Search - Gaetano Donizetti, Alfredo Simonetto, Orchestra della Piccola Scala di Milano :: Gaetano Donizetti: Linda di Chamounix

Gaetano Donizetti had written about sixty operas already when he produced Linda di Chamounix, the last and best of his works in the semiseria style. It contains many captivating tunes, but is far more than a string of vocal pearls: its structure is unusually sophisticated, permitting much flexibility in dramatic pacing; and Donizetti establishes a distinct tone-coloring for each character, even using leitmotifs, which were supposedly invented years later by Wagner. The story isn't a very exciting one, but as Donizetti authority William Ashbrook has written, "The merits of Linda obviously far outweigh its shortcomings, most of which can be blamed upon the libretto. From the first-rate overture to the buoyant duet-finale, there is hardly a page lacking in some distinction."