Gaetano Donizetti(1797-1848)
- Music Department
- Writer
- Composer
Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti was born November 29, 1797 in Bergamo,
Italy. He was born in a windowless cellar into a poor family of a
government clerk. At the age of 9 he became a protégé of Johann Simon
Mayr, Maestro di Cappella of the Lombard city. Johann Mayr hosted and
educated young Donizetti, and later sent the talented boy to study
music under the renowned Padre Stanislao Mattei, the head master of the
Music School in Bologna. After graduation he enlisted in the Army, and
avoided going back to poor life in Bergamo.
In 1818 Donizetti's first operas were performed in Venice with modest
success. In 1822 Donizetti settled in Naples and there had his first
big success with two operas: "Zoraida di Granada" (1822) and "La
zingara" (1822). He was developing the Bel canto style, writing his
hallmark melody lines in a perfect match to Italian lyrics. Donizetti
played with variety of genre from the comedy "L'ajo nell'umbarazzo"
(1824), to the heroic neo-classical drama "L'esule di Roma" (1828), to
the romantic melodrama "Il Paria" (1829).
Donizetti became famous beyond Italy with his opera "Anna Bolena"
(1830). The superb quality of his music made him the rival of Vincenzo Bellini
and Gioachino Rossini. Donizetti's next operas "L'elisir d'amore" (1832),
"Parisina" (1833), "Lucrezia Borgia" (1833), and "Maria Stuarda" (1834)
were performed in Rome, Genoa, Florence, and Teatro alla Scala in
Milano. Meanwhile he had a teaching position at the Naples
Conservatoire and had a good reputation for his warmth, generosity and
devotion to his work.
His opera "Lucia di Lammermoor" (1835) straddled the annals of the day
more brilliantly than any other opera. Donizetti went to Paris, and
soon after was given the position of the Court Composer in Vienna. His
later operas were written to French texts, with the inevitable loss of
Bel canto smoothness, which was best in his melodies written to Italian
lyrics. His last works of "grand-opera" scale integrated ballet numbers
in spectacular settings. "Don Pasquale" (1843) was Donizetti's last
opera. He died of paralysis on April 8. 1848, in Bergamo, Italy.
Vocally challenging "L'elisir d'amore" (The Elixir of Love 1832)
remains a perennial favorite of the Bel canto opera repertoire
worldwide. It is a story of a young love-struck Nemorino, who bought a
bottle of magic drink from a traveling drug-pusher, who claims it to be
a 'love potion'. Nemorino is trying to win the heart of the coquettish
Adina, who eventually discovers that Nemorino's love is true and
sincere. It was made into the eponymous film in 1992, starring Luciano Pavarotti
as Nemorino and Kathleen Battle as Adina.
"Una furtiva lagrima" from the opera "L'elixir d'amore" is among the
most famous tenor arias. It's legendary 1904 Victor recording by
Enrico Caruso was used in 'Match point' (2005), 'Neokonchennaya pyesa dlya
mekhanicheskogo pianino' (1977), and many other films, often
uncredited.
Italy. He was born in a windowless cellar into a poor family of a
government clerk. At the age of 9 he became a protégé of Johann Simon
Mayr, Maestro di Cappella of the Lombard city. Johann Mayr hosted and
educated young Donizetti, and later sent the talented boy to study
music under the renowned Padre Stanislao Mattei, the head master of the
Music School in Bologna. After graduation he enlisted in the Army, and
avoided going back to poor life in Bergamo.
In 1818 Donizetti's first operas were performed in Venice with modest
success. In 1822 Donizetti settled in Naples and there had his first
big success with two operas: "Zoraida di Granada" (1822) and "La
zingara" (1822). He was developing the Bel canto style, writing his
hallmark melody lines in a perfect match to Italian lyrics. Donizetti
played with variety of genre from the comedy "L'ajo nell'umbarazzo"
(1824), to the heroic neo-classical drama "L'esule di Roma" (1828), to
the romantic melodrama "Il Paria" (1829).
Donizetti became famous beyond Italy with his opera "Anna Bolena"
(1830). The superb quality of his music made him the rival of Vincenzo Bellini
and Gioachino Rossini. Donizetti's next operas "L'elisir d'amore" (1832),
"Parisina" (1833), "Lucrezia Borgia" (1833), and "Maria Stuarda" (1834)
were performed in Rome, Genoa, Florence, and Teatro alla Scala in
Milano. Meanwhile he had a teaching position at the Naples
Conservatoire and had a good reputation for his warmth, generosity and
devotion to his work.
His opera "Lucia di Lammermoor" (1835) straddled the annals of the day
more brilliantly than any other opera. Donizetti went to Paris, and
soon after was given the position of the Court Composer in Vienna. His
later operas were written to French texts, with the inevitable loss of
Bel canto smoothness, which was best in his melodies written to Italian
lyrics. His last works of "grand-opera" scale integrated ballet numbers
in spectacular settings. "Don Pasquale" (1843) was Donizetti's last
opera. He died of paralysis on April 8. 1848, in Bergamo, Italy.
Vocally challenging "L'elisir d'amore" (The Elixir of Love 1832)
remains a perennial favorite of the Bel canto opera repertoire
worldwide. It is a story of a young love-struck Nemorino, who bought a
bottle of magic drink from a traveling drug-pusher, who claims it to be
a 'love potion'. Nemorino is trying to win the heart of the coquettish
Adina, who eventually discovers that Nemorino's love is true and
sincere. It was made into the eponymous film in 1992, starring Luciano Pavarotti
as Nemorino and Kathleen Battle as Adina.
"Una furtiva lagrima" from the opera "L'elixir d'amore" is among the
most famous tenor arias. It's legendary 1904 Victor recording by
Enrico Caruso was used in 'Match point' (2005), 'Neokonchennaya pyesa dlya
mekhanicheskogo pianino' (1977), and many other films, often
uncredited.