Lucrezia Borgia

Librettist Felice Romani's highly fictionalized take on the infamous real-life Renaissance figure Lucrezia Borgia gave 19th-century Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti ample opportunity to exploit the bel canto charms of his score in a nonstop series of arias, duets, and ensemble pieces. Set in Venice, the story finds soldier Gennaro attracting the attention of Lucrezia, much to the dismay of her husband, Duke Alfonso d'Este, who suspects an affair and seeks revenge by trying to poison Gennaro. But, in fact, Gennaro is Lucrezia's long-lost son, and she initially outsmarts the Duke, only to later inadvertently cause Gennaro's death. Filmed in 2007 at the Teatro Donizetti in Bergamo, Italy, this is a traditional production, featuring simple but effective sets and attractive costuming. The able cast includes Dimitra Theodossiou as Lucrezia, Roberto De Biasio as Gennaro, and Enrico Giuseppe Iori as Alfonso, backed by the Bergamo Music Festival Orchestra under the baton of Tiziano Severini. Unfortunately, this otherwise attractive mounting is sabotaged by poor picture quality: impenetrable darkness enshrouds most of the action, while the few brightly lit scenes are not well focused. Presented in Dolby Digital 5.0 and stereo, this is an optional purchase. Aud: C, P. (J. Reed)