IL CAMPANELLO (The Doorbell)

by Gaetano Donizetti (1797 - 1848).
Opera in one act, text by the composer.
Premiere 1 June 1836.

Cast

Vienna State Opera Chorus
Vienna Symphony orchestra

Conductor: Gary Bertini

Place: Naples

Time: The 1830s

After the traumatic events of late 1835 - the death of his father coincided with the difficult rehearsals in Milan of Maria Stuarda, with Malibran in the title role - Donizetti was delighted to be offered a French vaudeville, which he proceeded himself to translate and adapt as Il Campanello, one of the not so common one-act comedies with which he punctuated the full-length melodramas in which he specialised. It was successful from the start.

The story (it amounts to little more than a sketch) revolves round the marriage of a young wife to an older man. Unlike the much more substantial Don Pasquale, the marriage is neither a fake nor, it would appear, does the bride's younger suitor win her in the end.

The Story

Don Annibale di Pistacchio, a village apothecary who is a stickler for the rules, has just been married to Serafina and the chorus celebrates in style. Annibale himself, not without smugness, rejoices in his new condition until Spiridione announces the arrival of none other than Enrico, Serafina's cousin, whom he greatly dislikes. It is not long before Serafina herself puts in an appearance, dancing a galop with Don Annibale's bete noire. In an extended duet, Enrico remonstrates with her for having married and left him desolate. There is some tenderness in her insistence that he is himself nothing but a ladies' man, but Donizetti skilfully avoids eliciting sympathy for Enrico by giving him no romantic music.

Don Annibale interrupts, but Enrico tries to gain a point by describing a ludicrous scenario of which he is the hero, until midnight sounds and, even though Enrico encourages a dispensation of wine all round, he is sent packing. Enrico will see to it that Don Annibale's wedding night does not go uninterrupted. Spiridione's offer to dispense drugs for him elicits from the chemist an insistence on keeping to the rules which lay down that he must do so himself. First comes a Frenchman; cross-eyed with hangover and requiring from the apothecary a bottle of champagne. As he leaves, he manages to blow the candle out and rearrange crucial bits of furniture, so that Annibale knocks over his best china. Next, an opera singer rings the bell to say that his debut is at hand and he has lost his voice serenading a girl. The cure is either to marry her or forget her, says the chemist. But what about my debut, asks the singer? He gets some pills and tries out his voice in a virtuoso display. When he has gone, Don Annibale finds in his keyhole a hostile note - probably from Enrico, helpfully suggests Spiridione. Next, the bell is rung by an old man with a prescription to be made up. He reels off his friend's symptoms, then suggests a list of nonsense ingredients he maintains the prescription contains. As he leaves, Spiridione returns and by mistake in the dark grabs Don Annibale. Enrico bounces in to announce the imminent departure of the stage coach Don Annibale must catch after the wedding night, and Serafina leads a grandly romantic start to the finale. For all the mockery and horseplay, Annibale's marriage, as he departs with his baggage seems intact and Enrico has not won the girl.