The Donizetti Works page includes some suggested recordings for many of Donizetti's operas and the Mayr page for recordings of his works. Please email:-info@donizettisociety.com with any suggestions for additions.

Brian Capon, a Society member, has compiled a very extensive list of  Donizetti and many other composers' opera recordings, which can be found at http://www.operadis-opera-discography.org.uk/ . Brian is happy to provide a version on CD holding this information and more. Please email:-info@donizettisociety.com, if interested.   A list of companies offering bel canto recordings can be found here.

The Fondazione Donizetti site, http://www.donizetti.org/index.php?catid=31&blogid=5 , includes an extensive list of Donizetti opera recordings and Mayr opera and instrumental works.

Video clips from operas by Donizetti (and many other composers) can be found at http://www.youtube.com/results?search=Donizetti&search_type=search_videos&search=Search. As the files are very large, you will really need broadband (DSL).  The voice/picture coordination is not always very good but it gives the chance to see bits of performances that you may not have seen.

The University of California’s Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/  has placed the music from some 8000 cylinders on line as well as interesting articles on their history and the project.  There are several hundred opera recordings, although this includes quite a few arrangements for band or various instruments. Currently, there are 40 Donizetti pieces. There are some well known names such as Bonci, Ancona and Kurz but the bulk of the singers are towards the more journeyman or woman end of the music business of the cylinder era.  Perhaps few absolute jewels but a wonderful insight into its time nevertheless.

Gramophone Magazine has now made an online archive of all its reviews at http://www.gramophone.net.  You need to register but it is free.

Remember when buying a DVD to check that it is playable in your country, as some are restricted by region.

Recent Opera Releases

Recordings of Donizetti's Non Operatic Works

Recent Opera Releases

The following is a list of bel canto recordings that have been released since 2006. It does not claim to be exhaustive or, necessarily, to recommend them. Recordings may be released under a different label in some countries or may not be available in various countries unless ordered over the Web.  

2010

Dynamic have released the world première recording of Arrieta's La Conquista di Granata  on CDS 618. You can hear an excerpt from it on that link.

Naxos have released CDs of Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia from the Bergamo Festival on Naxos 8.660257-58  and Maria Stuarda from the Sferisterio festival on Naxos 8.660261-62 , which had previously been available on DVD 2.110268 .  Review of the Maria Stuarda CD can be found here.

Joyce DiDonato has released a CD of arias, Colbran, The Muse originally written by Rossini for Isobella Colbran.  It's on Virgin Classics 5099969457906.

DG have released a DVD of Netrebko and Bezcala in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor taken from a Metropolitan Opera production on DG 073 4526.

2009

Medici Arts have released a DVD ( ref no. 2072458) of Gruberova in a production of Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia from a production at the Bayerische Staatsoper , Munich.  The DVD includes a bonus " The art of bel canto" with Gruberova. Tim Ashley in the Guardian found her "utterly compelling as the Renaissance psychopath" even if the voice was not what it once was. The Medici website includes a few excerpts.

Dynamic have released a DVD ( ref. no. 33597 ) of Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia from a La Fenice, Venice production.

Universal have released a CD of Bertin's La Esmeralda on Accord CD 4802341.  Newsletters 85 and 86 had articles on the opera.   A review can be found here.

Dynamic have released a CD of  Ramón Carnicer's Elena e Constantino on Dynamic CDS 619 .

Opera Rara have released CDs of Donizetti's Parisina on ORC 40 and excerpts of Ricci's Corrado d’Altamura  on ORR 246.   

Melba records have just released an intriguing CD of songs and arias from the late 18^thand early 19^th century  on Melba MR301118.  It's sung by the late Deborah Riedel with Richard Bonynge conducting.

Victorian Opera Northwest has just released a CD (WRW 204-2) of Balfe Songs and Arias.  Please see here for more details.

RTÉ have released a CD of  the concert performance on September 25^th, 2008 of Balfe's Falstaff.   See here for more details.

Opera Rara have released CDs of Mercadante's Virginia on ORC 39 and Bellini La Straniera on ORC 38 .   

Naxos have released a DVD of the 2007 Bergamo production of Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia on Naxos 2.110264 .  

DG have released a CD of Netrebko & Garanča singing Bellini's I Capuleti e I Montecchi on DG 477 8031 .

 

2008

A recording of the 2007 Montpellier Festival performance of  Donizetti's Il Duca d'Alba is now available on Accord 4800845 (2 CDs plus a bonus DVD ), from Amazon and other stockists.

RTÉ lyric fm have released a recording of the recent modern premiere of Balfe's Falstaff.  Available from companies, such as Amazon and Naxos Direct, as well as from Victorian Opera NorthWest. Reviews of it can be found here  and here. 

Dynamic have released a DVD of Donizetti's Don Gregorio ( a version of L'ajo nell'imbarazzo), filmed and recorded at the Treatro Donizetti in Bergamo on Dynamic 33579.

Opera Rara have released their recording of Thomas: La Cour de Célimène (ORC 37)  and will soon be releasing Bellini La straniera with Ciofi and  Jean-Baptiste Wekerlin, La Latiere de Trianon.   News on their 2009 plans can be found here.

Dynamic have released a 2000 Lucia di Lammermoor from the Teatro Lirico in Cagliari with Devia and Sabbatini on CDS 576.

Dynamic have released the première recording of Donizetti's Pietro il Grande (Il falegname di  Livonia) from the Martina Franca festival on CDS 473.

A DVD of the highly praised Dessay/Flórez performance of Donizetti's  La Fille du régiment from Covent Garden will shortly be available. See http://www.rohshop.org/acatalog/info_PRE_ORDER_FILREG_DVD.html

Opera Rara have released recordings of Rossini's La donna del lago (ORC 34),  Pacini's Alessandro nell'Indie (ORC 35) and Donizetti's Imelda de' Lambertazzi (ORC 36)

Naxos have released a DVD of Rossini's La cambiale di matromonio from the 2006 Pesaro festival on Naxos 2.110228.

Naxos have released a CD of Liszt's transcriptions of themes from Donizetti operas on Naxos 8.570137.

Naxos are planning to release a CD of Mayr's L'amor coniugale on Naxos 8.660198-99 from the 2004 Wildbad Festival.

2007

Naive have released a DVD of Rossini's La pietra del paragone on Naïve V5089

EMI have released a new recording of Bellini's La Sonnambula with Dessay in the leading role on Virgin Classics 0094639513826.

Cecilia Bartoli has released a recording entitled "Maria" of  arias associated with Maria Malibran on Decca, many recorded for the first time. It is available as CD or download and in a luxury edition with book and DVD.  See here .  In the same vein, Decca  ( 475 907-9 ) have also produced a CD of Rubini arias by  Juan Diego Flórez.

BMG have issued a new recording of  Donizetti's Adelia on RCA Red Seal 88697108132 . See here for a review from The Guardian.

Opera Rara  have released recordings of Donizetti's Don Sebastién (ORC 33), Mercadante Maria Stuarda (highlights-ORR 241), Paer Sofonisba (highlights-ORR 237) and a CD entitled Pauline Viardot and Friends (ORR 240).

Naxos have released Donizetti's La figlia del reggimento, on  Naxos 8.660161-62   http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.660161-62

Nuova Era Internationale have reissued Donizetti's Rita , see here .  Nuova Era seemed to drop from sight but are now back reissuing their past catalogue.

Bongiovanni have issued a DVD of  Verdi's Aroldo on AB 20003.  It's from a live performance at Teatro Muncipale di Piacenza, November 2003.  They have also issued a CD of Bellini's Norma from Ancona on GB 2551/52-2  and reissues of  historic recording of Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor with Leyla Gencer, Trieste 1957 on GB 1198/99-2 and of Rossini Guglielmo Tell with Giuseppe Taddei, Mario Filippeschi, Gabriella Tucci, Francesco Molinari Pradelli, Bologna, 1957 on HOC 050/51.    

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2006

Hardy Video Classics are releasing a DVD of Donizetti's Marin Faliero of the 2002 Parma production on November 28, 2006, see http://www.amazon.com/Marin-Faliero-Sub-Donizetti/dp/B000KEG8OS

Deutsche Grammaphon have released a DVD of Gruberova in the 2005 Munich production of Donizetti's Roberto Devereux, see http://www.iclassics.com/productDetail?contentId=64698

Deutsche Grammaphon have released a  2 DVD compilation of highlights from Beverly Sills career, including arias from Donizetti, Handel, Verdi, Massenet, and Mozart as well as Victor Herbert and many others, see http://www.iclassics.com/productDetail?contentId=64861

Membran have issued CD's of Callas singing Bellini's Norma (appears to be the first Callas studio recording) and Verdi's I Vespri Siciliani ( the May 1951 production in Florence with E. Kleiber conducting to judge from the cast list, although no details are given) and Sayão and Tagliavini in a 1949 Metropolitan production of Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore

As part of their new Heritage series, Covent Garden have released a CD of Sutherland's 1959 performance of Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor on ROH002. One of our members has raised a question as to whether the transfer of the Mad Scene has been done accurately.

Bongiovanni have released a premiere recording of Nicolini's Il geloso sincerato, Ponchielli's I Lituani, a DVD of Verdi's La battaglia di Legnano and Giuseppe Gazzaniga's Don Giovanni and vintage recordings of  Bellini's Il puritani (GB1195/6-2) and Donizetti's Marino Faliero ( GB2408/9-2) and Caterina Cornaro (GB 2410/11-2)

Decca have released many of their Sutherland recordings to mark her 80th birthday, see http://www.deccaclassics.com/artists/sutherland/index.html

Yet another Rossini Il barbiere di Siviglia .  This time from Sony, although at this time it doesn't appear on their site.  Instead see http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2006/Aug06/Rossini_Barbiere_82876804292.htm

Carrer's (also Karrer), Despo has been released on LYRA 0792 and is available from http://www.studio52.gr/srch_all_en.asp?D2=GR1&searcher=Karrer

Opera Rara have released their CDs of Donizetti Il diluvio universale on ORC 31 and Paer Sofonisba (excerpts) on OR 277. The former can also be bought as part of a package with their Donizetti Diva and The Young Donizetti  recordings, see http://www.opera-rara.com/site/product.asp?section=1&cat=1&sub=1&prod=679#Details

Decca have released a DVD of  Donizetti's La Fille du régiment from the production in Genoa 2005 with Juan Diego Flórez and Patrizia Ciofi on Decca 074 3146 7.

Decca have re released the Sutherland recordings of Donizetti's Anna Bolena on Decca  475 7910 6  , Rossini's Semiramide on Decca 475 7918 2  and Bellini's Norma on Decca 475 7902 1 .  Also Massenet Esclarmonde, Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur,

Membran have issued a 26 CD compendium of Callas recordings including Lucia and other bel canto roles. See http://www.membran.net/db_php_eng/index.php?action=template&template=223521.tpl They have also started to issue individual Callas performances, such as Bellini's I puritani (see here) 

Decca have reissued their 1979 recording of Rossini's Gugliemo Tell with Milnes, Pavarotti and Freni on Decca 475 7723 2 DOR4

Decca have released Rossini, Matilde di Shabran with Massis and Flórez on Decca 475 7688 4 DHO3 from the 2004 Pesaro Festival..

Dynamic have released a DVD of  Bellini's Norma with Dimitra Theodossiou on DVD 33493 and a CD of Bellini's I Capuleti e I Montecchi, the 1830 version, from the 2005 Martina Franca festival on  CDS 504/1-2.

Dynamic's partnership with the Rossini Opera Festival, Pesaro will add a series of new releases on DVD in 2006, all in high definition:  Rossini's Bianco e Falliero, which has already appeared on CD(see below), Torvaldo e Dorliska (Fischer, Takova, Alberghini, Meli, Pertusi, Praticò, conducted by Victor Pablo Perez, directed by Mario Martone), La Cambiale di Matrimonio (featuring Gortsevskaya, Rancatore, Bordogna and Capitanucci, conducted by Umberto Benedetti Michelangeli, directed by Luigi Squarzina) and L’Italiana in Algeri directed by Dario Fo, (Bargnesi, Lo Monaco, Pizzolato, De Simone, Esposito, Mironov, Vinco, conductor Renzetti).  Adelaide di Borgogna, which will be performed in concert form, will be recorded on CD (Barcellona, Ciofi, Regazzo, Zapata, conductor Riccardo Frizza).

Opera Rara have set out their plans for releases and recordings this year at http://www.opera-rara.com/site/contact/aboutus.asp .  They include Paër's Sofonisba, Donizetti Il diluvio universale, Rossini Adelaide di Borgogna  and La donna del lago, Mercadante's Maria Stuart and Pacini’s Alessandro nelle Indie.    

Meyerbeer's Semiramide from last year's Wildbad Festival  on Naxos 8.660205-06.  Also available is L'Etoile du Nord  8.223829-31 from Wexford.    

Decca have re-released Halévy's La Juive with Carreras, Varady and the Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by de Almeida on Decca 475 7629 7 PM3.

HMRL (Hellenic Music Research Lab) have just issued a CD of early works (1815-1827) by Nikolaos Halikiopoulos Mantzaros (1795-1872), see http://www.ionio.gr/~GreekMus/eng/pubeng/cds.htm See here for more details on Mantzaros.

Decca have reissued the Sutherland/Pavarotti recording of Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore(475 7514 6 DOR2).

Dynamic have released Rossini's Bianco e Falliero, a 2005 Pesaro Festival Opera production (CDS501) and Il Barbiere di Siviglia, a 1956 live recording  with Callas and Gobbi (IDIS 6479/80).

Dynamic have released a 2005 Teatro Regio, Parma production of Verdi's Ernani (CDS496).  They also plan to release a DVD.

Opera Rara has released a CD of Pacini and Mercadante arias and ensembles entitled Paventa Insano (ORR236).  They are doing a special offer of that recording plus the one of Pacini's Maria regina d’Inghilterra, until May 31, 2006.  See here.

Nightingale Classics, which focuses mainly on Edita Gruberova, has improved its website to include generous sound extracts and a list of web outlets where you can get the recordings, which has sometimes proved difficult in the past.  It includes her 2005 award winning recording of  Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia, with Juan Diego Flórez.

A recording from last year which has just appeared in the UK is of Donizetti duos for soprano (Sophie Marin-Degor) and mezzosoprano (Claire Brua) with Serge Cyferstein piano, Les Demoiselles de ... on Alpha 070.

Donizetti's, L'ira d'Achille, the 1998 Bergamo production is available from Celestial Audio (CA 483).  This site specialises in private recordings but note that the payment system is not secure.

Dynamic has issued a DVD 33475 of the 2004 Verdi Gala Concert from the Teatro Regio, Parma featuring excerpts from several Verdi operas including some early ones.

Opera Rara have issued excerpts from Meyerbeer's L'esule di Granata on ORC 234

Decca have release the 2005 Teatro Real, Madrid production of Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia on DVD 074 3111 5 DH2. The cast includes Bayo, Flórez, Spagnoli and Raimondi.

For anyone unfamiliar with bel canto opera but interested in trying it, a German company, Membran , has put out several 4 CD sets of operas, often highlights but sometimes complete,  by different composers including Donizetti, Rossini and Bellini (search the index on the above link).  The recordings are of 1950's vintage but are top flight casts :- Callas, di Stefano, Tagliavini, Pagliughi, Valletti, Gobbi, .... Most established collectors will already have them but they are a very cheap way (£9.99 at MDC London) to gain familiarity with such works as Lucia, L'elisir d'amore, Don Pasquale, La figlia del reggimento, Norma (complete), Il puritani, La sonnambula, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Il Turco in Italia.

Another bargain is the boxed sets of 5 operas (10 CDs), some fairly uncommon, of Donizetti ( Lucia, L'elisir d'amore, Poliuto, La figlia del reggimento, Maria di Rohan), Rossini (Il Signor Bruschino, La scala di seta, L’occasione fa il ladro, La cambiale di matrimonio, L’inganno felice)  and Bellini ( Il puritani, La sonnambula, Zaira, I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Adelson & Salvini) from Brilliant Classics.  They retail for under 20 euros, for example, at JPC.  They are reissues of fairly recent (1980/90's) Nuova Era recordings, often of live performances usually with reasonable casts, although some of the Donizetti operas include the tenor Giuseppe Morino, who is not to everyone's taste.

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Recordings of Donizetti's non Operatic Works

The following recordings cover some of Donizetti's non operatic work. It does not claim to be exhaustive and some recordings may no longer be available.  It is also worth checking out the Naxos site as they sometimes include Donizetti and other bel canto composers' instrumental music as part of collection CDs.

SONGS

DONIZETTI SONGS – written in the bass clef    (incl:  Canto d’Ugolino)

Meridian  CDE 84183 

Ian Caddy bass-baritone, Melvyn Tan fortepiano, Anthony Halstead natural horn, Sebastian Comberti classical cello

See here for song listing and to hear extracts from 3 of them, as well as an order form for the CD.

DONIZETTI – Nuits d’été à Pausilippe – Teresa e Gainfaldoni

Thésis   THC 82003  

Zehava Gal mezzo soprano, Bruce Brewer tenor, Jeff Cohen piano

ITALIAN SONG, Volume 2, Gaetano Donizetti

Collins Classics 15102

Dennis O'Neill tenor, Ingrid Surgenor piano

CHAMBER MUSIC

GAETANO DONIZETTI; Complete String Quartets, Volume 2, nos. 7 – 9

CPO Classics   999 170-2  

The Revolutionary Drawing Room

GAETANO DONIZETTI; Complete String Quartets, Volume 3, nos. 10 - 12

CPO Classics      999 279-2

The Revolutionary Drawing Room

GAETANO DONIZETTI; Complete String Quartets, Volume 4, nos. 13 - 15 

CPO Classics      999 280-2

The Revolutionary Drawing Room

GAETANO DONIZETTI; Complete String Quartets, Volume 5, nos. 16 - 18

CPO Classics      999 282-2

The Revolutionary Drawing Room

GAETANO DONIZETTI – COMPLETE PIANO DUETS

CPO Classics     999 163-2 

Larissa Kondratjewa, Reinhard Schmiedel

A number of musicians including Pietro Spada piano, Rodolfo Bonucci violin, Arturo Bonucci cello, Angelo Persichilli flute, Augusto Loppi oboe, Marco Costantini bassoon, Vincenzo Mariozzi clarinet, Vincenzo Bolognese violin, Mario Gangi guitar and the Orchestra da Camera di Santa Cecilia, conductor:  Alessio Vlad  have recorded all the known Donizetti chamber and piano music (except for the string quartets).  The recordings come from a number of years and have appeared on LPs from Frequenz (e.g. 4 DAQ Stereo) and CDs from Arts Music ( http://www.artsmusic.de/ ) including:-

GAETANO DONIZETTI – CHAMBER MUSIC, KAMMERMUSIK Vol.1

Arts 47217-2  

GAETANO DONIZETTI – CHAMBER MUSIC, KAMMERMUSIK Vol.2

Arts 47218-2

GAETANO DONIZETTI – CHAMBER MUSIC, KAMMERMUSIK Vol.3

Arts 47219-2 

GAETANO DONIZETTI – CHAMBER MUSIC and COMPLETE PIANO MUSIC

Arts  47530

Arts also released a CD box of just the COMPLETE PIANO MUSIC (Arts 6852034) with Pietro Spada and as 3 separate CDs (Arts 1202151, 1202152, 1494974).

THE OTHER DONIZETTI

Meridian  CDE 84147

Jeremy Polmear oboe/cor anglais,  Diana Ambache piano

DONIZETTI: Notturni

Ocean Classics

Orchestra of Radio Bratislava, conductor: Edoardo Brizio

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

GAETANO DONIZETTI – INSTRUMENTAL CONCERTI

Originally Marco Polo  8.223701 and now on Naxos 8.557492

Camerata Budapest.  conductor:  László Kovács

DONIZETTI – Ballet Music (from operas)

Philips Classics  422 844-2

Philharmonia Orchestra.  conductor:  Antonio de Almeida

RELIGIOUS MUSIC

MUSIQUE SACRÉE INÉDITE – DONIZETTI  3

San Paolo  D2582

Cinzia Forte, Raffaela Liccardi sopranos, Roberto Bencivenga tenor, Carlo Lepore bass, Alexander Jablokov violin, Gabriel Koncer clarinet;  Chœurs de l’Opéra slovaque & orchestre de la radio-télévision slovaque.  conductor:  Edoardo Brizio

MESSA DI GLORIA e CREDO

Schwann Musica Sacra  AMS3520

Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra. Berlin St Hedwig's Cathedral Choir. conductor Roland Bader

MESSA DI REQUIEM (the Requiem to Bellini).

Memories HR 4131

Orchestra Sinfonica e Coro di Milano della RAI. conductor Francesco Molinari Pradelli

MISERERE

Hungaraton

The Slovak Philharmonic Chorus and Orchestra. conductor Josef Maklari

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© Donizetti Society and contributors, 2004-2009