I have uploaded a new booklet with sheet music to my homepage www.mandoisland.de (free download). This is a booklet with title Repertorio del Mandolinista which does contain opera melodies, marches, mazurkas, polkas and a tarantella. It was published in 1899 by Carisch & Jänischen as vol. 18 of this series with popular melodies for the mandolin.
I have looked for youtube videos of the first three pieces which are based on opera arias by Donizetti and Bellini. I think listening to those arias could be very helpful to learn how to play this pieces on the mandolin.
The first piece is based on two melodies from the opera La Favorita by Gaetano Donizetti.
Here are some videos of the aria Bei Raggi Lucenti from the opera La Favorita von Donizetti.
Donizetti – La Favorita – Air d’Ines: “Bei raggi lucenti…”
Donizetti – Bei raggi lucenti
The second melodie is Quando le soglie paterne vercai, this is a recording with Shirley Verret and Paolo Coni from 1991:
Shirley Verrett & Paolo Coni “Quando le soglie paterne vercai” La Favorita
Pavarotti 30th Debut Anniversary
29 April 1991
Orchestra of Teatro Comunale Bologna
Conductor – Maurizio Benini, Leone Margiera
I will present videos of the melodies of the second and third piece from this Repertorio del Mandolinista within the next days.
Links about Donizetti – La Favorita
Wikipedia (Eng.): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_favorite
Newspaper report about a performance of La Favorita in Giessen / Germany (German): http://www.ausgehzwang.de/2010/01/05/in-der-machtmuhle-regisseur-helmut-polixa-berichtet-vorab-von-seinem-zugriff-auf-gaetano-donizettis-%E2%80%9Ela-favorita%E2%80%9C/
You can download the booklet as a PDF from my homepage on page free sheet music: www.mandoisland.de