Brent Michael Smith, offering a “smooth, lustrous bass and the gravitas of his stage presence.”

Donizetti’s La Favorite remains a relative rarity in the repertoire, especially in the original French version.

It’s ambitious of the Academy of Vocal Arts to mount it—for the first time in their 85-year history—and to put significant resources behind it. Much of the time, it paid handsome dividends. The institution’s primary purpose is to nurture and develop young singers poised to launch professional careers. The demands of this opera are indeed a crucible for such development, and the results were very promising…

Read the full review at Parterre Box.