The Night Bell

"Il Campanello di Notte" ("The Night Bell") was written in 1836, a year of personal tragedy for Donizetti, with the stillbirth of a daughter and the death of his parents, which is perhaps what gives this comic music its tough edge.

 

Frustrated by her wandering lover Enrico, a beautiful young woman named Serafina has married a successful pharmacist. But on their wedding night, Enrico shows up, determined to keep the newlyweds from consummating their union. All night he reappears in various disguises, demanding emergency remedies and potions. His scheme works. The pharmacist has to work till dawn and leave the next morning. The young wife and Enrico stay at home...