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 DON PASQUALE
Music by Gaetano Donizetti
December 10, 2005
Sung in Italian
Manuel Artime Theatre
Act One
Scene 1. Don Pasquale's
house.
Old Don Pasquale da Corneto is waiting impatiently for Doctor Malatesta,
whose help he has obtained in finding a wife so he can disinherit his
nephew, Ernesto. Malatesta arrives and tells him of the beautiful, pure
young girl he has found for Pasquale -- Malatesta's own sister. Pasquale
is delighted; Malatesta goes off promising to bring her to meet him the
next day. Pasquale cannot contain his joy, and fantasizes about the
half-dozen children he'll have with her ("Ah! un foco insolito").
Don Pasquale then confronts his nephew, reminding Ernesto that he,
Pasquale, had advised Ernesto to marry a certain wealthy lady, and that,
if Ernesto refused, he would be disinherited, and Pasquale himself would
marry. Ernesto acknowledges this, but refuses to comply, for he is in
love with Norina -- whom Pasquale considers unworthy. This simply makes
Ernesto more determined in his refusal. Pasquale orders him to find
another place to live, for he is getting married. Ernesto is astounded
and dismayed, for he has been counting on Pasquale's fortune to enable
him to marry Norina. Now, rather than bring her poverty and misery, he'd
give her up. In a last-ditch effort, he asks Pasquale to consult Dr.
Malatesta, but Pasquale tells him that Malatesta heartily approves of
the match, for the bride is Malatesta's sister. Ernesto is in despair.
Scene 2. Norina's house.
Norina is reading, with much amusement, a romance novel. She herself
knows all the tricks and traps of love ("So anch'io la virtù magica"). A
letter from Ernesto arrives just as Malatesta comes in chortling over
his plot against Don Pasquale. But Norina is not amused, for Ernesto has
written a sorrowful farewell to her. Malatesta promises to let Ernesto
in on the secret: Norina, pretending to be Malatesta's sister, will
marry Don Pasquale -- under a false contract prepared by Malatesta's
cousin, who will play the part of the notary -- and drive him so crazy
that he'll be desperate to get rid of her, and she'll be able to extract
from him whatever she wants. Norina agrees on condition that she not
lose Ernesto. Malatesta assures her that Ernesto will benefit from the
plan as well. He instructs her to play the part of a simple-minded, shy
girl. The two are thrilled with the plan, especially Norina, who wants
revenge for Pasquale's refusal to let Ernesto marry her.
Act Two
Don Pasquale's house.
Ernesto is disconsolate, for he is now without a home, without his love,
and without his friend, Malatesta, who he believes has betrayed him. He
has no choice but to go into exile abroad ("Cercherò lontana terra").
Don Pasquale eagerly awaits the arrival of his bride, and orders the
servants not to let in anyone but her and Malatesta. Malatesta soon
leads in the shy, trembling girl -- Norina, heavily veiled and "in
character" -- and Pasquale is transported. She pretends to be too
frightened even to be in the room with him, and her bashfulness excites
Pasquale greatly. Pasquale tries to get to know her, but he wants that
veil lifted. Reluctantly, "Sofronia" obeys, sending Pasquale into such
paroxysms of joy that he cannot even get the strength to ask her to
marry him. Malatesta does so for him, and "Sofronia" -- seeing what an
idiot Pasquale is -- shyly agrees. Pasquale wants to get to a notary
right away, but the well-prepared Malatesta has already brought one.
Malatesta dictates to the "notary" the contract, which of course
contains a clause by which Pasquale leaves half his property to "Sofronia."
Pasquale eagerly signs it, and "Sofronia" is about to do so when a
clamor outside makes her drop the pen. Ernesto is fighting with the
servants, who are preventing his entry. Norina and Malatesta are
horrified, for Malatesta has not yet let Ernesto in on the plot, and
they fear that when he sees Norina he will give it all away.
Ernesto bursts in, angry that the servants were treating him like a
criminal when all he wanted to do was say goodbye to his uncle.
Pasquale, however, is pleased, for he needed a witness to the marriage
anyway, and he introduces his bride to Ernesto. Ernesto is shocked to
see that the "bride" is his own Norina. Malatesta draws Ernesto aside
and assures him that all this is being done for him. Malatesta then
hurries the "ceremony" along by having Ernesto sign as a witness, and
the notary pronounces the couple husband and wife. But when Pasquale
tries to embrace "Sofronia," she repels him and advises him to wait
until he has her permission. Pasquale asks for it, but she refuses. This
makes Ernesto laugh, which leads Pasquale to order him to leave. Now the
shy "Sofronia" turns into a virago, accusing Pasquale of rudeness and
warning that she'll teach him how to behave. Pasquale is stunned at the
change in her, which Malatesta says he cannot explain. "Sofronia" then
tells Pasquale that he's too decrepit and fat to go walking with her, so
she needs a young man like Ernesto to squire her about town. When
Pasquale refuses to allow it, "Sofronia" puts him straight: she's the
boss now, and she won't take any back-chat. Pasquale bemoans his fate as
Norina and Ernesto laugh at his discomfiture, and Malatesta tries to
calm him.
Norina now calls for the servants and, seeing that there are only three,
orders the butler -- whose wages she doubles -- to get more servants.
Pasquale is enraged, but she will tolerate no interruptions. She orders
the butler to get her two carriages, with horses; new furniture; and a
wigmaker, a dressmaker, and a jeweler. When Pasquale asks who's going to
pay for this, she calmly tells him that he is. He refuses, which throws
her into a rage, during which she calls him a peasant and other choice
names. As Malatesta again tries to calm Pasquale down, Norina and
Ernesto declare their love for each other.
Act Three
Scene 1. Don Pasquale's
house.
Don Pasquale sifts through the mountain of his wife's bills as the
servants run to and fro to prepare Norina to go out. Norina comes out of
her room, dressed to go to the theater. She defies Pasquale's
objections. He orders her to her room, but she mocks him and advises him
to go to bed. When he bars her way out and calls her a hussy, she slaps
him. Pasquale is stunned. Norina is sorry that she hurt him, but it was
necessary in order for her love to triumph. Norina then says goodbye,
and that she will see him in the morning, but he threatens to bar the
doors. Now she sweetly bids him to be good and go to bed, and she will
wake him in the morning. But Pasquale thunders that he wants a divorce,
for she is the worst wife there is. Norina continues to try to get him
to go to bed as he rages on. Finally, she flounces out, dropping a
letter as she goes.
Pasquale picks up the letter and finds that it arranges a tryst for that
evening between "Sofronia" and an unknown lover, who will signal by
serenading her in the garden. Enraged at this latest insult, Pasquale
has the servants send for Dr. Malatesta and stalks off. The servants
complain among themselves about the confusion in the house, but also
find the situation rather amusing.
It was, of course, Malatesta who arranged the tryst and plotted to have
Ernesto be the unknown lover. But he is shocked to find Don Pasquale so
pale and weak. Pasquale believes himself to be dying, and regrets having
fallen out with Ernesto. He tells the doctor of his fight with "Sofronia,"
and shows him the letter. Malatesta pretends to be shocked at his
sister's behavior. Pasquale wants to get together some of his men,
ambush Sofronia and her lover in the garden, and have them hauled off to
prison. But Malatesta assures Pasquale that the two of them could do it
alone by simply threatening the couple. This is not enough for Pasquale,
but Malatesta reminds him that Sofronia is his sister. Pasquale,
recalling the slap, then says that she has got to leave his house, and
Malatesta, pondering the problem, comes up with the idea of
eavesdropping on the lovers. If she is in fact unfaithful, he says, then
Pasquale can simply send her packing. Pasquale loves the idea, but
Malatesta knows that it is Pasquale who will be in a trap.
Scene 2. Don Pasquale's
garden.
Ernesto serenades Norina ("Com'è gentil"). Norina meets him, and they
tenderly declare their love for each other. Meanwhile, Don Pasquale and
Dr. Malatesta are slinking through the grove. Pasquale confronts "Sofronia,"
who screams for help. Ernesto, meanwhile, has sneaked away. When
Pasquale demands to know where her lover is, she denies that anyone was
with her. He and Malatesta search the garden unsuccessfully. Pasquale
demands that "Sofronia" leave his house, but she insists that the house
is hers. Malatesta tells Pasquale to leave everything up to him, and not
to interrupt. Malatesta then tells his "sister" that Ernesto's bride,
Norina, is coming to live in the house. "Sofronia" is outraged that such
a hussy as Norina will share her house with her, and she would rather
leave than be under the same roof with her. But she wants proof that the
marriage will really take place. Malatesta tells Pasquale that they must
have the marriage performed right then and there before "Sofronia" will
leave. Pasquale agrees. Malatesta calls for Ernesto, who speedily
arrives and feigns delight that at last his uncle has given in. Pasquale
tells Ernesto to get Norina, but Malatesta points out that she is there
already, and explains to the stunned old man that he was never really
married; it was all a trick. Pasquale calls them all rascals, but he is
secretly relieved. When Norina and Ernesto ask his forgiveness, he gives
them his blessing. The moral of the story, with which all agree, is that
he who marries in old age will find only sorrow. |