In September 2023 Opera Rara launched one of its most ambitious projects in its 50-year history. Spearheaded by Carlo Rizzi and Roger Parker, the “Donizetti Song Project” aimed to record the nearly 200 Donizetti songs, many of them unheard and unpublished in modern times.
Volumes 1 and 2 of the projected eight album set, featuring Lawrence Brownlee and Nicola Alaimo, both accompanied by Carlo Rizzi, were released in October 2024. On 21 February 2025 Opera Rara has now released the third and fourth volumes in the cycle.
The third volume features 18 songs performed by tenor Michael Spyres accompanied by Carlo Rizzi. In the fourth volume, mezzo-soprano Marie-Nicole Lemieux is accompanied by Giulio Zappa and presents 21 Donizetti songs. Both artists recently celebrated the release in a public “Donizetti & Friends” recital in London.
Gaetano Donizetti: “Ah! Si tu voulais, toi que j’aime”
Donizetti Song Project
Donizetti Songs Vo. 3
Donizetti Songs Vo. 4
This multi-year initiative is an ambitious project as it seeks to record, perform and publish the entire corpus of Donizetti’s solo songs. Roger Parker makes a convincing case for the validity of the project.
As he writes, “in their totality these compositions make a powerful case for Donizetti as a key figure in nineteenth-century domestic music-making: someone whose achievements in this area deserve to be better known; a body of work that, single-handedly, makes a powerful argument for the importance of the Italian ‘school’ in a field long dominated by German and French composers.”
“The Donizetti Song Project” essentially takes us back into the salon culture of the first half of the 19th century. It returns us to the intimacy and diversity of that epoch, and we get the opportunity to probe into the background and the context of this exciting period.
Gaetano Donizetti: “Tu porgesti a me l’anello”
Poetic Talent
Roger Parker
Donizetti was well educated, highly intelligent, and he showed talent for both music and literature. An avid reader, especially in drama and poetry, Donizetti composed an impressive body of songs that showcase his versatility and lyrical genius beyond the operatic stage. He speedily and naturally crafted his melodies by paying keen attention to the text.
Donizetti’s selection of poets reflects both his deep ties to the literary culture of his time and his keen instinct for texts that complemented his lyrical and dramatic sensibilities. We find texts by Felice Romani, one of the most celebrated librettists of the time, but also by the towering figure in 18th-century opera seria, Pietro Metastasio.
In his French songs, Donizetti turned to poets like Pierre-Jean de Béranger, a popular and politically engaged songwriter whose verses reflected the blend of sentiment and sophistication suited to Parisian salons. Lesser-known contemporaries are well represented, but his eclectic mix of collaborators underscores Donizetti’s adaptability. He expertly tailored his music to the tone and imagery of each poet.
Gaetano Donizetti: “Una vergine donzella”
Stylistic Diversity
Marie-Nicole Lemieux
Composed in Italian and French for various occasions throughout his life, the diversity of Donizetti’s songs is striking. From light-hearted Neapolitan tunes to romantic arias, playful cavatinas to poignant laments, many were occasional pieces improvised for friends or specific events.
In his songs, just like his opera, Donizetti is able to express the entire range of human emotions and feelings. What these songs demonstrate is his enduring versatility of being able to effortlessly shift between widely differing musical moods and idioms.
These songs capture Donizetti’s ability to distill complex emotions into concise forms, blending his theatrical flair with a more personal, introspective voice, and affirming his status as a multifaceted Romantic composer.
Gaetano Donizetti: “Dormi, fanciullo mio”
Latest Release
Carlo Rizzi
While some songs were published during his lifetime and achieved considerable popular success, others remained obscure and were rediscovered centuries later. In an early posting titled “Indiana Jones and the missing Donizetti Songs,” I briefly described Professor Parker’s role in unearthing some of these Donizetti treasures.
In the highly informative and expertly written booklets for Volumes 3 and 4, Parker now leads us through the fascinating process of making the Donizetti songs available in modern critical editions. Jonathan Keates, meanwhile, provides the cultural, political, and social background in a delightful essay titled “Donizetti in Search of a Wider World.”
Michael Spyres © Andie Botrell
With this latest release in the “Donizetti Song Project” series, Opera Rara performs an invaluable service to the world of music by breathing new life into these forgotten gems with meticulous scholarship and passionate performances. Their dedication has not only enriched our understanding of Donizetti’s genius but also ensured that his lyrical legacy continues to captivate audiences worldwide.
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