Donizetti : Le Duc d’Albe. Petean, Jordi, Carignani.

   in Opera Now (Apr, 2014)
Donizetti’s unfinished French opera has been rehashed in so many ways: the libretto reused for Verdi’s Les vepres siciliennes, the work was also cobbled into an Italian version by Donizetti’s pupil, Salvi, for a premiere in 1882, and reconstructed by Thomas Schippers in 1959. This recording captures Vlaamse Opera’s 2012 performances of the premiere of a new four act French version with music by Giorgio Battistelli to fill Donizetti’s gaps, and wonderful it is too. The music is vibrant and exciting and it’s fascinating to hear Maria Stuarda’s ‘Preghiera’ crop up in Act 2 and La Favorite’s ‘Ange si pur’ as ‘Anges des cieux’ in Act 4. Battistelli’s additions are not …