Donizetti’s fiftieth opera, Marino Faliero, was first performed in Paris on 12 March 1835 with a cast comprising four of the finest singers of the period before premiering in London a few weeks later. Although these premières were both overshadowed by Bellini’s I Puritani, Marino Faliero subsequently enjoyed a long and successful run of international performances throughout the 19th century before disappearing from the stage until its modern revival in 1966. Set in Venice in 1355, it remains a major work of Italian Romanticism, sentimental, martial, full of conspiratorial adventure and culminating with the execution of the leading rôle.

This recording is also available on Naxos DVD 2110616-17.