Donizetti: Don Pasquale

Don Pasquale, an old greybeard, decides to take a wife in order to overturn his nephew Ernesto’s plans. Ernesto, however, with the help of Doctor Malatesta, undertakes to ensnare Don Pasquale in the meshes of his own trap, entrusting the role of bride-to-be to Norina, his own betrothed. Docile, then intractable, Norina excels in playing at false appearances. The conflict between the two generations smoulders and stokes the comedy whilst producing an undercurrent of wistful yearning. With sincerity and dramatic profundity, Damiano Michieletto opens a pathway to the heart of an apparently light-hearted work, renowned as the apotheosis of opera buffa.