Having fallen into oblivion following performances in 1839, this attractive, rare opera buffa was revived in 1973 in the Dutch city of Zaanstad (the Saardam of the libretto). It’s staged on this recording at Bergamo’s Teatro Sociale as part of the Donizetti Festival in a new critical edition made for the Donizetti Foundation by Alberto Sonzogni.

The plot opens with Tsar Peter the Great working incognito as a carpenter in Saardam’s shipyard to acquire technical knowledge which he will then take back home. The mayor is convinced of this secretive arrangement, which leads to endless misunderstandings.

Conductor Roberto Rizzi Brignoli leads the orchestra of the Donizetti Opera; stage action is in the hands of internationally-renowned cinema director Davide Ferrario. Headed by the renowned bass Andrea Concetti, the cast comprises emerging stars in the bel canto repertoire, including Giorgio Caoduro, Juan Francisco Gatell, Irina Dubrovskaya and Aya Wakizono.

Cast:
- Tsar: Giorgio Caoduro
- Pietro Flimann: Juan Francisco Gatell
- Wambett: Andrea Concetti
- Marietta: Irina Dubrovskaya
- Carlotta: Aya Wakizono
- Leforte: Pietro Di Bianco
- Alì Mahmed: Pasquale Scircoli
- An Officer: Alessandro Ravasio

Recording date & place: November 2017 – Teatro Sociale – Bergamo, Italy