Donizetti: La favorite (Naxos) - MusicWeb International

Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848)
La favorite (1840)
Léonor de Guzman, Annalisa Stroppa (mezzo-soprano)
Fernand, Javier Camarena (tenor)
Alphonse XI, Florian Sempey (baritone)
Balthazar, Evgeny Stavinsky (bass)
Coro Donizetti Opera, Coro dell’Accademia Teatro alla Scala
Orchestra Donizetti Opera/Riccardo Frizza
rec. live, 15 & 18 November 2022, Donizetti Opera Festival, Teatro Donizetti, Bergamo
Reviewed as 96-24 WAV download
The French libretto and an English translation available online
Naxos 8.660549-51 [3 CDs: 179]

This performance of Donizetti’s grand opera, La favorite has been available on a Dynamiic DVD before, and was well received by Roy Westbook in January of this year (review). Evidently the visuals helped because Göran Forsling was less disposed towards the singing, when he reviewed the set in May (review), and I have to say I agree with him.

I don’t propose to go into all the background of the set, other than to say that this is the first time the score has been recorded in its entirety and is therefore valuable for that reason, but the cast leave something to be desired.

I was looking forward to hearing Camarena in the role of Fernand, as I had seen him as a wonderful Tonio in La fille du Régiment at Covent Garden a couple of years ago, and indeed he starts well, but as the evening progressed I began to wonder if the role of Fernand was a mite too heavy for him and he began to sound a tad whiney by the end. Nonetheless, he contributes some of the best singing on the set, especially when gentle lyricism is required, as in Ange si pur, which earns him the best reception of the night. Also excellent is Evgeny Stavinsky as Balthazar, who has a warm, sonorous bass, which is well suited to the role.

Thereafter things are not so good. Annelisa Stroppa has one of those modern voices afflicted with too much vibrato. She sings with power and conviction, but precious little of beauty emerges. The same could be said for Florian Sempey’s Alphonse, whose singing is rough and often strained. I’m afraid I found them both a trial to listen to.

The contributions of the chorus and orchestra under Riccardo Frizza are fine, but I can only agree with Göran Fosling, by saying that a far safer bet for the opera is the 1999 RCA recording under Marcello Viotti.

Philip Tsaras

Previous review: Göran Forsling (May 2024)

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