Who was Gaetano Donizetti?
Q: Who was Gaetano Donizetti?
A: Gaetano Donizetti was an Italian composer who was the most famous composer of operas in Italy between the death of Bellini (1835) and the time when Verdi was becoming well-known.
Q: What style did he write his operas in?
A: He wrote his operas in a bel canto style, which is music with beautiful, smooth melodies.
Q: How did Donizetti's talent get discovered?
A: His talent got discovered by Simon Mayr, who was maestro di cappella (music director) at S Maria Maggiore in Bergamo. He opened a school which trained boys to sing in the church choir and gave them a good musical education. Donizetti learned a lot from Mayr and was always very grateful to him.
Q: What opera made him internationally famous?
A: His opera Anna Bolena made him internationally famous as it was performed in London and Paris.
Q: What novel inspired one of his most popular operas?
A: One of his most popular operas, Lucia di Lammermoor, was based on Scott’s novel The Bride of Lammermoor. There is also a French version as well as an Italian version of this opera.
Q: Why did he move to Paris?
A: He moved to Paris hoping that he would earn lots of money so that he could then retire, just like Rossini had done. However, his health deteriorated while there and he found it difficult to concentrate on composing new works.
Q: Where are Donizetti's remains now located?
A:Donizetti's remains are now located in a church in Bergamo where they were buried after his death; the house where he was born has been turned into a museum dedicated to him.
