Soprano Mariella Devia — who La Cieca thought was such a sweet ingenue type — turns tigress for the title role of Lucrezia Borgia (Donizetti). This live performance from 2003 also features Daniela Barcellona (Maffio Orsini), Marcelo Alvarez (Gennaro) and Michele Pertusi (Don Alfonso, Duca di Ferrara) under the baton of Renato Palumbo. The Prologue of this gothic/bel canto masterpiece is now available on Unnatural Acts of Opera, with the following two acts to come later this week. (La Cieca apologizes for the occasional static audible during this podcast; its origin is the source material and she couldn’t figure out a way to de-click it. Please let La Cieca know if you find the noise intrusive!)