# What is the longest note in Gaetano Donizetti's operas



## pissourios (Sep 30, 2013)

Hello to all members.

This is my first post here and in good manners I would like to introduce myself. 
I am an artist and I am currently in a residency in Bergamo, Italy. I am making some videos and images from here and have been researching into local artistic/historical figures. As you may know Donizetti was from here and I found myself researching into locating the longest note in his operas. I must admit I didn't get far; the only hint I have is from an Amazon review on Lucrezia Borja (For example, in "Maffio Orsini, signora, son io", she holds a note for 13 seconds (!!!). "). Montserrat Caballè holds it for 24 seconds in the clip below apparently : 




Any other ideas? What is the best way of going around to figure this out.

Thank you for your time and input. 
Until soon, 
A.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

I'm sorry, I haven't a clue, except that it's unlikely to be written in the score like that, it's rather an artistic decision by the singer, depending on their lung power (and possibly ego), but I love Bergamo, what a lovely town.I used to live in Milan and had a friend in Bergamo. Any excuse to visit!


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## pissourios (Sep 30, 2013)

Hmm, ok, that's good to know at least. Thank you. 

I found out this for Pavarotti in relation to Donizetti... : 

He also holds the record for the most curtain calls in an opera, receiving 165 after singing the part of Nemorino in Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore at the Deutsche Oper in Berlin, Germany, on February 24, 1988. The applause lasted 1 hr. 7 min.

Looking for trivial knowledge as you might have guessed. 
Any tips on what to visit in the town is most welcome too 

A.


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## deggial (Jan 20, 2013)

mamascarlatti said:


> (and possibly ego)


_possibly_?

pissourios: how about you listen to all 67 of them, in their various recordings?  that might answer your question...


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## pissourios (Sep 30, 2013)

guess so. thanks for the tip.
of course if there's anyone with more information, I would appreciate it very much


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

I can't help with your question but, like mamascarlatti, I love Bergamo. I visited in 2010 & went to the Donizetti museum. 

Good luck with your quest.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Here is a Donizetti Elisir trivia story from our very own arpeggio on TC (link here)



arpeggio said:


> I have a neat Elisir Met story.
> 
> My wife and I attended a matinee performace of Eliser at the Met last spring, 2012. It was the first time we attended a production at the Lincoln Center and it was great! Juan Diego Flórez sang the role of Nemorino. After singing "Una furtiva lagrima" the audience went wild and he did it again as an encore. The audience then tried to get him to do it a third time. He kept teasing the audience with his stage actions. Finally he stops and states to the audience, "The soprano is waiting to come onstage."
> 
> Cracks the whole audience up. I almost fell out of my chair laughing. :clap:


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## Pamina (Sep 5, 2012)

I'm not sure, but there is also that really long one in the prayer, "tu di un'umile preghiera il suono" at the end of Maria Stuarda. Beverly Sills knocked it out of the park with her sheer technical perfection and the added second long note.


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## GiulioCesare (Apr 9, 2013)

Militaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaire!


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Maria Stuarda in a quartet towards the end, Maria holds a note a very, very long time.


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## mchriste (Aug 16, 2013)

Like GiulioCesare said, the ending of "Ah mes amis" from La Fille du Régiment is certainly impressive. And it's even a high C! I don't know whether it's really _the_ longest note in the Donizetti catalog, but it sure seems to last forever...

Technically the syllable "-aire"is split in two notes but the singer doesn't catch breath, so let's not be picky ok? Here's Juan Diego Florez:






(If you only want to listen to _zee note_, skip to here)


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