A Favorita

La Favorita is a Donizetti opera I do like very much. When it comes to Donizetti operas, my two favourites are Lucia Di Lammermoor and L'Elisir D'Amore. La Favorita is not in the same league as those two, I've always thought that the story is not the easiest to follow. However, Donizetti's music is beautiful, Arturo Toscanini said it best when he said "every note is a masterpiece". This film version is very interesting. It is not perfect, the lip-synch is sloppily done but I do find that common in filmed opera, some of the direction has a stage-bound feel to it so there are moments where some of the drama is on the unmotivated side and I do think that Palmira Vitali's quivery timbre, especially on the high notes, is going to take some getting used to. There are also some inevitable cuts to the score, considering it is a filmed version. I'm glad that O Mio Fernando and Spirito Gentil were left intact, but was done to the cabaletta in Vieni Amor was disappointing(only 20 or so seconds of it was performed, I had no problem though with the performance though). However, the costumes and sets do look beautiful, the orchestral playing suitably lush and the conducting full of authority. Sophia Loren is radiant, and Gino Sinimberghi is a dashing Fernando, with Piero Sardelli having an effortless ring to his voice. Ines is sympathetic also, while of the cast the most impressive was the noble and resonantly sung Baldassare of Alfredo Colella. Paolo Silveri is very commanding as Alfonso, and his Vieni Amor is very touching. Overall, very interesting. 7/10 Bethany Cox