Marcello Viotti, Münchner Rundfunkorchester - Gaetano Donizetti: La Favorite (2000)
EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue & Log) ~ 674 Mb | Total time: 77:41+72:18 | Scans included
Classical | Label: BMG Classics | # 74321 66229 2 | Recorded: 1999
EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue & Log) ~ 674 Mb | Total time: 77:41+72:18 | Scans included
Classical | Label: BMG Classics | # 74321 66229 2 | Recorded: 1999
Album notes The exact spelling of the title is crucial here, for this is the original French version of 'La Favorite' written for the Theatre l'Opera in Paris, not the frequently performed but badly censored and edited Italian version, 'La Favorita.' In the tradition of French grand opera, the subject is historical, involving a love triangle in the court of King Alphonse XI in 14th-century Seville. And though it is not regarded to be among the greatest of Gaetano Donizetti's works, it is still his work, and as such, brimming with melody and opportunities for beautiful singing. This live performance features the ravishing voice of Bulgarian mezzo Vesselina Kasarova as Léonor de Guzman, the favorite of the title, and the alert direction of Marcello Viotti, whose Munich Radio Symphony Orchestra is recorded with great clarity and presence, beautifully balanced with the singers in a natural, atmospheric soundstage.