Three hours of people singing about love in French—surprisingly devastating.
One of the composer's most beguiling scores, La Favorite is Gaetano Donizetti's La favorita in it's original French form; a tale of love and war that represents a glorious mix of Italian bel canto and 19th c. grand opera. Vincent Boussard's arresting Toulouse production does full justice to this newly renewed masterpiece. Three international principals take on the work's demanding roles: Chinese tenor Yijie Shi is a 'revelation' as Fernand, the rich-toned, authoritative French baritone Ludovic Tezier as King Alphonse XI and lauded American mezzo Kate Aldrich - 'the Carmen of this generation' - plumbing the emotional depths of Leonor's music. Conductor and bel canto specialist Antonello Allemandi adds to the passionate proceedings onstage. Maestro Allemandi demonstrated full authority over the stage for the musically complex scenes, and in the arias and duets demonstrated his confidence in the singers by establishing ample tempos to support their soaring vocal lines.
Acting
Aldrich's Leonor: Carmen energy, bel canto precision
Direction
Boussard's arresting visual staging
Score
Donizetti's most beguiling, emotionally complex work
Director
Olivier Simonnet
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This is the original French La favorita—Donizetti adapted his own Italian version later, but purists insist this 1840 Paris premiere version hits harder emotionally.
The real Leonor de Guzmán was Castilian royalty's most scandalous mistress; her historical beheading is somehow less tragic than Donizetti's operatic death.
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