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Belisario is, quite simply, one of Donizetti's finest achievements. Dating from the high watermark of Donizetti's maturity, Belisario proved a triumph on stages throughout the 19th century. Yet, incredibly, it is little known today. The libretto tells the moving and typically complicated story of the sixth-century Byzantine general. Falsely accused by his wife of killing their son, he was blinded and exiled as his punishment. His daughter's discovery that her father's former captive, Alamiro, was her long-lost brother, restores Belisario's reputation; tragically, too late to save his life. Recorded in the studio with the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Mark Elder, this two disc set is accompanied by a complete libretto with an English translation alongside an article and synopsis by the eminent 19th Century musical scholar, Jeremy Commons.