Album

Donizetti wrote this one-act comedy, Il giovedì grasso (Fat Thursday), early in his career, in 1829, and while it contains no blockbuster arias or ensembles, it's entirely enjoyable and an excellent demonstration of the composer's comic sensibility. The stock characters of Italian comedy are strongly drawn and, lasting just an hour, the music and drama never lag. The recording, taken from a live 1961 performance in Lugano, features a fine cast that makes the most of the score's humor. Soprano Bruna Rizzoli as Nina and baritone Nestore Catalani as Sigismondo, the scheming lawyer, have especially powerful and supple voices, as well as strong comic timing. As Teodoro, the young man with whom Nina is finally united, tenor Rodolfo Malacarne sings beautifully in his middle register, but when the role takes him above the staff, as it often does, his voice is strained and out of tune, although he improves as the opera progresses. The Italian Swiss Radio and Television Orchestra, led by Edwin Loehrer, plays crisply and with gusto. Opera d'Oro's sound is generally very good, but the breaks between tracks are abrupt and tend to disrupt the flow of the drama.

© Stephen Eddins, All Music Guide

CD 1
Gaetano Donizetti Composer Il giovedì grasso (opera) Work 59:58 Nestore Catalani Vocals, Irene Bassi-Ferrari Vocals, Swiss-Italian Radio Orchestra Orchestra, James Loomis Vocals, Bruna Rizzoli Vocals, Maria Minetto Vocals, Edwin Loehrer Conductor, Juan Oncina Vocals, Rodolfo Malacarne Vocals, Teodoro Rovetta Vocals
1	E sia vero, amato bene	7:55			$0.99
2	Che vi pare? È un bel pensiro!	2:42			$0.99
3	Servi, gene... Nina insomma	4:52			$0.99
4	Non vedo alcuno	4:30			$0.99
5	Taci! Lo voglio	4:03			$0.99
6	È partito?	3:09			$0.99
7	Piano. E come mai potrei	8:50			$0.99
8	Sigismondo strepita	3:04			$0.99
9	Che intesi, quali accenti?	6:54			$0.99
10	Anche questa è fatta	2:25			$0.99
11	Mo' che discopierto avimmo	4:04			$0.99
12	Mi sei fuggito	3:10			$0.99
13	Or che l'amore dà l'imene	4:20			$0.99