Don Pasquale

Don PasqualeGaetano DonizettiPalais Garnier Duration: 2h45 with 1 interval Language: Italian Surtitles: French / English An elderly, wealthy bachelor, Don Pasquale, takes it into his head to marry a young girl – something he refuses to allow his nephew Ernesto, who is engaged to the charming (but penniless) Norina.

Fortunately, Doctor Malatesta concocts a clever stratagem to force him to change his mind. A sham marriage, a sweet wife turned shrew and a case of mistaken identity later, morality is restored, following the traditional framework of the commedia dell'arte.

First staged with success in Paris in 1843, Don Pasquale bears witness to Gaetano Donizetti's undeniable talent for comedy.

In this sparkling score, the apotheosis of opera buffa, the composer stamps his trademark: a bittersweet tenderness for his characters, even when they are foolish old men.

Damiano Michieletto brings to this light work a sensitive and lively production in which the video cleverly reveals the gap between fantasy and reality.

Speranza Scappucci Musical directionDamiano Michieletto Stage directionOlga Kulchynska NorinaLawrence Brownlee ErnestoPietro Spagnoli Don PasqualeVito Priante Dottor MalatestaJian Hong Zhao Un notaro Orchestra and Chorus of the Opéra national de Paris Co-production with the Royal Ballet and Opera, Covent Garden, London, and the Teatro Massimo, Palermo