The Collins Guide To Opera And Operetta. Michael White
L’Elisir d’Amore (1832)
Lucrezia Borgia (1833)
Maria Stuarda(1834)
Lucia di Lammermoor(1835)
L’Assedio Calais (1836)
La Fille du Régiment (1839)
La Favorite (1840)
Linda di Chamounix (1842)
Don Pasquale (1843)
Enormously prolific, with some seventy operas to his name, Donizetti was born in Bergamo, built his career in Naples and moved on to triumph in Paris and Vienna as a leading exponent of the style of vocal writing known as bel canto: a style where, in performance, beauty of line and virtuosity of embellishment are paramount. At his death (from syphilis) in 1848, about a quarter of the Italian operas in regular European repertory were by him – an achievement rivalled only by his slightly older contemporary, Rossini. It wasn’t to last, and by the turn of the century most of his work had been forgotten, leaving in performance only the comedies for which he is still principally known: L’Elisir d’Amore, Don Pasquale and La Fille du Régiment. But Donizetti considered himself above all else a composer of romantic drama, and with the revival of interest in ‘display’ singing, encouraged from the middle of this century by stars like Callas and Sutherland, his serious works have resurfaced, led by Lucia di Lammermoor which is now a well-established vehicle for coloratura sopranos with a gift for pathos.
FORM: Opera in three acts; in Italian
COMPOSER: Gaetano Donizetti (1797–1848)
LIBRETTO: Giovanni Ruffini and Gaetano Donizetti
FIRST PERFORMANCE: Paris, 29 June 1843
Principal Characters
Don Pasquale, an old bachelor
Dr Malatesta, his friend
Ernesto, his nephew
Norina, a young widow
A notary
Synopsis of the Plot
Setting: Rome
ACT I Don Pasquale, a wealthy old bachelor, disapproves of his nephew’s choice of the widowed Norina as his future wife. To punish Ernesto he decides to take a wife himself, produce his own son and heir and thus deprive Ernesto of his expected inheritance. Dr Malatesta has agreed to try and find the old man a suitable wife and suggests his own sister – young, innocent and fresh from the convent – as the perfect choice. Don Pasquale is overjoyed. But Dr Malatesta is a friend of the young lovers as well as of Don Pasquale, and he tells Norina of his scheme to disguise her as his sister and trick the old man into marriage; she will then make his life such a torment that he will gladly return to the single life. Norina is delighted with the idea.
ACT II Malatesta introduces the heavily-disguised ‘Sofronia’ to Pasquale and he is much taken by her simplicity and demureness. The marriage, he announces, must be immediate and, fortunately, Dr Malatesta has had the forethought to bring his notary with him so that the contract can be drawn up. Ernesto, who arrives just in time to be a witness, is thunderstruck when he recognises Norina, but Malatesta quickly explains the deception. The instant the ceremony is over, the sweet, docile ‘Sofronia’ becomes rude, domineering and very keen to spend her new husband’s money.
ACT III ‘Sofronia’ enters, expensively dressed, and tells Pasquale she is off to the theatre. On the way out she deliberately drops a letter arranging an assignation with an unknown lover. Pasquale consults Malatesta who advises him to wait in the garden and catch the lovers unawares. This he does, but Ernesto slips away and ‘Sofronia’ denies everything. Malatesta tells Pasquale that the best solution would be to allow Ernesto and Norina to marry; Norina will then be installed as mistress of the house, instead of ‘Sofronia’. On hearing this, ‘Sofronia’ declares that she will never sleep under the same roof as Norina. Pasquale, having found a way of ridding himself of his tormentor, gives his consent to Ernesto’s marriage. ‘Sofronia’ joyfully throws off her disguise, the lovers are reunited and there is nothing left for Pasquale to do but accept the situation with as much grace as he can muster.
Music and Background
A sparkling comedy that crowns the great tradition of Italian opera buffa, this is music whose flawless brilliance belies the speed with which it was written: roughly two weeks to complete the short score, with the orchestration done during rehearsals. Act II in particular has a Mozartian perfection, running numbers together in a near-seamless flow, and it comes with more heart to the comedy than buffo opera often allows. It also comes with a distinctive style of ‘floating’ recitative, accompanied by occasional string chords rather than the more obtrusive (and normal) keyboard cadences.
Highlights
Virtually the whole of Act II, as the comedy builds to its side-splitting climax; otherwise, Ernesto’s soaring Act I ‘Sogno soave casto’ and Act III serenade ‘Comè gentiľ. There is also a celebrated duet for Pasquale and Malatesta in Act III, ‘Cheti, cheti, immantinente’.
Did You Know?
Recommended Recording
Sesto Bruscantini, Mirella Freni, Philharmonia Orchestra/Riccardo Muti. EMI CDS7 47068-2. Admirably cast, stylishly conducted, and with fine orchestral sound.
(The Elixir of Love, The Love Potion)
FORM: Opera in two acts; in Italian
COMPOSER: Gaetano Donizetti (1797–1848)
LIBRETTO: Felice Romani; after Scribe’s libretto for Auber’s Le Philtre
FIRST PERFORMANCE: Milan, 12 May 1832