Donizettis Don Pasquale is one of a triumvirate of 19th-century Italian opere buffe Lelisir d'amore and Rossinis Il barbiere di Siviglia being the others that continue to enchant the worlds stages. Don Pasquale represents the high point of the opera buffa tradition, employing figures taken from commedia dellarte the blustering old man, his lovesick nephew, the wily widow and the scheming doctor and brings new life to the genre in this beautifully constructed comic opera full of cabalettas, cadenzas and coloratura, gently tinged with melancholy. This production employs a new critical edition of the work and stars the seasoned baritone Roberto de Candia in the central role, alongside Giulia Mazzola as Norina.