Maffio Orsini and visions of doom, the opening aria from "Lucrezia Borgia"

It's no secret that I love what are referred to as "trouser roles" whether it's Romeo or Maffio or Nicklaus, they offer an extra challenge to perform which I find invigorating. Before the lockdowns we had prepared both Bellini's "I Capuleti e i Montecchi" and Donizetti's "Lucrezia Borgia" for the season at Venice's San Mauro Theater and I was thrilled to be able to offer this aria as part of our online concert series with the wonderful Maestro Mauro Perisinotto on the piano. This fantastic aria opens the opera and sets the stage for the events that unfold as Maffio tells the group of friends about his brush with death, the heroic rescue by Gennaro and the ominous warning of death from a dark figure that haunts his dreams.