Gayarre

Speranza

On 9 March 1882, "La Favorita" at the Opera di Monte Carlo had to be cancelled because of Gayarre's departure for Rome, where on March  he was due to create Marcello di Bruges in Donizetti's "Il Duca d'Alba". In 1876 he had created the more renowned role of Enzo Grimaldo in "La Gioconda" ('Cielo e mare' -- Giordano). Nouvelli refused to sing Fernando and the performance was replaced by a grand operatic concert.