Don Pasquale
Act I :
Scene i :
A room in Don Pasquale’s villa in Rome, mid eighteenth century.
Pompous old Don Pasquale is furious at his nephew and heir Ernesto.
Don Pasquale found Ernesto a wealthy bride, but Ernesto is in love with
beautiful Norina, and won’t look at another woman. Don Pasquale thinks
Norina isn’t rich enough for Ernesto. He’s ordered his nephew to leave
her—or lose his inheritance forever.
As the opera begins, Don Pasquale announces that he’s tired of his
nephew’s disobedience. He’s going to get married and father some brand-
new heirs. That will show Ernesto! As luck would have it, family friend
Doctor Malatesta knows the perfect bride: his own sister Sofronia. She’s
beautiful, young, and modest—in fact, she’s hardly ever ventured outside
of her convent school. Pasquale feels younger already; he can barely wait
to start his new family.
Ernesto shows up, and Don Pasquale offers him one last chance to give
up Norina and keep his inheritance. Ernesto, of course, refuses. “Well
then, start looking for somewhere else to live!” cackles Don Pasquale. He
announces that he’s kicking Ernesto out of the house, and getting married
himself.
Astounded Ernesto thinks the old man is joking; he suggests that Don
Pasquale ask Doctor Malatesta for advice. Pasquale smugly informs him
that he’s marrying Malatesta’s sister. Ernesto is crushed.
Scene ii : Later that day, at Norina’s house. Alone in her room, Norina
reads a book about chivalrous love. She laughs to herself; she too knows
how to use a fleeting smile and a deceitful tear to capture a man’s heart.
She receives a letter from Ernesto, informing her that Don Pasquale is
getting married. The now-destitute Ernesto has no choice but to seek his
fortune overseas. He will leave Rome that very day.
Norina is intensely worried—until Doctor Malatesta shows up with a plan
that’s sure to bring Don Pasquale back to his senses. Norina, who’s never
met the old man, will pretend to be Malatesta’s demure sister Sofronia.
She’ll “marry” Don Pasquale in a fake ceremony. Once they’re
“married,” “Sofronia” will drive the old man to the brink of insanity; he’ll
be forced to give her whatever she wants just to get rid of her.
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Doctor Malatesta’s next task is to teach Norina to act like a “sweet simple
young thing,” but Norina proves that she should be the one giving
lessons. Malatesta applauds her skill; he knows it won’t be long until the
fireworks go off!
The instant the phony marriage contract is signed, “Sofronia” drops her
naïve sweetness. She refuses to embrace Pasquale, and even threatens to
slap him if he doesn’t behave. Ernesto begins to laugh. Furious, Pasquale
orders him to leave at once. “Sofronia” icily overrules the old man, and
commands Ernesto to stay. Pasquale yells to Malatesta that she has
changed, but Malatesta pretends to be completely dumbfounded.
“Sofronia” doubles the servants’ wages. She orders a complete
redecoration of the house, plus a new wardrobe for herself and a whole
stable full of new horses. Ernesto finally understands that it was love
alone that prompted Norina to play this part. The nagging “Sofronia” and
the stubborn Pasquale fight tooth and nail until the doctor urges the
furious old groom to go to bed.
Act III :
Scene i :
Don Pasquale’s house has been transformed. Expensive hats, gowns, and
furs are scattered everywhere. Scores of servants rush back and forth as
Don Pasquale sorts through a mountain of bills. “Sofronia” flounces past
on her way to the theater. When Pasquale forbids her to leave the house,
she simply boxes his ears and saunters past him. Humiliated, the old man
warns her that he’ll seek a divorce, but his words fall on deaf ears.
On her way out, she “accidentally” drops a letter, and Pasquale, of course,
reads it. It’s a love note, inviting “Sofronia” to meet an anonymous lover
that night in the garden. Eager to catch his wife red-handed, Don
Pasquale sends for Doctor Malatesta.
Later that night. Don Pasquale staggers in, a shadow of his former self.
His marriage is wreaking havoc on his nerves; now he wishes that he had
just let Ernesto marry Norina in the first place. He shows Doctor
Malatesta “Sofronia’s” letter. The Doctor suggests that they surprise
“Sofronia” with her lover and force her to agree to a divorce.
Scene ii : That evening, Ernesto serenades Norina outside the little gate to
Don Pasquale’s garden. Norina creeps down to meet him, and they sing a
beautiful love duet.
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Hearing footsteps, Ernesto disappears into the shadows. Don Pasquale
and Doctor Malatesta pop out of the bushes and shine lanterns on
“Sofronia,” but can’t seem to find her lover.
Don Pasquale sternly orders “Sofronia” to leave his house, but she
refuses. After all, the house is hers too! Pasquale is beginning to think
he’ll never get rid of her. Then Doctor Malatesta tells “Sofronia” that
another woman may soon marry into her household – Ernesto’s Norina.
“Never!” says “Sofronia”; she would rather move out than share her
house with trashy Norina. Pasquale is delighted—finally, a way to free
himself from the monster wife!
Doctor Malatesta calls Ernesto out into the open and tells him that his
uncle will allow him to marry Norina after all. Don Pasquale begs
Ernesto to find Norina as soon as possible—he can’t stand “Sofronia”
another second.
Malatesta finally reveals that “Sofronia” was Norina all along; the Don’s
marriage was a sham. The real Sofronia never left her convent school.
The Doctor gently explains that tricking Don Pasquale was the only way
to keep him from actually marrying someone else. Don Pasquale
considers humiliation a small price to pay for getting rid of the horrid
“Sofronia.” He gives the lovers his blessing, and as the curtain falls all
join together to sing the moral of the story: old bachelors should always
act their age.
