Donizetti: Parisina C.Giannatasio, J.Bros, D.olari, N.Ulivieri, A.Taylor, London Philharmonic Orchestra & David Parry

• Gaetano Donizetti (1797 - 1848): Parisina, Act 1:
• 1 Donizetti: Parisina, Act 1: Preludio 08:08
• 2 Donizetti: Parisina, Act 1: "E desto il Duca?" (Chorus, Ernesto, Azzo) 04:58
• 3 Donizetti: Parisina, Act 1: "Che mi rechi?" (Chorus, Ernesto, Azzo) 04:46
• 4 Donizetti: Parisina, Act 1: "Dall'Eridano si stende" (Chorus, Ernesto, Azzo) 04:25
• 5 Donizetti: Parisina, Act 1: "Con giostre, e con tornei" (Azzo, Ernesto, Ugo) 04:34
• 6 Donizetti: Parisina, Act 1: "Oh! chi mai veggio? E desso" (Azzo, Ernesto, Ugo) 02:50
• 7 Donizetti: Parisina, Act 1: "Io l'amai fin da quell'ora" (Azzo, Ernesto, Ugo) 04:01
• 8 Donizetti: Parisina, Act 1: "Per le cure, per le pene" (Azzo, Ernesto, Ugo) 03:40
• 9 Donizetti: Parisina, Act 1: "Qui, qui posiamo ... ombroso, ameno e il loco" (Parisina, Imelda, Chorus) 03:32
• 10 Donizetti: Parisina, Act 1: "Si ne' suoi Stati" (Parisina, Imelda, Chorus) 01:06
• 11 Donizetti: Parisina, Act 1: "Forse, un destin che intendere dato ai celesti e solo" (Parisina, Imelda, Chorus) 03:32
• 12 Donizetti: Parisina, Act 1: "Qual suon!" (Parisina, Imelda, Chorus) 06:12
• 13 Donizetti: Parisina, Act 1: "La mia ripulsa, o prodi" (Parisina, Ugo) 05:48
• 14 Donizetti: Parisina, Act 1: "Dillo ... io te 'l chieggo in merito della mia lunga guerra" (Parisina, Ugo) 06:25
• 15 Donizetti: Parisina, Act 1: "Giunge il duca" (Parisina, Ugo, Azzo, Ernesto, Imelda, Chorus) 03:05
• 16 Donizetti: Parisina, Act 1: "Ah! tu sai che insiem con esso" (Parisina, Ugo, Azzo, Ernesto, Imelda, Chorus) 03:58
• 17 Donizetti: Parisina, Act 1: "Voga, voga qual lago stagnante ferma il Po le veloci correnti" (Parisina, Ugo, Azzo, Ernesto, Imelda, Chorus) 02:02
• 18 Donizetti: Parisina, Act 1: "E tu sol rimarrai?" (Parisina, Ugo, Azzo, Ernesto, Imelda, Chorus) 04:16
• Parisina, Act 2:
• 19 Donizetti: Parisina, Act 2: "Lieta era dessa, e tanto?" (Imelda, Chorus) 03:48
• 20 Donizetti: Parisina, Act 2: "Ella si appressa" (Imelda, Parisina, Chorus) 03:44
• 21 Donizetti: Parisina, Act 2: "Sogno talor di correre" (Imelda, Parisina, Chorus) 05:52
• 22 Donizetti: Parisina, Act 2: "Si non mentir le ancelle" (Azzo, Parisina) 05:33
• 23 Donizetti: Parisina, Act 2: "Ugo!" (Azzo, Parisina) 04:29
• 24 Donizetti: Parisina, Act 2: "Non pentirti ... mi ferisci" (Azzo, Parisina) 03:27
• 25 Donizetti: Parisina, Act 2: "E dolce le trombe" (Chorus, Ugo, Ernesto) 04:24
• 26 Donizetti: Parisina, Act 2: "Ne ancor vien ella!" (Chorus, Ugo, Ernesto) 02:18
• 27 Donizetti: Parisina, Act 2: "Lo sentii tremar la mano" (Chorus, Ugo, Ernesto) 04:26
• 28 Donizetti: Parisina, Act 2: "Ugo!" (Chorus, Ugo, Ernesto) 01:25
• 29 Donizetti: Parisina, Act 2: "Quest'amor doveva in terra" (Chorus, Ugo, Ernesto) 04:30
• 30 Donizetti: Parisina, Act 2: "Ite, e condotti entrambi" (Azzo, Parisina, Ugo, Ernesto) 04:22
• 31 Donizetti: Parisina, Act 2: "Morte!!" (Azzo, Parisina, Ugo, Ernesto) 03:31
• 32 Donizetti: Parisina, Act 2: "Per sempre, per sempre sotterra sepolto" (Azzo, Parisina, Ugo, Ernesto) 04:37
• 33 Donizetti: Parisina, Act 2: "Protettor d'un empia madre" (Azzo, Parisina, Ugo, Ernesto) 05:33
• Parisina, Act 3:
• 34 Donizetti: Parisina, Act 3: "Muta, insensibile, se non in quanto" (Chorus, Parisina, Imelda) 05:42
• 35 Donizetti: Parisina, Act 3: "No ... piu salir non ponno miei prieghi al ciel" (Chorus, Parisina, Imelda) 05:00
• 36 Donizetti: Parisina, Act 3: "Ciel, sei tu che in tal momento mi sgomenti" (Chorus, Parisina, Imelda) 02:54
• 37 Donizetti: Parisina, Act 3: "Silenzio, un suon lugubre" (Chorus, Parisina, Imelda) 01:45
• 38 Donizetti: Parisina, Act 3: "Ora funesta!" (Chorus, Parisina, Imelda) 02:08
• 39 Donizetti: Parisina, Act 3: "Ugo...e spento! a me si renda" (Chorus, Parisina, Imelda) 05:17
• Total Runtime 02:42:03

Info for Donizetti: Parisina

Donizetti’s gripping opera Parisina comes from a particularly fruitful period in the composer’s output. It was premiered in Florence in 1833, the year that Lucrezia Borgia opened at La Scala and Torquato Tasso in Rome, with a libretto by the leading exponent of the craft at that time, Felice Romani. And yet the opera is rarely performed today – even though it was widely staged during the two decades following its premiere. Its fortunes may change again with this new recording, cast from strength and led by the Parisina of Carmen Giannattasio (heard in La donna del lago – ORC34) and José Bros (heard in Roberto Devereux – ORC24) as Ugo. The plot is unusually dark, even for an early romantic melodramma. Parisina, the wife of Azzo, a 15th-century Duke of Ferrara, has fallen in love with Ugo, who turns out to be a child of Azzo’s previous marriage.

In furious anger at her outlandish passion, Azzo has his own son murdered, and presents his anguished stepmother with the corpse. This horrifying scenario was just the sort of passionate narrative to set the composer’s musical pulses racing, and the result remained his favourite among his works for many years; as his biographer William Ashbrook has written, ‘Parisina contains some of Donizetti’s most vivid musical portraiture.’

"Donizetti provides Parisina with one of his most plaintive arias in 'Sogno talor di correre' and a spectacular send off in Act III with 'Ora funesta!'. There's some exquisite orchestra writing… and fine work for the chorus, with the Geoffrey Mitchell Choir on tiptop form here. ...Carmen Giannattasio's... vocal attack is magnificent and the trills and runs and drops through the registers spot on." (BBC Music Magazine)

"Opera Rara's recording is less by Carmen Giannattasio… Her Act 3 defiance of Azzo, the ingenious Romanza in Act 2, and her fatalistic "Forse un destin che intendere" are agile in decoration, expressive and well acted - a cunning piece of casting. The Spanish tenor José Bros displays enough metal in the voice to catch Ugo's Percy-like desperation in returning obsessively to Parisina's hostile court. The horns at Parisina's entrance and the spooky bird-calls in Act 3... show off Donizetti's imaginative use of scoring to second dramatic points. David Parry's well paced conducting is especially aware of these touches." (Gramophone Magazine)

Carmen Giannattasio, soprano (Parisina)
José Bros, tenor (Ugo)
Dario Solari, baritone (Azzo)
Nicola Ulivieri, bass (Ernesto)
Ann Taylor, mezzo (Imelda)
Geoffrey Mitchell Choir
London Philharmonic Orchestra
David Parry, conductor

Carmen Giannattasio
has blazed a trail across stages the world over. Her unique talent has been in demand worldwide since her career was launched by taking First Prize and the Audience Award at Placido Domingo’s Operalia, Paris in 2002. Her lustrous soprano voice and her dramatic ability gained her immediate critical attention and a reputation as a chameleon, able to adapt her tune and skin to the different heroines she embodies.. It was her performance as Violetta in 2007 at Scottish Opera in La Traviata which catapulted her into the limelight with Rupert Christiansen commenting in the Daily Telegraph “…a deeply intelligent and profoundly affecting interpretation in the Cotrubas and Scotto mould.”

Since being chosen to front important new bel canto recordings by Opera Rara, who champion rarely performed operas of the 19th century, she has distinguished herself in Rossini’s La donna del lago, Donizetti’s Parisina and in particular Rossini’s Ermione – a performance which has earned her plaudits from leading critics worldwide, with the recording winning the 2011 Gramophone Opera Award. Her recordings with the English label also include Bellini’s Il Pirata (2010) and Donizetti’s Caterina Cornaro (2011). NP

It wasn’t only the favour of the critics Carmen Giannattasio won by stepping in at the eleventh hour for John Copley’s production of La Boheme at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in 2012. This triumphant debut also began a new chapter in her career, starting with her debut at Metropolitan Opera in New York as Leonora in David McVicar’s production of Verdi’s Il Trovatore in September of the same year. Following buy an essay performances in two of the world’s leading opera houses, Carmen opened the season at Teatro San Carlo, Naples with a glamorous performance as Violetta in the triumphant production of La Traviata directed by renowned Italian/Turkish film director Franz Ozpetek, who described her as: “first class… fiery and sensual”.

Carmen’s engagements kept rising over 2013 and the soprano found herself in major venues both at home and abroad. Highlights of 2013 were Mrs Alice in Robert Carsen’s new production of Verdi’s Falstaff at La Scala, Milan, Verdi‘s La Traviata at Hong Kong Arts Festival, Leonora in Philipp Stolzl’s new production of Verdi’s Il Trovatore at Wien Festwochen, Desdemona in Jose Cura’s new production of Verdi’s Otello at Teatro Colon of Buenos Aires, Alice in Blakeley’s new production of Falstaff at Los Angeles Opera conducted by James Conlon. Giannattasio’s solo performance at the New Year’s concert at La Fenice, Venice under the baton of Diego Matheuz in 2014 was broadcast worldwide, opening a very busy season for the eclectic soprano. Besides a main role in Verdi’s Requiem in Valencia Palau de las Artes, Turandot (Liu’) at Teatro Regio of Turin conducted by P. Steinberg and at Arena of Verona, La Boheme (Mimí), Il Trovatore at Teatro La Fenice in Venice and in Simon Boccanegra (Amelia) at La Scala, the unstoppable soprano appeared also in Maria Stuarda (Elisabetta) at Deutsche Oper Berlin in concert version, and, in a new production by Moshe Leiser, at the Royal Opera House in London, to critical acclaim.

Her recent schedule has included Rossini’s Il Viaggio a Reims (Madama Cortese), followed by her debut in the title role of Bellini’s Norma, presented for the first time in the Middle-east as an highlight of the Al Bustan Festival in Beirut. George Loomis wrote in Opera Magazine: “Giannattasio’s first Norma was a considerable achievement”. Her interpretations as Mimí in Götz Friederich’s production of La Bohème at the Deutsche Oper and her performance as Liú in Puccini’s Turandot at San Carlo in March 2015 were highly praised by critics. 2015 also marks Giannattasio’s debut in Asia where she again performed the title role in Norma in Beijing to critical acclaim, warranting her a National Centre of Performing Arts magazine cover and main feature article. In summer 2015 Giannattasio made her debut at Theatre des Champs Elysées in Paris, in Maria Stuarda. In July she played Mimì in La Bohème at Hannover’s Open Air Opera, “The Arena of Verona in the north German lowlands” as described by the Prime Minister of Lower Saxony, David McAllister.

2015/16 season has seen Carmen in a new production of Il Trovatore by La Fura del Baus at the Nederlandse Opera in Amsterdam, a very successful new production of Pagliacci at the Royal Opera House London under the baton of Sir Antonio Pappano, which has won The Laurence Olivier award and the critical acclaim. A real triumph in Norma with Munich Staatsoper, Pagliacci at Berlin’s Deutsche Oper in March directed by David Pountney, Simon Boccanegra at La Scala under the baton of M. W. Chung.

She has been on tour with Teatro Alla Scala with Simon Boccanegra at Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre, Asian Arts Center in Shangai, and opened the new Lotte Concert Hall in Seul. Carmen has also opened the Edinburgh Festival with Stabat Mater by Rossini conducted by sir Tony Pappano with Accademia di Santa Cecilia.

Carmen has recently sung at Vatican’s Sala Nervi in a special concert broadcasted worldwide by RAI Television in presence of his Holiness Pope Francesco

2016/2017 season she appeared in: a new David McVicar’s production of Falstaff conducted by Zubin Mehta at the Wiener Staatsoper, La Boheme at Deutsche Oper in Berlin, a new production of Falstaff at Teatro alla Scala conducted by Z. Mehta, La Traviata at Metropolitan in New York, Te Deum by Bruckner at Maggio Musicale fiorentino conducted by Z. Mehta, I Pagliacci in Dresden, Turandot at 63th Festival Pucciniano in Torre del Lago, Falstaff on Tour with Teatro alla Scala, Pagliacci at ROH in London, Mefistofele at Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich.

In April 2018 she has been nominated as best female artist of the year at the international Opera awards

A new production of Tosca at San Francisco Opera this autumn will see her debut in the most iconic soprano role Floria Tosca, in December she will return at Champs Elysees in Paris with one of her signature roles Elisabetta in Maria Stuarda by Donizetti, follewed by Norma at Bayerische Staatsoper, Tosca at Berlin DeutscheOper, Un ballo in maschera in Naples, Hamburg and Munich, Norma at the Herodes Atticus in Athens, Giovanna D’arco at Teatro real of Madrid.

Carmen Giannattasio is an ambassador for the Italian jewelers Bulgari and is dressed by couturier Antonio Riva. She is also an ambassador for Carthusia, the Italian brand of beauty and bath products based in Capri Island.

In February 2017 Carmen has received the title of Cavaliere dell’Ordine della Stella della Repubblica Italiana.

José Bros
Being considered one of the leading romantic belcanto tenors of the recent years and having debuted more than 60 operas of this genre, José Bros has also been very successful in the French and Mozart repertoire (Manon, Thaïs, Werther, Roméo et Juliette, Don Giovanni, Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Così fan tutte and Die Zauberflöte). In his constant searching of the most appropriate roles according to his vocal development, he has recently expanded his repertoire with titles as La Bohème, Simon Boccanegra, Un ballo in maschera or Don Carlo.

Born in Barcelona, he studied music at the local Conservatory of his native city and takes singing lessons from maestro Jaume Francisco Puig. He sang his first roles in Palma de Mallorca and after his debut with Don Giovanni in Sabadell, his successful performances of Anna Bolena at the Gran Teatro del Liceo of Barcelona with Edita Gruberova led him to the most prestigious theatres as Scala of Milan, London Covent Garden, Vienna Staatsoper, Teatro Real in Madrid, Teatro Colón of Buenos Aires as well as theatres in Hamburg, Munich, Berlin, Zurich, Amsterdam, Rome, Florence, Palermo, Naples, Torino, Toulouse, Lisbon, Sevilla, Bilbao and Oviedo, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, Toronto, Sao Paulo, among others.

He has also been very active in the concert and oratorio repertoire, singing regularly in the main concert halls: Konzerthaus in Vienna, Kölner Philarmonie, Santa Cecilia of Rome, Carnegie Hall New York, Palau de la Música of Barcelona, Palacio Euskalduna in Bilbao, Kursaal in San Sebastian, Baluarte in Pamplona, Palau de la Música of Valencia, House of Music in Moscow, etc.

He has sung in several zarzuela productions such as La Bruja, Doña Francisquita, Los Gavilanes, La Tabernera del Puerto, Cádiz or Luisa Fernanda.

José Bros has been awarded with several prizes (“Orazio Tosi”, “Lauri Volpi”, Federico Romero”, “Lira d’Argento” and “Premio Lírico Teatro Campoamor”) and he’s a member of San Romualdo’s Royal Academy of Science and Arts of San Fernando (Cádiz).

Recordings include the complete versions of Anna Bolena, Lucia di Lammermoor, La Sonnambula, Roberto Devereux, Ildegonda, Parisina, La Conquista di Granata, Maria di Rohan, Il Pirata, Lucrezia Borgia, La Straniera and the zarzuelas La Bruja, Cádiz and Luisa Fernanda; also Hilarion Eslava’s Miserere, “Por amor” (zarzuela arias and duets) and “Giuramento” (belcanto repertoire arias). DVDs include L’amico Fritz, Il Viaggio a Reims, I Puritani, La Sonnambula, La Traviata, Don Giovanni, Maria Stuarda and Luisa Fernanda.

Dario Solari
Born in Montevideo-Uruguay, Dario Solari is one of the most important interpreter of Verdi and belcanto baritone repertoire. He is a prize winner as “Best Young Singer” award at the “Ferruccio Tagliavini” competition in Deutschlandberg; “Tito Schipa” international competition in Lecce and “Iris Adami Corradetti” international competition in Padua.

He has performed on the major opera stages throughout the world including Deutsche Oper Berlin, New Israeli Opera in Tel Aviv, Oper Leipzig, Oper Frankfurt, Opéra di Monte-Carlo, Opéra de Toulon, Savonlinna Opera Festival, Théâtre du Capitole Toulouse, Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen, Palm Beach Opera, Florida Grand Opera di Miami, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in Florenz, Teatro Filarmonico in Verona, Teatro Regio in Turin, Teatro dell’ Opera in Rome, Teatro Comunale in Bologna. Dario Solari has worked with prestigious conductors such as Roberto Abbado, James Conlon, Zubin Mehta, Riccardo Muti e Gianluigi Gelmetti and major directors like Bob Wilson, Micha Von Hoecke, Graham Vick, Franco Zeffirelli, David Mcvicar, Cristina Mazzavillani Muti.

Notable to mention, Solari highlights as Macbeth (title) at Teatro dell’Opera di Roma conducted by Riccardo Muti and at Teatro Comunale in Bologna directed by Robert Wilson and under Roberto Abbado, Macbeth (in the 1847 edition) at Teatro alla Pergola in Florenz, conducted by James Conlon and directed by Graham Vick, Don Carlo (Rodrigo) with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in Tel Aviv under Zubin Mehta, at Opéra de Monte-Carlo, at Opera di Firenze, the Megaron Concert Hall in Athens and at Teatro Massimo of Palermo, Carmen (Escamillo) at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and at Arena di Verona, Madama Butterfly (Sharpless) at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Don Pasquale (Malatesta) at Opéra de Monte-Carlo, Macbeth (title), La traviata, Marie Victoire by Respighi, Maria Stuarda, I Pagliacci, La bohème at Teatro dell’ Opera in Rome, Il trovatore (Il Conte di Luna) at Welsh National Opera in Cardiff and at the Festival di Ravenna, Un ballo in maschera and Macbeth (title) at Ópera Nacional de Chile in Santiago, Queen of Spades (Yeletsky) at Welsh National Opera, Lucia di Lammermoor (Lord Enrico) at Savonlinna Opera Festival, La Traviata (Giorgio Germont) in Rome staged by Franco Zeffirelli and conducted by Gianluigi Gelmetti, at the Palm Beach Opera, in Naples, Vicenza, Beijing, Le vêpres siciliennes at the Royal Danish Opera, Les pȇcheurs des perles and I Pagliacci at Teatro San Carlo in Naples. He has been invited by director Cristina Mazzavillani Muti to sing Conte di Luna in Il Trovatore in the theatres of Ravenna, Jesi, Fermo, Cosenza, Ferrara and Pisa. Also, he has sung Donizetti’s Belisario (title role) and Maria di Rudenz at the Donizetti Festival in Bergamo.

Among his recent and future plans: Aida (Amonasro) and Simon Boccanegra (title) at Teatro Comunale in Bologna, Stiffelio at Frankfurt Oper, Nabucco (title) and Carmen at Oper Leipzig, Carmen (Escamillo) at the New Israeli Opera in Tel Aviv, Tosca (Barone Scarpia – role debut) at Oper Frankfurt, Il trovatore (Conte di Luna) at Teatro Comunale in Bologna directed by Robert Wilson and conducted by Steinberg, Madama Butterfly (Sharpless) at Staatsoper Stuttgart, Macbeth (title) at Teatr Wielki Poznań, Madama Butterfly (Sharpless) at Opera de Nancy, Don Pasquale (Dottor Malatesta) at Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires.

Booklet for Donizetti: Parisina