Gaetano Donizetti, born on Nov. 29, 1797, was one of the leading Bel Canto composers of all time.<\/p>\n
He wrote his first opera, \u201cIl Pigmalione\u201d at the age of 19 and he would go on to create 75 operas throughout his lifetime.<\/p>\n
His first major successes came with his comic operas, though in 1830, he scored a massive success with \u201cAnna Bolena\u201d and suddenly his serious operas were taken more seriously.<\/p>\n
His works are far from revolutionary and Donizetti hued closely to standard norms of Italian opera of the time. However, he had an incredible gift for melodic style, which undoubtedly had a major influence on the next generation\u2019s greatest composer Giuseppe Verdi.<\/p>\n
In addition to his massive number of operas, he also wrote 16 symphonies, 19 string quartets, 193 songs, 45 duets, 3 oratorios, 28 cantata, and numerous concerti; many of these works are largely forgotten with his operas as his lasting legacy.<\/p>\n
He died in April 1848.<\/p>\n
Where do you even begin with Donizetti? His operas make up a massive part of the standard repertoire. And that\u2019s before his resurgence in recent years that has seen even more of his works enter the canon.<\/p>\n
There\u2019re two sides to Donizetti.<\/p>\n
On the tragic side of things, \u201cLucia di Lammermoor\u201d will always reign as his most recognized opera. It\u2019s famed mad scene is one of the famed pieces in all of the repertoire and many sopranos have performed and recorded it outside of the context of the work.<\/p>\n
But his Tudor Queens trilogy is increasingly growing in popularity in recent decades with \u201cAnna Bolena,\u201d \u201cMaria Stuarda,\u201d and \u201cRoberto Devereux\u201d becoming part of the repertory. Of the three, \u201cDevereux\u201d is perhaps the most dramatically and musically refined.<\/p>\n
Then there\u2019s comic Donizetti. \u201cL\u2019Elisir d\u2019Amore,\u201d with its iconic \u201cUna furtiva lagrima\u201d is one of the most beloved comedies in the entire repertory. But \u201cDon Pasquale\u201d is arguably the finer work and it too has retained a solid standing in opera houses around the globe.<\/p>\n