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'{{Donizetti operas}} '''''Don Pasquale''''' is an [[opera buffa]], or comic [[opera]], in three acts by [[Gaetano Donizetti]]. The librettist [[Giovanni Ruffini]] wrote the Italian language libretto after [[Angelo Anelli]]'s libretto for [[Stefano Pavesi]]'s ''[[Ser Marcantonio]]'' (1810). At the time of its composition, Donizetti had just been appointed music director and composer for the imperial court of Emperor [[Ferdinand I of Austria]], and ''Don Pasquale'' was the 64th of an eventual 66 operas he composed. The opera, in the tradition of opera buffa, harks back to the stock characters of the ''[[commedia dell'arte]]''. ''Pasquale'' is recognizable as the blustery [[Pantalone]], ''Ernesto'' as the lovesick [[Pierrot]], ''Malatesta'' as the scheming [[Scapino]], and Norina as a wily ''[[Columbina]]''. The false ''Notary'' echos a long line of false officials as operatic devices. == Performance history == ''Don Pasquale'' was first produced on 3 January 1843 at the [[Comédie-Italienne]] in Paris. Other performances during the 19th Century include those at [[La Scala]], [[Milan]] on 17 April 1843, the first performance in Italy. In London it was presented for the first time in England on 29 June 1843 at Her Majesty's Theatre, and the United States premiere took place in [[New York]] on 9 March 1846. The first Australian performance was presented in [[Sydney]] on 12 October 1854 at the Royal Victoria Theatre. While not a part of the "standard" repertory, ''Don Pasquale'' appears with some regularity on the schedules of world opera houses. == Roles == {| class="wikitable" !Role !Voice type !Premiere Cast, 3 January 1843<br>(Conductor: - ) |- |Don Pasquale, ''an elderly bachelor'' |[[basso buffo]] |[[Luigi Lablache]] |- |Dr Malatesta, ''his physician'' |[[lyric baritone]] |[[Antonio Tamburini]] |- |Ernesto, ''Pasquale's nephew'' |[[tenore di grazia|tenore leggero]] |[[Mario (tenor)|Giovanni Mario]] |- |Norina, ''a youthful widow, Ernesto's beloved'' |[[soprano]] |[[Giulia Grisi]] |- |A notary, ''Malatesta's cousin Carlino'' |bass |[[Federico Lablache]] |- | colspan="3"|''Servants'' |} == Synopsis == :Place: Rome All the events of the opera take place in a single day. The young man Ernesto is in love with the lovely but penniless Norina and has refused to marry a "more suitable" woman chosen for him by his rich uncle Don Pasquale. The old man accordingly plans to wed and produce his own heirs, cutting Ernesto off from his inheritance. Pasquale's physician, Dr. Malatesta, suggests his sister, Sofronia, a convent girl, as the bride, all the while scheming to dupe the old man into allowing Ernesto's marriage to Norina. The Don happily accepts the proposal. Malatesta has Norina disguise herself as Sofronia and sign a fake marriage contract before a false notary. At this point Norina transforms from the shy convent girl into a complete shrew, turning Pasquale's life upside down, hiring hordes of new servants and spending money left and right. She makes life so miserable for the old man that he is actually relieved when he discovers that he has been duped, and that he has not really married Norina. He repudiates his desire for marriage and consents to the union of his nephew with Norina. ===Act 1=== Introduction between Don Pasquale and the doctor. (Romance of Malatesta: "Oh, like an angel of beauty"; Cavatina, Pasquale: "Oh, how I feel the glow of fire in my heart"; Duet between Ernesto and Pasquale: "How? You will? Marry me.") Change of scene: Norina's cavatina: "Ah, beneath all eyes"; Duet between Norina and the doctor: "See, I am ready with love to surround him." ===Act 2=== Ernesto alone; then Pasquale, Norina, doctor. (Terzett: "Take courage"; Finale: "On one side," etc.) ===Act 3=== Chorus: "Bring the jewels at once"; Duet between Pasquale and Norina: "Dear wife, may I ask"; Duet between Pasquale and the doctor: "Softly in the dark." Change of scene: Ernesto's serenade: "As Luna laughs in the fragrant night"; Duet between Ernesto and Norina "Do I read in your looks ?" Finale: "Heaven, what do you say? This is Norina." <ref>The synopsis is taken from ''The Opera Goer's Complete Guide'' by Leo Melitz, 1921 version</ref> ==Recordings== {| class="wikitable" !Year !width="170"|Cast <br>(Don Pasquale, Norina, Malatesta, Ernesto) !Conductor,<br>Opera House and Orchestra !Label<ref>[http://www.operadis-opera-discography.org.uk/CLDODONP.HTM Source of recording on operadis-opera-discography.org.uk]</ref> |- |1930-31 |Attilio Giuliani,<br>Ines Alfani-Tellini,<br>Lorenzo Conati,<br>Cristy Solari |Lorenzo Molajoli<br>[[Teatro alla Scala]], Milan Orchestra and Chorus |78rpm records: Columbia <br>Cat: GQX 10100-10105 |- |1932 |[[Ernesto Badini]],<br>Adelaide Saraceni,<br>Afro Poli,<br>[[Tito Schipa]] |Carlo Sabajno<br>La Scala Orchestra and Chorus |Audio CD: Arkadia<br>Cat: 2CD 78017 |- |1964 |[[Fernando Corena]],<br>[[Graziella Sciutti]],<br>[[Tom Krause]],<br>[[Juan Oncina]] |[[István Kertész]]<br>Vienna State Opera Orchestra and Chorus |Audio CD: Decca «Originals»<br>Cat: 897402 |- |1978 |[[Donald Gramm]],<br>[[Beverly Sills]],<br>[[Alan Titus]],<br>[[Alfredo Kraus]] |[[Sarah Caldwell]]<br>[[London Symphony Orchestra]] and Ambrosian Opera Chorus |Audio CD: EMI<br>Cat: CDMB 5 66030-2 |- |1993 |[[Renato Bruson]],<br>Eva Mei,<br>Sir [[Thomas Allen (baritone)|Thomas Allen]],<br>Frank Lopardo |Roberto Abbado<br>Münchner Rundfunkorchester and Bayerischen Rundfunks Chorus |Audio CD: RCA<br>Cat: 09026 61924-2 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              09026 61924-2      end_of_the_skype_highlighting |- |} ==Notes== {{Reflist}} ==External links== * {{Wayback|url=http://www.karadar.com/Librettos/donizetti_Pasquale.html|title=Libretto {{It icon}}|date= 20080610172042}} * [http://englishtouringopera.org.uk/about-eto/opera-synopses/donizetti-don-pasquale/ Longer synopsis of Don Pasquale] from [[English Touring Opera]]. * [http://opera.stanford.edu/Donizetti/DonPasquale/disco.html Discography from Stanford website] [[Category:Operas by Gaetano Donizetti]] [[Category:Italian-language operas]] [[Category:Opera buffa]] [[Category:1843 operas]] [[Category:Operas]] [[ca:Don Pasquale]] [[cs:Don Pasquale]] [[de:Don Pasquale]] [[el:Δον Πασκουάλε]] [[es:Don Pasquale]] [[fr:Don Pasquale]] [[gl:Don Pasquale]] [[ko:돈 파스콸레]] [[it:Don Pasquale]] [[he:דון פסקואלה]] [[la:Don Pasquale]] [[hu:Don Pasquale]] [[pl:Don Pasquale]] [[pt:Don Pasquale]] [[ro:Don Pasquale]] [[ru:Дон Паскуале]] [[sl:Don Pasquale (opera)]] [[fi:Don Pasquale]] [[tr:Don Pasquale]] [[uk:Дон Паскуале]]'