The opera Le Duc d’Albe was completely unknown to me two years ago when Sir Mark Elder first mentioned it. Partially composed by Donizetti in 1839, the first two acts were nearly finished and large chunks of the later acts sketched out before other projects caused him to put it to one side.

The piece had been completed by Matteo Salvi, a pupil of Donizetti’s, in the 1880s, but in a style significantly removed from Donizetti’s own – Mark was looking for someone who would fill in the missing extracts in a more idiomatic manner for a recording of the first two acts that he was making for Opera Rara.

Intrigued, I looked at the score which immediately struck me as being far more intricate in orchestration than his better-known works such as L’Elisir d’Amore. The storyline was strong and held resonances with other operas. Most crucially, the glorious power of the music leapt off the page. Could I help bring this music to a wider audience? I said I would try.

Mark advised me to talk to Professor Roger Parker who had edited the new Ricordi edition of the opera and had useful knowledge of Donizetti’s intentions for some of the unwritten sections. Roger also provided me with a copy of the original French libretto which proved invaluable when unlocking some of the thornier recitatives.

I set to work. I tried to respond to the libretto in a spontaneous manner, while channelling it through the musical language of Donizetti. I was conscious that, although it had to sound as authentic as possible, it must not sound like a technical exercise. I found that the time of day when I was most receptive was very early in the morning. The tyrannical duke was soon giving me sleepless nights.

I would present my sketches to Roger, who knew the score intimately, and Mark, who at this stage was less aware of which bits were pure Donizetti and which were filtered through my hands. If he was unable to see the join then we felt we were on the right track.

One of the most difficult passages was the Prelude – Donizetti had indicated which themes he was planning to use, but linking them together was not straightforward. Although my natural inclination was to make the themes connect as organically as possible, Roger pointed out that Donizetti would often leave melodies hanging in his preludes, only completing them within the body of the opera. In addition, Mark was concerned that we should get the Prelude’s architecture right so that it set up the opera appropriately.

These sessions were always challenging, sometimes infuriating but invariable fulfilling. It was a huge relief when my esteemed colleagues professed themselves satisfied with what I had written.

There is, however, only one reason to buy this recording: to hear this fantastic score performed with skill and authority by Mark and the world-class group of musicians he has assembled. For me, the greatest satisfaction will be if my own contribution goes unnoticed.  

The new recording of Donizetti's Le Duc d’Albe recorded by Opera Rara with Sir Mark Elder conducting and is out now. Visit opera-rara.com for further information.