Saturday at noon on Classical Minnesota Public Radio, The Metropolitan Opera brings us "Don Pasquale," the instantly successful opera by Gaetano Donizetti.
Donizetti wrote an impressive 66 operas, with dozens left incomplete at the time of his death in 1868. "Don Pasquale" was his 64th.
Sitting on the timeline of music history between Giochino Rossini and Giuseppe Verdi, Donizetti was one of the most important composers of the "bel canto" style of opera.
And what is "bel canto"? Literally, it means "beautiful singing," but is otherwise loosely defined. One of the simplest ways to understand it is by knowing what it isn't: think of "bel canto" as opposite to the heavy, dramatic operas of Richard Wagner. It is also quite unlike the demanding, difficult-to-sing operas that Verdi became accustomed to composing.
With Donizetti, sweet and beautiful singing is a guarantee. Tune-in Saturday to Classical MPR at noon to hear a live broadcast of Donizetti's "Don Pasquale" by the Metropolitan Opera.
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