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Carefully-Curated Exploration of Donizetti’s Greatest Tenor Arias Star tenor Javier Camarena makes his Pentatone debut with Signor Gaetano, together with Gli Originali under the baton of Italian opera specialist Riccardo Frizza, presenting a carefully-curated exploration of Donizetti’s greatest tenor arias. Besides famous excerpts from L’elisir d’amore, Don Pasquale and Roberto Devereux, this project focuses on hidden gems from rarely-recorded works such as Betly, Maria de Rudenz and Il giovedì grasso. Camarena and Frizza’s exceptional sense of style is enhanced by the period instrument playing of Gli Originali. The recording took place at the Teatro Donizetti in the composer’s hometown Bergamo, as part of the yearly Donizetti Festival, of which Frizza is the musical director. Javier Camarena is one of the most in-demand tenors of his generation, and one of the world’s leading bel canto specialists. Riccardo Frizza frequents major opera houses, was awarded the Best Conductor prize at the International Opera XXI Awards, and returns to Pentatone after having featured on The Three Queens (Donizetti) with Sondra Radvanovsky and Lyric Opera Chicago (2022). Gli Originali was founded within the context of the Bergamo Donizetti Festival and aims to revive the sound world of early nineteenth-century opera with period instruments and a historically-informed approach. “If I was asked about the composer who had the biggest impact on my life and my career, I would undoubtedly answer: Gaetano Donizetti. The first complete role I learned was Nemorino from L’elisir d’amore. In 2004 I won the Carlo Morelli’s National singing competition in Mexico with two of his most emblematic arias: “Come uno spirto angelico” from Roberto Devereaux and “Ah, mes amis! Quel jour de fête!” from La fille du régiment.Later that same year, I made my professional debut at the Palacio de Bellas Artes with La fille... and the following year, I debuted Don Pasquale. This album aims to give a more than deserved tribute to a composer who knew how to fill his scores with emotions. Initially influenced by Rossini, as we can hear in Giovedì grasso, he knew how to find his own way and style and imprint an unmistakable and beautiful stamp on each of his works; Caterina Cornaro, Marino Faliero and many others attest this. The making of this album has been an interesting, fascinating, exciting and challenging adventure. I sincerely hope that all these emotions have been captured in each of the works performed and touch your heart with the same power they touched mine. With love and gratitude,” – Javier Camarena