| Donizetti, Gaetano (1797-1848) | La Favorite (Concert performance) | Libretto by Alphonse Royer, Gustave Vaëz, Eugène Scribe |
| Teatro Real | ||
| Daniel Oren | Conductor | |
| Coro Titular del Teatro Real | ||
| Andrés Máspero | Choirmaster / chorus director | |
| Orquesta Titular del Teatro Real | ||
| Simone Piazzola | Baritone | Alphonse XI |
| Jamie Barton | Mezzo-soprano | Léonor de Guzman |
| Javier Camarena | Tenor | Fernand |
| Simón Orfila | Bass | Balthazar |
| Anne-Catherine Gillet | Soprano | Inès |
| Antonio Lozano | Tenor | Don Gaspar |
La favorite, Gaetano Donizetti's most important of his opera serias written for Paris, dates to a prolific moment in the composer’s career. Léonor and Fernand fall into a profound yet impossible love. What might have been no more than some misunderstanding, leads to its inevitable and tragic conclusion.
The Spanish court of the 14th century is the background for a story with a clumsy libretto which weaves together an endless number of romantic clichés: marginalized characters, an exotically dramatic setting, scenes of madness, or passion prevailing over reason. And yet, this was no obstacle for Donizetti who composed some of his most inspired music. In particular, many believe the fourth act (much of which is based on an uncompleted project) has some of the most sublime moments of all his music. The power of the melody and the astounding beauty of the score combine in a story about public humiliation for alleged deceit, and which takes place with the consent of the person that is loved.
