While many of Donizetti’s 75-or-so operas have been rediscovered in recent decades, his songs have received hardly any attention at all. That’s a pity, as these two volumes – the first in a projected series of eight – prove that his gift for melody extended to the domestic music-making market and his finest ditties rival the finest out of Germany or France. For this we should thank British pioneers Opera Rara, whose commitment to the composer has resulted in a tranche of outstanding recordings, from Ugo, conte di Parigi back in 1977 to this year’s L’esule di Roma.

Kudos also to Donizetti expert Roger Parker who has spent several years scouring European libraries and hunting down as many autograph scores as he could find. The results – around 200 songs – range from early canzonette, which look back nostalgically to the 18th century, through operatic-infused fare written in the shadow of Rossini, to full-blown French mélodies that reflect his success in Paris. One of them even quotes Edgardo’s final aria from