(Photo: Gianfranco Rota)

As part of the Donizetti Opera Festival (DOF), the stage came to life with “Don Pasquale,” the renowned opera buffa by Gaetano Donizetti, one of the last and most refined jewels of Italian bel canto. This production in Bergamo not only pays homage to the composer in his hometown but also celebrates the tenth anniversary of its already iconic festival. For this, the new critical edition by Roger Parker and Gabriele Dotto was used, as the primary goal of the DOF, to restore the original purity of Donizetti’s scores.

Premiered on January 3rd 1843 at the Théâtre-Italien in Paris, the work was the result of the ingenuity of Donizetti, who, already established as one of the most famous opera artists in Europe, adapted an old libretto by Angelo Anelli: Ser Marcantonio, updating it with the exiled writer Giovanni Ruffini. However, the composer imposed so many changes on the text that today he is considered co-author of the final version. This revised libretto gave life to a comedy deeply balanced between humour and lyricism, a combination that since its immediate success in Paris, has kept “Don Pasquale” in the repertoire for almost two centuries.

Production Details

The Teatro Donizetti presented the production originally created for the Opéra de Dijon by Amélie Niermeyer, which was taken up in this production by Giulia Giammona. However, Niermeyer’s proposal turned out to be an abominable and incongruous version that probably worked in France, but in Italy it is pathetic. Niermeyer, along with his team of German collaborators, in an effort to innovate at all costs, proposed absurd and unjustified elements. For example, to open the second act, a large pink elephant mascot was introduced, trying to find its way with a map, and finally being helped by a group of chickens. The ridicule of such a beautiful aria as “Com’ è gentil” was absurd, accompanied on stage by a group of mariachis, while the duet “Pronta io son” between Norina and Malatesta was loaded with completely unnecessary sexual insinuations. The latter was a contradiction, since, while Malatesta fantasizes about Norina’s body, he says: “Voi sapete se d’Ernesto sono amico, e ben gli voglio” (You know I am a friend of Ernesto, I appreciate him very much); so the director’s stage suggestions lack logic and reveal a complete lack of knowledge of the lines in the libretto.

The set design and costumes, by Maria-Alice Bahra, were a mix of successes and failures. The modern set, which showed the excessive luxury in Don Pasquale’s house, with contemporary architecture, a mini-pool, a large terrace with exotic plants, a well-stocked bar and three butlers, was effective. However, the costumes were a disaster, lacking temporal coherence, with an excess of animal prints, fluorescent-colored shirts and tight dresses that made the performers uncomfortable.

Musical Highlights

The bold music, full of waltzes and galops, as well as brilliant moments and melancholic passages, was performed by the Orchestra Donizetti Opera under the baton of Iván López-Reynoso. The Mexican conductor’s version was quite academic and attached to the traditional style. Some of its dynamics were closer to Rossinian than Donizetti’s style, but were nevertheless suitable for bel canto. López-Reynoso took particular care with the tempi, although he did not make any innovative proposals; he remained faithful to the indications of the score. At times, the orchestra covered the singers by not adjusting the volume, since period instruments and an original organic numerical con were used.

It is worth noting that this critical edition by Parker and Dotto offered some previously unpublished moments that Donizetti himself cut in later revisions. A few bars were introduced in the introduction to Norina’s introduction aria, a short participation by the chorus before “Che interminabile andirivieni!” and several phrases in the final quartet of the first act. But the most obvious recovery were the parts of the duet “Cheti, cheti immantinente.”

Roberto de Candia offered a pleasant and easy-going Don Pasquale. Vocally fit, although with slight intonation problems in the lower notes. He won over the audience with his comic side, displaying a correct line of bel canto singing in “Un foco insolito,” as well as in the duets and ensembles.

Giulia Mazzola, for her part, embodied Norina, the opera’s cunning heroine, with vivacity and spontaneity. The Sicilian soprano has a clear coloratura and carefully crafted high notes. The challenging aria “So anch’io la virtù magica” was masterfully performed, as the soprano must balance technique and character in a display of vocal agility and stage charm, which Mazzola achieved, despite the ridiculous stage requirements imposed by Niermeyer.

In the role of nephew Ernesto, a veteran of the role appeared: Javier Camarena. The Mexican tenor was not in his best vocal moment. Despite his voice clearly being tired, he managed some powerful high notes and a unique filado at the end of “Com’è gentil.” The tenor must be recognized for his excellent pronunciation of Italian and the tenacity with which he brought out the character. Ernesto is one of the roles that has given the singer the most professional satisfaction, from his performance in Mexico alongside the winners of the legendary Morelli Competition in 2004, to his encore in 2016 at the Met in New York of the cabaletta “E se fia che ad altro oggetto,” which went unnoticed in this Bergamo production.

Dario Sogos’s Dottore Malatesta was another pleasant surprise. Despite not having a powerful voice, the baritone knows very well how to use it and make it shine. He showed diligence in the interpretation of “Bella siccome un angelo” and achieved a positive connection with “De Candia” and “Camarena,” which raised him to the level of a seasoned professional. It is worth mentioning that both Mazzola and Sogos belong to the young talents of the Bottega Donizetti, the festival’s opera studio, which brought a vibrant freshness to the production.

Once again staging this gem of the lyric repertoire, full of ingenious melodies with rhythmic fluidity and an agile libretto, demonstrates that it is never too much when it comes to enjoying a good “Don Pasquale.” The DOF succeeds in presenting this title, although it would be desirable for future editions to invite a creative team that better understands Donizetti’s spirit before attempting to innovate for the sake of innovation.