The prolific and versatile Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti, one of the central figures of Italian bel canto opera, also wrote around 200 solo songs. Most of them are rarely performed and some, until recently, were completely unknown. Curated by musicologist Roger Parker and under the leadership of Opera Rara’s artistic director Carlo Rizzi, Opera Rara presents the complete solo songs in a series of eight recital albums, making a powerful case for Donizetti as a key figure in the 19th-century song repertoire and restoring the Italian school to prominence in a field long dominated by German and French composers.

Following their acclaimed release of the Donizetti Songs Vol. 2 for baritone, Nicola Alaimo and Carlo Rizzi explore the rich repertoire for bass-baritone in a new volume featuring songs in Italian and French.

Volume 8 closes Opera Rara’s groundbreaking Donizetti Song Project, bringing to life one of the most remarkable rediscoveries in Italian vocal music.