A succinct profile of Gaetano Donizetti’s Il Paria might be summed up thusly: a melodramma (according to the libretto) whose dramatic lines are sure, decisive, unique and original. Within an exotic context, it portrays a tale whose elements are social, religious, humanitarian and psychologically transparent, and it brings this tale to a rapid and baneful end. Cast members Patrizia Cigna and Filippo Castiglioni joined Marco Berdondini and the Pro Arte Marche in this 2001 Italian live recording.