Martile Rowland - Donizetti: LINDA DI CHAMOUNIX, O luce di quest'anima - High Ds and Es

THE MUSIC: "O luce di quest'anima" is the entrance aria for the title character from Donizetti's "Linda di Chamounix," which premiered in Vienna in 1842. It never really caught on with the public in part due to its tone: it's a melodrama with light and dark elements in a genre known as "opera semiseria." Though the full opera is rarely performed, this aria is ubiquitous in recitals and concerts due to its catchy, repetitive tune and bravura elements, with embellishments that often vary from singer to singer. The aria was added by Donizetti for a revival that featured prima donna Fanny Tacchinardi Persiani (the original Lucia di Lammermoor).

THE SONGBIRD: Martile Rowland's big break came in 1991 when, as the second cover for Elisabetta in "Roberto Devereux" with Opera Orchestra of New York, she stepped in with only a few hours notice. A few months later she again stepped in, this time at The Met as Bellini's Elvira in Acts II and III, finishing the performance Marina Bolgan had started (which was Bolgan's last appearance there); Rowland went on to sing one Musetta and two performances of Lucia in subsequent seasons at The Met. I heard her as Lucia in Atlanta the summer of 1991. Rowland sang frequently in opera houses in the U.S. (New York City Opera, San Diego, Baltimore, Detroit, Miami, Minnesota, and Colorado), and in Europe and South America. Roles included Violetta, Queen of the Night, Amalia, Musetta, Butterfly, Fiordiligi, Konstanze, and Rosalinda, as well as many bel canto operas such as "Anna Bolena," "Caterina Cornaro," "Poliuto," "Il Pirata," “Norma," and "I Due Foscari." She founded the Opera Theatre of the Rockies, based in Colorado Springs and serves as its artistic director.

Here is a link to a short radio interview on Colorado Public Radio from 2013 where Rowland describes her career journey.
https://www.cpr.org/2013/08/05/breaki...