Micaele Sparacino General Director and Conductor

Grace Jean reviewed our production of La Favorita in The Washington Post.

Had 19th-century composer Gaetano Donizetti alighted at Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church on Sunday evening, he might have been pleased with Opera Bel Canto's presentation of La Favorita. Not only had the company faithfully restored his tragic opera's libretto and music, but it also gave the work a heartfelt concert performance.

When Donizetti's French opera debuted in Italy 160 years ago, censors altered the libretto because it portrayed a Roman Catholic seminarian's illicit affair with a Spanish king's mistress. The amended Italian version survived in opera houses until it came under the scrutiny of Micaele Sparacino, Opera Bel Canto founder and director, who recently dusted off Donizetti's original Italian score and reconciled the libretto with the original French version. His resulting refurbishment reinstates three previously omitted musical numbers.

Under Sparacino, the soloists and Bel Canto chorus maintained solid pitch throughout the 180-minute Favorita despite the many intonation problems in the six-piece orchestra. Nothing could be done about the organ's pitch or the surprisingly untuned piano, but the string quartet's temperamental tuning improved slowly as the evening progressed.

In the title role as mistress Leonora, Marje Palmieri animated the performance with her dynamically expressive soprano, dramatic musicality and energetic coloratura. As King Alfonso, Valentin Vasiliu was Palmieri's baritone counterpart, with a dark, melted caramel tone. Tenor Antonio Giuliano played Leonora's lover, Fernando, with a fluid, clarion voice. He shed his militaristic poise in Act 4 to sing a poignant duet with Palmieri — one of the evening's best moments.