Headaches and Heartbreak
Donald Macleod follows the irresistible rise of Italian opera composer Gaetano Donizetti. Today, antagonising censors, two tragic losses and the writing of his most iconic scene.
Gaetano Donizetti was one of Italy鈥檚 most prolific tunesmiths, with almost 70 operas to his name 鈥� about as many as Rossini, Bellini and Verdi all combined - whose arias still cut straight to the heart today. All this week, Donald Macleod follows his irresistible rise: from a child brought up in a dark, cramped cellar to become a pioneering master of the style known as bel canto. And like any opera plot, there鈥檚 triumph and tragedy, headaches and heartbreak鈥�
Today, we find Donizetti in deep trouble with the censors who shut down his opera Maria Stuarda, and he鈥檚 hit by a series of terrible family bereavements, including the loss of his wife and unborn child. We also hear perhaps the most influential scene in any of his operas, from Lucia di Lammermoor鈥� which provided the model for many future composers鈥� 鈥渕ad scenes鈥�.
Lucia di Lammermoor, Act II: Per te d鈥檌mmenso giubilo
Chorus of the Royal Opera House
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
Bernard Haitink, conductor
String Quartet No 16 (ii. Largo)
Quartetto Mitja
Maria Stuarda, Act II: 鈥淔iglia impura di Bolena鈥� Va preparati furente鈥�
Edita Gruberov谩, soprano (Maria)
Agnes Baltsa, mezzo-soprano (Elizabetta)
Francesco Araiza, tenor (Leicester)
Iris Vermillion, mezzo-soprano (Anna)
Francesco Ellero D'Artegna, bass (Talbot)
Simone Alaimo, baritone (Cecil)
Munich Radio Orchestra
Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Giuseppe Patan猫, conductor
Lucia di Lammermoor, Act III: 鈥淚l dolce suono鈥�
Montserrat Caball茅 (Lucia)
Samuel Ramey (Raimondo),
Ambrosian Singers
New Philharmonia Orchestra
Jes煤s L贸pez Cobos, conductor
Messa di Requiem: Judex ergo; Rex tremendae majestatis
Zdenek Hlavka, baritone
Marcel Rosca, bass
Prague Chamber Chorus
Prague Virtuosi
Alexander Rahbari, conductor
ll sogno 鈥淣ostre misere menti鈥�
Il sospiro 鈥淒onna felice, stanca d鈥檃more鈥�
Lawrence Brownlee, tenor
Carlo Rizzi, piano
Poliuto: Sinfonia 鈥� O nume pietoso
Chor der Wiener Singakademie
Wiener Symphoniker
Oleg Caetani, conductor
Produced by Amelia Parker for 麻豆社 Audio Wales and West.
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Music Played
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Gaetano Donizetti
Lucia di Lammermoor, Act 2: Per te d'immenso giubilo
Choir: Royal Opera House Chorus. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Conductor: Bernard Haitink.- EMI : 749-849-2.
- EMI.
- 13.
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Gaetano Donizetti
String Quartet No 16 in B minor (2nd mvt)
Ensemble: Mitja Quartet.- URANIA : LDV-14132.
- URANIA.
- 14.
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Gaetano Donizetti
Maria Stuarda, Act 2: Finale
Performer: Francisco Araiza. Singer: Edita Gruberov谩. Singer: Agnes Baltsa. Singer: Iris Vermillion. Singer: Francesco Ellero d鈥橝rtegna. Singer: Simone Alaimo. Choir: Bavarian Radio Symphony Choir. Orchestra: Munich Radio Orchestra. Conductor: Giuseppe Patan猫.- DECCA : 4262332.
- DECCA.
- 14.
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Gaetano Donizetti
Lucia di Lammermoor: Il dolce suono
Singer: Montserrat Caball茅. Choir: Ambrosian Singers. Orchestra: New Philharmonia Orchestra. Conductor: Jes煤s L贸pez Cobos.- DECCA : E4704212.
- DECCA.
- 10.
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Gaetano Donizetti
Messa di Requiem (Judex ergo; Rex tremendae majestatis)
Singer: Zdenek Hlavka. Singer: Marcello Rosca. Choir: Prague Chamber Choir. Orchestra: Prague Virtuosi. Conductor: Alexander Rahbari.- PROFIL MEDIEN : PH08026.
- PROFIL MEDIEN.
- 7.
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Gaetano Donizetti
Il sogno "Nostre misere menti"
Performer: Carlo Rizzi. Singer: Lawrence Brownlee.- OPERA RARA.
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Gaetano Donizetti
Il sospiro "Donna felice, stanca d'amore"
Performer: Carlo Rizzi. Singer: Lawrence Brownlee.- OPERA RARA : 9293802542.
- OPERA RARA.
- 21.
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Gaetano Donizetti
Poliuto: Sinfonia
Choir: Vienna Singakademie. Orchestra: Wiener Symphoniker. Conductor: Oleg Caetani.- SONY : 19075807802.
- SONY.
- 1.
Broadcast
- Wed 18 Mar 2026 16:00麻豆社 Radio 3
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