Are there any revealing arias that stand out to really define specific moments?
As I mentioned, I have a huge appreciation of his operas and of Donizetti as a dramatist. The challenges put forth are more about certain conventions in bel canto repertory that have to be addressed: structure of arias, repetition of text, etc. But once you get beyond that and/or start speaking that language, you find endless possibilities. For me, operas like Elixir, Lucia and Bellini’s Norma are superior Italian musical dramatic works and pieces that surpass most of the works of Verdi. I admire Verdi and don’t think he’s a bad composer, obviously, but he doesn’t always hit a home run (who does?) in the total arc of a piece (although it’s hard to find flaw in Traviata, Ballo, Falstaff, Rigoletto, Otello, etc.—the hits). I think Donizetti also had an incredible comic sense that survives today. Elixir is very witty; Don Pasquale is both funny and sad. So it’s a pleasure to work on these operas. And I see a direct line from them to the great musical comedy works of the American stage.
