Don Pasquale

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Image courtesy of Liceu

“Haha… Prender moglie...? Perdonate la sorpresa!” (Haha... You're getting married...? Forgive me if I look surprised!)

When the aged and decrepit Don Pasquale decides to get married to thwart the expectations of his nephew and heir Ernesto, he finds himself in a waking nightmare. Ernesto, with help from Doctor Malatesta, vows to make Don Pasquale fall into his own trap and persuades his fiancée Norina to impersonate the old man's bride. After a docile start, Norina turns into a veritable virago with a remarkable talent for acting.

The clash between generations generates a lively comedy but also an undertone of sadness. After all, is an old man not entitled to love and live? Having the courage to love means making a leap into the void.

Don Pasquale was premiered in 1843 at the Théâtre Italien in Paris (where Donizetti had been living since 1838). This well-loved opera tells a hilarious tale in which one trick leads to another and has raised a smile among audiences of many generations.  Right from the brilliant overture—a capolavoro which ignores Rossini's model—the opera unfolds in an atmosphere of lively elegance, with a perfect dovetailing of music and text. This is the masterpiece of a genius in which the music itself is eminently theatrical.

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