook (pp 18-19 & 534) the premiere was during carnivale 1820-21 at the Teatro Vecchio, Mantua. However, the recent critical score claims it was at the Imperial Regio Teatro, Mantua during carnevale 1819 and that a second version was performed at Teatro Dolfin, Treviso in spring 1820. There also appears to have been a further performance of one of the versions at Genoa in 1822. The first modern revival was at the Donizetti Festival in Bergamo in 2020.
Il falegname di Livonia (also known as Pietro, il grande, tsar delle Russie) (1819), opera buffa Librettist: Gherardo Bevilacqua-AldobrandiniFirst performed:December 26, 1819 at the Teatro San Samuele, Venice.
Zoraida di Granata(1822), opera seria Librettist: Bartolomeo MerelliFirst performed: January 28, 1822 at the Teatro Argentina, Rome.
La zingara (1822), opera semiseria Librettist: Andrea TottolaFirst performed:May 12, 1822 at the Teatro Nuovo, Naples.
La lettera anonima (1822), farsa Librettist: Giulio GenoinoFirst performed: June 29, 1822 at the Teatro del Fondo, Naples.
Chiara e Serafina (also known as I pirati) (1822), opera semiseria Librettist: Felice RomaniFirst performed:October 26, 1822 at La Scala, Milan.
Alfredo il grande (1823), opera seria Librettist: Andrea TottolaFirst performed: July 2, 1823 at the Teatro San Carlo, Naples.
Il fortunate inganno (1823), opera buffa Librettist: Andrea TottolaFirst performed: September 3, 1823 at the Teatro Nuovo, Naples.
L’ajo nell’imbarazzo (1824), opera buffa (also known as Don Gregorio) Librettist: Jacopo FerrettiFirst performed:February 4, 1824 at the Teatro Valle, Rome.
Emilia di Liverpool (later revised as L’eremitaggio di Liverpool) (1824), opera semiseria Librettist: not known, later revision by Giuseppe CheccheriniFirst performed:July 28, 1824 at the Teatro Nuovo, Naples.
Alahor in Granata (1825), opera seria Librettist: Initials M.AFirst performed: January 7, 1826 at the Teatro Carolina, Palermo.
1826-1829 Elvida (1826), opera seria Librettist: Giovanni SchmidtFirst performed: July 6, 1826 at the Teatro San Carlo, Naples.
Gabriella di Vergy (1826, revised 1838), opera seria Librettist: Andrea TottolaFirst performed: Original version in November 29, 1869 at the Teatro San Carlo, Naples. Revised version in August 1978 for Opera Rara recording, London
Olivo e Pasquale (1826), opera buffa Librettist: Jacopo FerrettiFirst performed: January 7, 1827 at Teatro Valle, Rome.
Otto mesi in due ore (also known as Gli esiliati in Siberia) (1827), opera romantica. This was very heavily revised around 1839-1840 to produce a French version Élisabeth, ou la fille de l'exilé , which is best thought of as a new opera. See here for Will Crutchfield's article on the interrelationships. Librettist: Domenico GilardoniFirst performed: May 13, 1827 at the Teatro Nuovo, Naples.
Il borgomastro di Saardam (1827), opera buffa Librettist: Domenico GilardoniFirst performed:August 19, 1827 at the Teatro del Fondo, Naples.
Le convenienze ed inconvenienze teatrali (1827, revised in 1831), farsa. Nowadays opera companies, particularly outside Italy, sometimes try to give it a snappier title, one of the most popular being Viva la Mamma. Librettist: Gaetano DonizettiFirst performed: November 21, 1827 at the Teatro Nuovo, Naples.
L’esule di Roma (also known as Il proscritto) (1827), opera seria Librettist: Domenico GilardoniFirst performed: January 1, 1828 at the Teatro San Carlo, Naples.
Alina, regina di Golconda (1828), opera semiseria Librettist: Felice RomaniFirst performed: May 12, 1828 at the Teatro Carlo Fenice, Genoa.
Gianni di Calais (1828), opera semiseria Librettist: Domenico GilardoniFirst performed: August 2, 1828 at the Teatro del Fondo, Naples.
Il giovedi grasso (also known as Il nuovo Pourceaugnac) (1828), farsa Librettist: Domenico GilardoniFirst performed: February 26, 1829 at the Teatro del Fondo, Naples
Il paria (1828), opera seria Librettist: Domenico GilardoniFirst performed: January 12, 1829 at the Teatro San Carlo, Naples
Elisabetta al castello di Kenilworth (1829), opera seria Librettist: Andrea TottolaFirst performed:July 6, 1829 at the Teatro San Carlo, Naples
I pazzi per progetto (1829-30), farsa Librettist: Domenico GilardoniFirst performed:February 6, 1830 at the Teatro San Carlo, Naples
Il diluvio universale (1829-30, revised 1833-4), azione tragica-sacra Librettist: Domenico GilardoniFirst performed:February 28, 1830 at the Teatro San Carlo, Naples
1830-1833 Imelda de’ Lambertazzi (1830), opera seria Librettist: Andrea TottolaFirst performed:September 5, 1830 at the Teatro San Carlo, Naples
Anna Bolena (1830), opera seria Librettist: Felice RomaniFirst performed: December 26, Teatro Carcano, Milan
Gianni di Parigi (1831), opera buffa Librettist: Felice RomaniFirst performed:September 10, 1839 at La Scala, Milan
Francesca di Foix (1831), opera semiseria Librettist: Domenico GilardoniFirst performed: May 30, 1831 at the Teatro San Carlo, Naples
La romanziera e l’uomo nero (1831), farsa Librettist: Domenico GilardoniFirst performed: June 18, 1831 at Teatro del Fondo, Naples.
Fausta (1831), opera seria Librettist: Domenico Gilardoni, Gaetano DonizettiFirst performed: January 12, 1832 at Teatro San Carlo, Naples
Ugo, conte di Parigi (1831-2), opera seria Librettist: Felice RomaniFirst performed: March 13, 1832 at La Scala, Milan.
L’elisir d’amore (1832), opera buffa Librettist: Felice RomaniFirst performed: May 12, at the Teatro Canobbiana, Milan.
Sancia di Castiglia (1832), opera seria Librettist: Pietro SalatinoFirst performed: November 4, 1832 at Teatro San Carlo, Naples.
Il furioso all’isola di San Domingo (1832), opera semiseria Librettist: Jacopo FerrettiFirst performed: January 2, 1833 at Teatro Valle, Rome.
Parisina d’Este (1833), opera seria Librettist: Felice RomaniFirst performed: March 17, 1833 at Teatro della Pergola, Florence.
Torquato Tasso (1833), opera semiseria Librettist: Jacopo FerrettiFirst performed: September 9, 1833 at Teatro Valle, Rome.
Lucrezia Borgia (1833, revised in 1839 and 1840), opera seria Librettist: Felice RomaniFirst performed:December 26, 1833 at La Scala, Milan.
1834-1838 Rosmonda d’Inghilterra (1834, revised as Eleonora di Gujenna, 1839), opera seria Librettist: Felice RomaniFirst performed:February 27, 1834 at Teatro della Pergola, Florence.
Maria Stuarda (1834, revised as Buondelmonte in 1834 in response to the censors’ refusal to allow Maria Stuarda), opera seria Librettist: Giuseppe BardariFirst performed: December 30, 1835 at La Scala, Milan.
Gemma di Vergy (1834), opera seria Librettist: Emanuele BidèraFirst performed: December 26, 1834 at La Scala, Milan.
Marino Faliero (1835), opera seria Librettist: Emanuele BidèraFirst performed: March 12, 1835, Théatre-Italien, Paris.
Lucia di Lammermoor (1835, revised for Paris as Lucie de Lammermoor in 1839), opera seria Librettist: Salvatore CammaranoFirst performed:September 26, 1835 at the Teatro San Carlo, Naples.
Belisario (1835-6), opera seria Librettist: Salvatore CammaranoFirst performed: February 4, 1836 at the Teatro La Fenice, Venice. g.
Il campanello di notte (1836), farsa Librettist: Gaetano DonizettiFirst performed: June 1, 1836 at the Teatro Nuovo, Naples.
Betly (also known as La capanna svizzera) (1836), opera buffa Librettist: Gaetano DonizettiFirst performed: August 21, 1836 at the Teatro Nuovo, Naples.
L’assedio di Calais (1836), opera seria Librettist: Salvatore CammaranoFirst performed:November 19, 1836 at the Teatro San Carlo, Naples.
Pia de’Tolomei (1836-7), opera seria Librettist: Salvatore CammaranoFirst performed: February 18, 1837 at the Teatro Apollo, Venice.
Roberto Devereux (1837), opera seria Librettist: Salvatore CammaranoFirst performed: October 28, 1837 at the Teatro San Carlo, Naples.
Maria de Rudenz (1837), opera seria Librettist: Salvatore CammaranoFirst performed: January 30, 1838 at the Teatro La Fenice, Venice.
Poliuto (1838, revised in 1839 as a grand opéra, Les Martyrs, for Paris after the censors in Naples refused to allow it to be staged), opera seria Librettist: Salvatore CammaranoFirst performed: November 30, 1848 at the Teatro San Carlo, Naples.
1839-1843 Le Duc d’Albe (1839, not performed. Completed and revised by others as Il Duc d’Alba), grand opéra. The original French version was completed by Giorgio Battistelli and premiered in Gent by Opera Vlaanderen in 2012. Librettists: Eugène Scribe and Charles DuvéyrierFirst performed: As Il Duc d’Alba on March 22, 1882 at the Teatro Apollo, Rome
La Fille du régiment (1839, later revised as an opera buffa, La figlia di reggimento), opéra comique. Librettists: Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Jean-Francois-Albert BayardFirst performed: February 11, 1840 at the Opéra Comique, Paris.
L’Ange de Nisida (1839, not performed but some of it reworked as La Favorite), opera semiseria. In 2018 a critical edition of the opera was made by Candida Mantica. Librettists: Alphonse Royer and Gustave VaeFirst performed: July 18, 2018 - first performance of the new critical edition at the Royal Opera House, London.
Élisabeth, ou la
fille de l’exilé (?1839/40). Opéra comique. Librettists: De Leuven and Brunswick (i.e.
Adolphe von Ribbing and Léon Lévy). First performed July 17, 2003, Caramoor Festival, New York.
La Favorite (1840, also revised in Italian as La Favorita), grand opéra Librettists: Alphonse Royer and Gustave VaezFirst performed: December 2, 1840 at the Opéra, Paris.
Adelia (also known as La figlia dell’arciere) (1840), opera seria Librettists: Felice Romani and Girolamo MariniFirst performed: February 11, 1841 at the Teatro Apollo, Rome.
Rita (also known as Le mari battu) (1841), opéra comique Librettist: Gustave VaezFirst performed: May 7, 1860 at the Opéra-Comique, Paris
Maria Padilla (1841, revised 1842), opera seria Librettists: Gaetano Rossi and Gaetano DonizettiFirst performed:December 26, 1841 at La Scala, Milan.
Linda di Chamounix (1841-2, revised 1842), opera semiseria Librettist: Gaetano RossiFirst performed: May 19, 1842, at the Kärntnertorteater, Vienna.
Caterina Cornaro (1842-3), opera seria Librettist: Giacomo SaccheroFirst performed:January 18, 1844, at Teatro San Carlo, Naples.
Don Pasquale (1842), opera buffa Librettists: Giovanni Ruffini and Gaetano DonizettiFirst performed: January 3, 1843, at the Théâtre-Italien, Paris.
Maria di Rohan (1843), opera seria Librettists: Salvatore CammaranoFirst performed: June 5, 1843, at the Kärntnertorteater, Vienna.
Dom Sébastien, roi de Portugal (revised in German as Dom Sebastian and in Italian as Don Sebastiano) (1843), grand opéra Librettists: Eugène ScribeFirst performed: November 13, 1843, at the Opéra, Paris.
|