Gaetano Donizetti

Don Pasquale (complete)

Don Pasquale was premiered on January 3, 1843, at the Théâtre-Italien in Paris and stands as one of the crowning achievements of Italian opera buffa. Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848) crafted this comedy late in his career, collaborating with Giovanni Ruffini (revised by the composer himself) on a libretto that centers on the elderly bachelor Don Pasquale, whose attempt to disinherit his young nephew Ernesto backfires when he is tricked into a sham marriage with the clever Norina, leading to comic humiliation and ultimate reconciliation. Since its highly successful premiere, Don Pasquale has remained a cornerstone of the comic opera repertoire, regularly performed by major opera houses worldwide. Reprint edition.