Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848)
Was one of the most prolific Italian opera
composers. His music is notable for its remarkable
melodies, with which he expressed the full range of emotions.
Actually, his harmony, rhythm, and orchestration
are at times repetitive, but it is his talent for melody and stagecraft
that caught the public's favor and has served to keep many of his works
popular to this day. He wrote instrumental music, cantatas,
and church music, but only his operas receive frequent performances.
The best of these are "Lucia di Lammermoor"
and the comic operas "La Fille du régiment"
(The Daughter of the Regiment), "L'elisir d'amore"
(The Elixir of Love), and "Don Pasquale."