In 1822, the young Donizetti was engaged by La Scala to compose an opera. Chiara e Serafina was the outcome and the librettist was Felice Romani, a refined scholar but a notoriously slow and touchy worker. Consequently, Donizetti had barely twelve days to compose the whole work. Because of the incoherent plot, which concerns Don Meschino and his daughter Chiara who are kidnapped by Algerians, and the villainous Don Fernando who schemes to marry the nobleman’s younger daughter Serafina, the result was a fiasco. Donizetti’s music, however, is characterful and profuse with delightful duets, trios and ensembles.

Bachtrack wrote of the performance that ‘Sesto Quatrini conducted with enthusiasm and good fast tempi, highlighting the solo interventions… Greta Doveri sang Chiara with a strong soprano rooted in the centre, and very good high notes.’ It added that ‘Fan Zhou was a funny Serafina, with a bright, high soprano and dazzling, perfect coloratura.’

OperaWire has praised baritone Pietro Spagnoli for his ‘strong characterisation…natural comic timing, movement, facial expressions, and his lively, strongly-crafted recitatives.’

Cast:
- Don Meschino: Pietro Spagnoli (baritone)
- Don Alvaro / Don Fernando: Matías Moncada (bass)
- Serafina: Fan Zhou (soprano)
- Chiara: Greta Doveri (soprano)
- Don Ramiro: Hyun-Seo Davide Park (tenor)
- Picaro: Sung-Hwan Damien Park (baritone)
- Lisetta: Valentina Pluzhnikova (mezzo-soprano)
- Agnese: Mara Gaudenzi (mezzo-soprano)
- Spalatro: Andrea Tanzillo (tenor)
- Gennaro: Giuseppe De Luca (baritone)