An unmissable Don Pasquale from La Scala

Almost immediately, within the first bars of the overture, I spring to my feet: this will be a delight! Muti starts firmly and immediately afterwards the mood changes into an unparalleled lyricism. His tempi are generally on the high side, but nowhere do they degenerate into panting.

Stefano Vizioli’s direction is a textbook example of what an opera should look like. His conventional, 1994 staging is truly sparkling, exciting, innovative and inspiring. Comical and sentimental at the same time and with great attention to detail.

The costumes are dazzlingly beautiful and correspond to the characters of all the characters. The emergence of the good-for-nothing Ernesto (phenomenally played by Gregory Kunde) is truly precious: in slippers and a silk dressing gown, he lies down on the sofa, sipping his espresso, waiting for the luck to come by itself or with the help of Malatesta (Lucio Gallo at his best).

Ferruccio Furlanetto is a Don Pasquale in a thousand and Nuccia Focile a delightful Norina. Everyone sings and acts at an all-time high and the orchestra could charm the stars from heaven.

No sooner has it happened to me that I couldn’t find a minus point anywhere: for me it is one of the best opera’s on DVD I have ever seen, don’t miss it!

Don Pasquale from Geneva: a must-see not just for painting lovers

Admittedly, the staging sometimes seems too contrived, but isn’t that how it usually goes, with concepts? Surrender to it, I would say, and your evening can’t go wrong, because the production is just incredibly fun (do keep watching until the end!)

Daniel Slater, aided by designer Francis O’Connor moves the action to 1920s Paris of ‘Oh la la!’, cafes, street painters, the avant-garde and psychoanalysis. Images of Picasso and Magritte are liberally sprinkled and the third act is all Mondrian. Wonderful to watch and you can immediately test your art knowledge.

Simone Alaimo is a fantastic don Pasquale. He sings and acts like hell, delightful! Together with Marzio Grossi (Doctor Malatesta), he provides many a hilarious moment.

Only in Patrizia Ciofi (Norina) do they have to acknowledge their superiority, but then she is the uncrowned queen of (dramatic) bel canto and dominates the stage from her first appearance. She portrays a woman of the world, whom it is better not to mock. Ernesto (a nice Norman Shankle) might also find that out painfully.