The lighter side of 'La favorite'

Donizetti's "La favorite," as the original French version of the opera is known, takes a while to warm up. At least it did on Friday night, when the Washington Concert Opera brought it to Lisner Auditorium. Act I trundled along with an array of arias that simply aren't top-drawer. But once Alphonse, the king, and Léonor, his mistress (the "favorite" of the title), squared off in a duet, the evening began to strike sparks -- thanks to Javier Arrey, an ardent and warm baritone as Alphonse, and th...