(c) Franck Ferville Don Pasquale: Opéra National de Paris
Paris, Palais Garnier
About the Event
Do not miss Donizetti's Don Pasquale at the Opéra de Paris in a production by Italian director Damiano Michieletto and under the musical direction of Speranza Scappucci.
An elderly and wealthy bachelor, Don Pasquale, takes it into his head to marry a young girl – something he denies his nephew Ernesto, already engaged to the charming (but penniless) Norina.
Fortunately, Doctor Malatesta concocts a clever stratagem to force him to change his mind. A fake marriage, a sweet bride turned harpy and a misunderstanding later, order is restored, in perfect keeping with the traditional framework of the commedia dell’arte.
Premiered to great success in Paris in 1843, Don Pasquale showcases Gaetano Donizetti’s undeniable gift for comedy. In this sparkling score, the apotheosis of opera buffa, the composer leaves his unmistakeable mark: a bittersweet tenderness for his characters, even the crustiest old misers.
Damiano Michieletto brings a sensitive and lively staging to this light‐hearted work, where video cleverly reveals the gap between fantasy and reality.
Cast / Production
Gaetano Donizetti
Music (1797 — 1848)
Giovanni Ruffini, Gaetano Donizetti
Libretto
Speranza Scappucci
Conductor
Ching‐Lien Wu
Chorus master
Damiano Michieletto
Director
Paolo Fantin
Set design
Agostino Cavalca
Costume design
Alessandro Carletti
Lighting design
Roland Horvath / rocafilm
Video
Cast
Olga Kulchynska
Norina
Lawrence Brownlee
Ernesto
Pietro Spagnoli
Don Pasquale
Vito Priante
Dottor Malatesta
Jian Hong Zhao
Un notaro
The Paris Opera Orchestra and Chorus
A coproduction with the Royal Ballet and Opera, Covent Garden, London and the Teatro Massimo, Palermo
Address
Palais Garnier, 8, rue du Scribe, Paris, France — Google Maps
