Gaetano Donizetti

Italian composer. Born in Bergamo, he studied at the conservatory in his hometown and in Bologna. He aspired to be an opera composer, and wrote three operas at the age of 20, but was disappointed when they could not be performed and he joined the army. He continued composing while serving in the military, and at the age of 25 he was recognized as an opera composer and began a prolific composing career. After releasing more than twenty songs in the style of Rossini, he performed Anna Bolena in Milan in 1830, a tragic story about Anne Boleyn, wife of King Henry VIII of England, and achieved unprecedented success. It was soon performed in London, Paris, and Vienna, establishing his worldwide fame. He released a succession of masterpieces, including the romantic and sentimental pastoral comedy L'elisir d'amour (1832), the historical drama Lucrezia Borgia (1833), and Lucia di Lammermoor (1835), which has a climax in a scene of madness that was popular at the time, and together with Bellini, he became the leading figure in Italian opera after Rossini's retirement.

In 1837, he lost the contest for the position of director of the Royal Conservatory of Naples, and the following year, the Neapolitan authorities banned the performance of "Poliuto", so he moved to Paris in 1838. In 1840, he performed the light-hearted French comedy "The Daughter of the Regiment", the grand tragic love story "La Favorita", and "The Martyr", an adaptation of "Poliuto", and became a favorite of the Parisian music scene. In 1842, he visited Vienna and performed "Linda in Chamonix", which was enthusiastically welcomed, and he was honored to be appointed court conductor and composer. In 1843, he performed the masterpiece of opera buffa "Don Pasquale" in Paris, but his health began to deteriorate around this time, and in 1845 he suffered a stroke and died in his hometown after a long battle with the illness.

Known for his extraordinary speed, he composed over 70 operas. Although many of them were poor works written in response to orders, the aforementioned works are representative masterpieces of bel canto opera, making full use of the limits of vocal technique and building dramatic excitement through a succession of beautiful, flowing melodies. Together with the works of his predecessor Rossini and his junior Verdi, they are still immensely popular today as masterpieces of 19th century Italian opera.

[Hajime Okubo]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

イタリアの作曲家。ベルガモに生まれ、生地とボローニャの音楽院で学ぶ。オペラ作曲家を志し、20歳ごろ三曲のオペラを書いたが上演できず、失望して軍隊に入る。軍務のかたわら作曲を続け、25歳でオペラ作曲家として認められ、多産な作曲生活に入った。ロッシーニの亜流の二十数曲を発表したのち、1830年にイギリス王ヘンリー8世の妃アン・ブリンの悲劇を題材とする『アンナ・ボレーナ』をミラノで上演して空前の成功を収め、すぐにロンドン、パリ、ウィーンでも上演されて世界的名声を確立。続いて、ロマンチックな感傷の漂う田園喜劇『愛の妙薬』（1832）、歴史劇『ルクレツィア・ボルジア』（1833）、当時流行の狂乱の場をクライマックスとする『ランメルムーアのルチア』（1835）と相次いで傑作を発表、ベッリーニとともにロッシーニ引退後のイタリア・オペラの第一人者となった。

　1837年、ナポリ王立音楽院長の席を争って敗れ、翌年『ポリウート』がナポリ当局の上演禁止処分を受けたこともあって、38年からパリに住み、40年にはフランス風の軽快な喜劇『連隊の娘』、壮大な悲恋物語『ラ・ファボリータ（寵姫(ちょうき)）』、『ポリウート』を改作した『殉教者』を上演し、パリ楽壇の寵児となった。42年にはウィーンを訪れ『シャモニーのリンダ』を上演、熱狂的な歓迎を受け、宮廷楽長兼作曲家に任命される栄誉を受けた。43年パリでオペラ・ブッファの傑作『ドン・パスクアーレ』を上演したが、このころから健康を害し、45年卒中の発作に襲われ、闘病生活ののち故郷で没した。

　まれにみる速筆で知られ、70曲以上のオペラを作曲。注文に応じて書き飛ばした駄作も多いが、前記の諸作は、歌唱技術の極限を駆使しつつ、流麗な旋律美の連続のうちに劇的興奮を盛り上げるベル・カント・オペラの代表的傑作であり、先輩ロッシーニ、後輩ベルディの作品とともに、19世紀イタリア・オペラの名作として今日も絶大な人気を誇っている。

［大久保一］

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