Don Pasquale

• Don Pasquale, an old bachelor ( bass)
• Dr. Malatesta, a doctor, his friend (baritone )
• Ernesto, his nephew (Tenor)
• Norina, a young widow ( coloratura soprano)
• A notary public ( bass)
• Servants, maids, inter alia, (Chorus )

Don Pasquale is an opera buffa in three acts. The libretto is by " M. A. " (Giovanni Ruffini and Gaetano Donizetti by older template) and the music by Gaetano Donizetti. Premiere: was on January 3, 1843 at the Théâtre-Italien, Paris.

Action

Rome, in the house and garden of Don Pasquale and Norina in the apartment of the

Act I

Photo 1: The rich, greedy and already quite old bachelor Don Pasquale wants to marry. His nephew Ernesto, who loves the young but penniless widow Norina, is to marry a rich lady. When he refuses to invite him to his uncle, to leave the house. Malatesta appears and announces that he has a suitable bride for the old bachelor found: his own, educated in the convent sister Sofronia. This is none other than Norina, could only be initiated into Malatesta plans not yet Ernesto.

Picture 2: When reading a novel forfeit the capricious, but good-hearted Norina in reveries about their own amorous adventures (?). Malatesta submitted his plan to her: she is dressed as a babe in the woods, Don Pasquale married for the bill and then make him a beast 's life a living hell. Both revel in schadenfreude.

Second Act

Ernesto takes leave of Norina inwardly and makes his way into the wide world. Malatesta leads the disguised Norina start. Don Pasquale is charmed by her beautiful figure and shyness and wants to marry her immediately. A false notary comes with a marriage contract, Malatesta and the now inaugurated in the intrigue Ernesto act as witnesses. As soon as the contract is signed, Norina Bandelt in front of her " husband " with Ernesto and provides to new servant. They mocked Don Pasquale and threatens him slaps.

Act Three

Photo 1: servant bring tons in at luxury and fashion items. Norina Don Pasquale explained that she wanted to go to the theater. When he forbids her, slaps him and mocked them. She is deliberately she drops a letter: instead of going to the theater, she meets with Ernesto in the garden. In his distress calls Don Pasquale Dr. Malatesta. The shows themselves outraged by the behavior of his "sister". Both want to catch the young couple in the garden in the act.

Picture 2: Ernesto expected in the garden eagerly his lover, who also appear soon. Both assure each other of their love. Malatesta and Don Pasquale will come forth. Malatesta explains to the bewildered Don Pasquale, Ernesto was not in love with " Sofronia " but wanted to move back into the house with his fiancee. As " Sofronia " indignantly refuses to share the house with another woman, Don Pasquale sees an opportunity to get rid of his wife and agrees promises Ernesto even a lot of money. As Malatesta " Sofronias " he reveals true identity. Don Pasquale stands by his promise, for he realizes that an old bachelor to expect from young women no love.

Formation

In September 1842 Donizetti ended with the Théâtre Italien a contract for a new opera, as he was in Paris. The tradition of the house accordingly, he chose a cheerful motif: Ser Marc'Antonio, a libretto by Angelo Anelli (1761-1820), which the now completely forgotten Stefano Pavesi (1779-1850) as early as 1808 - had set - also for Paris. The original was only slightly modified and the monogram "MA" published, which may stand for " Maestro Anonimo " or " Marcantonio " (but most likely not for Donizetti's Parisian friend Michele Accursi ). Giovanni Ruffini was certainly involved in the drafting of the libretto, how and to what extent he Donizetti itself can no longer be clarified. Anyway, when Donizetti was told that the place designated for Vienna fabric of Caterina Cornaro was simultaneously set to music by Franz Lachner, he interrupted his work on the opera (mid-October 1842 premiere then 1844). On November 12, he reported to have Antonio Vasselli, Don Pasquale completed ( as a sketch or even orchestrated? ). The premiere, scheduled for December 1842 was held on January 3, 1843.

The libretto goes back to the familiar fabric of the unequal pair, since the Renaissance, a topos in art and literature. Based on the comedy by Carlo Goldoni, the figures sit on the one hand more or less closely to the types of commedia dell'arte ( Don Pasquale - Pantalone, Norina - Corine, Ernesto - Leander, Malatesta, however, almost a twin of Figaro from The Barber of Sevilla) but get the other by more sentimental, ie by the ability to grief, pain, remorse, and to feel and express the like, beyond their Typenhaftigkeit differentiation, perhaps even individualization.

Music

The music of Don Pasquale consists of 19 individual numbers that are connected by recitative accompanied by the orchestra. This is missing the dialogues between the numbers a little bit of the ease and smoothness of the secco recitatives of the Opere buffe Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Giovanni Paisiello, Domenico Cimarosa and Rossini finally, ties in with the Donizetti with the choice of fabric. But even in this detail is clear that Donizetti the genus, the last outstanding example, namely, The Barber of Seville ( Gioacchino Rossini, 1816) already dated back more than a quarter century, develop and win new for his time wanted (which is why he the piece also by reference of fashion accessories of his time settled unequivocally in the then present). Although reminiscent of the barbers seem to be at hand over and over again, Donizetti's own musical language, the musical language of another time prevails. It is the time of the railroad, industrialization, revolutions, the rapidly growing cities, a loud time, which corresponds to a blustering, frantic gestures of music: timpani, percussion and brass are almost constantly in use, falling into the tonic constituted only more rarely a moment of silence, of contemplation.