Enrico di Borgogna

The first opera of Gaetano Donizetti to reach the stage—in Venice, circa 1818, when the composer was only 21—this is actually a heroic piece in which the title character, whose royal father was killed by his own evil brother, returns to take back his throne from the usurper’s equally tyrannical son Guido. And, naturally, there is a romantic subplot involving Elisa, a woman desired by both men. But director Silvia Paoli staged it at the 2018 Donizetti Festival in Bergamo as an opera-within-an-opera farce—a supposed recreation of the first performance, in which the frazzled impresario (in a non-singing role) must enlist a seamstress to assume the part of Enrico at the last minute and try to keep the performance running smoothly, even though an actor dressed in a bear costume insists on intruding in scene after scene. The concept might have turned out disastrously, but instead works nicely, allowing for amusing slapstick while also permitting listeners to appreciate Donizetti’s tuneful score, which is clearly patterned after the template of Rossini. Mezzo Anna Bonitatibus is a fine "replacement" Enrico; tenor Levy Sekgapane exhibits exceptional vocal agility as Guido; and mezzo Sonia Ganassi is an agile Elisa, melding sweet vocalism with the comic pretense of the diva playing the part. The supporting singers, especially Luca Tittoto as Guido’s jester Gilberto and Francesco Castoro as Pietro (the shepherd who raised Enrico), are also excellent, and the company chorus and period-instrument band Academia Montis Regalis perform exuberantly under the baton of Alessandro De Marchi. Featuring colorful sets and costumes, this is a fine 200th-anniversary revival of a bel canto rarity. Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and PCM stereo on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 and PCM stereo on Blu-ray, extras include brief interviews with De Marchi, Bonitatibus, and Ganassi. Recommended. (F. Swietek)