Wiener Staatsoper, Vienna, Austria

Staged Revival — March 6-13, 2026 (3 Performances) 

Duration: 2h 35mins

Donizetti’s beloved comic opera tells the story of wealthy bachelor Don Pasquale, who attempts to disinherit his nephew Ernesto for refusing an arranged marriage. Ernesto loves the young widow Norina, but his miserly uncle insists he marry for money instead.

When Don Pasquale decides to marry and produce his own heir, his friend Dr. Malatesta devises an ingenious scheme: he presents Norina to Don Pasquale as his demure, convent-raised sister “Sofronia.” The elderly bachelor is immediately smitten and rushes into what he believes is a genuine marriage.

The moment the ceremony ends, the sweet “Sofronia” transforms into an extravagant, sharp-tongued spendthrift who makes Don Pasquale’s life miserable. Desperate to rid himself of his terrible wife, he agrees to let Ernesto marry his beloved Norina—not realising they are one and the same woman. When the deception is finally revealed, Don Pasquale learns a valuable lesson about the follies of an old man pursuing young love, and the young couple wins both his blessing and his fortune.