Gaetano Donizetti was an Italian composer born in Bergamo (then part of the Austrian Empire), one of the leading figures of the early Romantic bel canto opera tradition alongside Rossini and Bellini. Over a prolific career he composed more than 70 operas, including the tragic masterpiece “Lucia di Lammermoor” (1835), the comic classics “L’elisir d’amore” (1832) and “Don Pasquale” (1843), the historical drama “Anna Bolena” (1830), and “La fille du régiment” (1840). Following the death of Bellini, he was considered the most important composer of Italian opera until the rise of Verdi. His later years were marked by illness (neurosyphilis), which led to his institutionalization and death at age 50.

A defining figure of bel canto opera whose command of vocal writing and dramatic pacing influenced Verdi and shaped 19th-century Italian opera; his works, including revered as national cultural touchstones during the Risorgimento, remain core repertoire, with renewed appreciation for his output since the mid-20th century.

Sources:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaetano_Donizetti