Linda di Chamounix

Donizetti: Linda di Chamounix, TDK, Opernhaus Zürich, Edita Guberova, directed by Adam Fischer
★★★
This production was produced in a fairly classic style, starring the wonderful Hungarian soprano Guberova as the title character. This opera is typical in musical style to most operas of Donizetti, the bel canto style providing a formidable challenge to Guberova, who performs flawlessly. The supporting musicians remained equally capable and accomplished in their talents and performance, all in all making a delightful performance. This opera will never probably achieve the “top 10” list, owing only to the fact that it is a fairly corny plot. Linda is being pursued by the Count, who shuns his advances because she is in love with Carlo, whom she discovers is actually the Viscount of Sirval. Carlo and Linda move to Paris to escape the Count and to pursue each other when Carlo learns that his mother wants him to marry someone else. He turns away Linda, who then goes mad. They both return to Chamounix, and Linda finally returns to sanity when Carlo declares his love for her and acts her hand in marriage in spite of mommy. Wow. OK. Whatever. A good opera if you love bel canto and music of Donizetti, but definitely not as great as Lucia di Lammermoor, L’Elixir d’amore, or Anna Bolena.