Donizetti: Roberto Devereux | Francesco Bellotto, Teatro Donizetti, Bergamo 2006 (full opera)

This was grand opera at its best, and a lavish historical production: Roberto Devereux by Gaetano Donizetti, staged by Francesco Bellotto at the Teatro Donizetti in Bergamo, Italy, in 2006 (sung in Italian). The singers were Dimitra Theodossiou, Andrew Schroeder, Federica Bragaglia, Massimiliano Pisapia, Luigi Albani and Giorgio Valerio. It was performed by the Orchestra and Chorus Bergamo Musica Festival Gaetano Donizetti, and conducted by Marcello Rota. The more than 70 operas written by Gaetano Donizetti (1797 - 1848), are evidence of the fact that the Italian opera composer had a special fondness for the Tudor period of the legendary Queen Elizabeth I. Donizetti dedicated several operas to this historical era. In the three-act opera seria Roberto Devereux, titled Tragedia lirica, the historical setting frames a story of secret love and betrayal. Of all people, it is Elizabeth I’s beloved Roberto Devereux who commits treason, so the queen feels compelled to order his execution. She also comes to realize that Devereux had secretly loved someone else. At the end of all the entanglements, the once proud queen collapses, abdicates the throne and thus ends the reign of the House of Tudor. The libretto for Roberto Devereux was written by Salvatore Cammarano. The premiere of the tragic opera took place in 1837 at the Teatro San Carlo. The various roles in Roberto Devereux place high demands on the singers, with the role of Elisabeth being one of the great challenges in the bel canto repertoire. Roberto Devereux contains some of Donizetti’s most popular arias. No wonder, then, that the audience loved this performance of the challenging opera. Elisabetta, Queen of England – Dimitra Theodossiou | SOPRANO Duke of Nottingham – Andrew Schroeder | BARITONE Sara, Duchess of Nottingham – Federica Bragaglia | MEZZO-SOPRANO Roberto Devereux, Conte of Essex – Massimiliano Pisapia | TENOR Lord Cecil – Luigi Albani | TENOR Sir Gualtiero Raleigh – Giorgio Valerio | BARITONE Orchestra and Chorus Bergamo Musica Festival Gaetano Donizetti Marcello Rota | CONDUCTOR Francesco Bellotto | DIRECTOR David Walker | SETS AND COSTUMES Matteo Ricchetti | VIDEO DIRECTOR In a glance: 00:00 Credits 00:44 Sinfonia Act I 01:50 Geme! Pallor funereo 04:03 All’afflitto è dolce il pianto 07:35 Duchessa alle fervide preci 10:38 L’amor suo mi fè beata 13:28 Nunzio son del parlamento 17:40 Donna reale 22:33 Un tenero core mi rese felice 26:04 Un lampo, un lampo orribile 29:07 Roberto che 32:13 Forse in quel cor sensibile 35:06 Duca, vieni a conferenza 41:38 Tutto è silenzio 46:20 Dacché tornasti 51:00 E quando fuggirai Act II 54:58 Introduzione – L’ore trascorrono 59:35 Del reo le sorti 1:02:33 Non venni mai sì mesto 1:08:44 Ecco l’indegno! 1:10:47 Alma infida 1:15:49 Scellerato! 1:19:37 Va, la morte sul capo ti pende Act III 1:23:19 Né riede ancora il mio consorte 1:26:46 Noi sai che un nume vindice 1:31:20 All’ambascia ond’io mi struggo 1:35:34 Ed ancor la tremenda porta 1:39:10 Come uno spirto angelico 1:43:35 Bagnato il sen di lagrime 1:48:12 E Sara in questi orribili momenti 1:51:33 Vivi, ingrato 1:57:06 Che m’apporti 2:00:44 Quel sangue versato Watch more arias in our opera playlist: Watch more concerts in your personal concert hall: Subscribe to DW Classical Music: #GaetanoDonizetti #RobertoDevereux #opera