I may be in quarantine, but music can transport me back to the Middle Ages, or to the court of Catherine the Great of Russia, or, via Donizetti, to an imagined India.
Donizetti
Opera Preview: Donizetti’s “The Pariah” — One of the Most Significant Opera Releases of the Past Few Years
The long-forgotten Il paria (1829), a work that Donizetti himself prized more highly than many of his other works, has now been reconstructed by a scholarly team and given a splendid recording.
Classical Music Review: Maria Padilla and the indomitable Barbara Quintiliani
The past week saw its New England premiere of “Maria Padilla,” and while it’s received mixed reviews in the press, no one could fault the singing. It’s just that it is a very strange opera, with all signs pointing towards a tragedy, but it all ends happily — for an opera, anyway.