Review by drama critic for L’Eco Di Bergamo

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Donizetti was responsible for many plots and brought to life so many characters in his serious and comic operas. The Maestro, by the English writers Duncan Hopper and Mike Wells, performed at Bergamo’s San Andrea Theatre in collaboration with the university theatrical centre, set out to turn the tables by turning his own life into a theatrical piece which included, at various points in the action, some of his most celebrated and moving arias.

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The drama and thrust of the story were based on a series of flashbacks as Donizetti himself spoke about his life. The play turned on the return of the Maestro, ill and suffering from an incurable mental illness in a dramatic and painful, journey from Paris to sanctuary in the Palazzo of Baroness Rota Basoni in Bergamo.

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Madness was one of the major themes of this poetic dramatisation. His own final days saw mental decline and suffering. That suffering was also illustrated in the play through arias from the early and latter part of Donizetti’s career, portraying the serious illness he went through. The arias included the suffering of Nemorino (The Elixir of Love) and Lucia in the grip of her madness (Il Dolce Suono). The arias reflected Donizetti’s own life and works.

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The reconstruction of his life in the text was based on a careful and accurate portrayal of the reality of his situation. The cast performed beautifully. Soprano Karen Orchin sang securely and incisively with a lovely tone. The splendid pianist was Simon Grey. Robert Tremayne took the role of Donizetti and Sophie Methuen-Turner was the second female lead. They played strongly, if a little British. All however brought back to life The Triumphs and Tragedy of the Maestro of Bergamo. A splendid production.