Being prolific can have its downside. Take Donizetti. Most opera companies only scratch the surface of his 75-or-so operas, yet there are genuine gems waiting in the wings if only people were prepared to look a little further. The same is true, it seems, when it comes to song. Even afficionados only know one or two ditties by the Bergamo-born master of melody, and yet, as Opera Rara’s repertoire guru Roger Parker has discovered, he composed around 200, many of them very fine indeed. From the dusty shelves of European libraries to autograph scores, these unearthed treasures range from early Italian canzonetta to supple French mélodies penned during his storied Parisian career.

A couple of months ago, I enjoyed the first two volumes in a projected series of eight. Volume Three, released alongside an equally enjoyable Volume Four with the feisty spirited Marie-Nicole Lemieux, is if anything even better. Indeed, the combination of Opera Rara Artistic Director Carlo Rizzi and American “baritenor” Michael Spyres is a match made in heaven.

The songs here were mostly written with fashionable French...