Episode 2
Donald Macleod explores Donizetti's problems with censorship, which finally drove him to abandon Naples for Paris. Includes excerpts from Lucrezia Borgia, Maria Stuarda and Poliuto.
Donald Macleod explores Donizetti's life and work, focusing on the bane of the composer's Italian career - censorship. Lucrezia Borgia alarmed the censors with its five on-stage deaths and unflattering depiction of a pope's daughter. Maria Stuarda offended the King of Naples because it represented royalty in an unflattering light, with two queens on stage, one of them calling the other 'vile bastard'. Poliuto, passed as fit for public consumption by the censors, was nonetheless banned by the king because of its religious subject-matter. The effect was to drive Donizetti to abandon Naples for Paris.
Lucrezia Borgia - 1833 (excerpt from Act 2 Sc 2)
- Maffio muore
Gennaro ...... Alfredo Kraus
Lucrezia Borgia ...... Montserrat Caballe
RCA Italiana Opera Orchestra
Jonel Perlea (conductor)
RCA GD86642,
CD 2 track 17
Maria Stuarda - 1834 (excerpts from Act 2)
- Qual loco e questo?
- E' sempre la stessa...
- Deh! L'accogli...Morta al mondo, e morta al trono
- Va, preparati, furente
Elisabetta ...... Huguette Tourangeau
Leicester ...... Luciano Pavarotti
Cecil ...... James Morris
Talbot ...... Roger Soyer
Maria ...... Joan Sutherland
Anna ...... Margreta Elkins
Orchestra e coro del Teatro Comunale di Bologna
Richard Bonynge (conductor)
Decca 425 410-2,
CD 1 tracks 18-21
Poliuto - 1838 (Act 2 Sc 2)
- Celeste un'aura
- Magistrati, guerrieri, popolo
- La sacrilega parola
- Alla morte lo serbate
- Lasciami in pace morire omai
Callistene ...... Laszlo Polgar
Severo ...... Juan Pons
Nearco ...... Paolo Gavanelli
Paolina ...... Katia Ricciarelli
Poliuto ...... Jose Carreras
Felice ...... Harrie Peeters
Vienna Singakademie Chorus
Vienna Symphony Orchestra
Oleg Caetani (conductor)
CBS M2K 44821,
CD 2 tracks 8-12
Poliuto - 1838 (excerpts from Act 3 Sc 2)
- Ah! Fuggi Da Morte
- La grazia nell'alma ti scende
- Alle fiere chi oltraggia gli Dei
- Piu s'indugia?
- Il suon dell'arpe angeliche
Callistene ...... Nicola Zaccaria
Severo ...... Ettore Bastianini
Paolina ...... Maria Callas
Poliuto ...... Franco Corelli
Vienna Singakademie Chorus
Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala, Milan
Antonio Votto (conductor)
EMI 5 65448 2,
CD 2 tracks 17-21.
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Broadcasts
- Tue 17 Mar 2009 12:00成人快手 Radio 3
- Tue 17 Mar 2009 22:00成人快手 Radio 3
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