Rita ou Le mari battu / Il Campanello di notte from Gaetano Donizetti

At a time when marital violence is considered a failing, Rita is generally thought to be rather odd. However, this little comic opera still has something of a career thanks to its hilarious scenario and its scintillating music.

It involves Beppe, the acquiescent husband of the innkeeper Rita, who tyrannises him with utter brutality. Enter Gaspar, Rita's former husband, whom everyone believed to be dead. Ready to remarry, he wants to confirm the divorce. Beppe sees in this a heaven-sent opportunity to rid himself of his nagging wife, and the two men begin a game of "he who loses wins", in which the victor will keep the troublesome wife. They cheat in any way they can, but Gaspar ends up winning the jackpot. Rita then remembers her first husband's heavy hand, and refuses to follow him. That is all it takes for Beppe and Rita to be reconciled and for Gaspar to leave contented, but not before he has informed Beppe of the best way to deal with a woman…

Donizetti embellished his score, composed prestissimo in the summer of 1841, with a sub-title of his own invention (Deux hommes et une femme). According to Vaëz, the composer snatched the libretto pages from him so that he could write down on them immediately the ideas that came to him. Absorbed by the Maria Padilla project, Donizetti never occupied himself with his little farce, which was found among his papers after his death. Presented at the Opéra-Comique in 1860, Rita never managed to establish itself, and disappeared from the stages for a century. It was when it was put on again at the Piccola Scala in 1965, in an Italian translation, that a very amusing and well-balanced (three arias, three, duets and the final trio) score was discovered. No doubt Gaspar's aria on the joys of chastising one's wife in the way she deserves causes a few raised eyebrows today, but the game duet ("Il me vient une idée"), Beppe's aria ("Je suis joyeux comme un pinson", sung while he believes he is free of Rita) and the trio ("Je suis manchot") are able to arouse an auditorium.

The Neapolitan apothecary Don Annibale Pistacchio is celebrating his marriage to the beautiful Serafina ("Evviva Don Annibale" - "Bella cosa, amici cari"). He must consummate his marriage immediately as he has to leave for Rome the next day. The wedding celebration is disrupted by the presence of Enrico, Serafina's former lover, who vows that he will win her back (duet: "Non fuggir"). Before being chased away by Annibale, Enrico sings a toast in praise of the newly-weds ("Mesci, mesci"). When the guests have departed, Don Annibale puts on his marital attire - night shirt and night cap - and leaves to honour his wife. Alas, the night bell rings in the store. It is a young, bespectacled French dandy, who asks for some medicine for a fever - the spectator will quickly discern Enrico under this disguise. Taking advantage of Don Annibale's brief absence, he moves all the furniture and puts out the light. By the time the young groom has found his matches, and his bearings, once more, the bell rings again. This time, it is a singer who has lost his voice, when, the following day, he has to perform an opera called II Campanello. He insists on rehearsing his role in front of Don Annibale (duet: "Ho una bella"). After the singer (who was none other than Enrico) has departed, the apothecary finds a note warning him of a terrible revenge. The servant Spiridione has guessed everything: the avenger must be Enrico. By the time Spiridione has arranged some "defensive" firecrackers in the house, the bell tinkles. It is a new customer (or rather a new incarnation of Enrico), who recites a great long list of his wife's illnesses and the appropriate medicines ("La povera Anastasia"). Don Anni¬bale gets rid of him and runs to his nuptial chamber - but, having forgotten the firecrackers, he sets them off under his feet, waking the whole household. The bell rings again: this time it is Enrico as himself, who helpfully reminds Don Annibale that his morning coach is leaving for Rome. Don Annibale takes leave of his wife, while Enrico cherishes the hope of that, in his absence, he will be able to take his place favourably with Serafina ("Da me lungi ancor vivendo ").

The storyline is very funny, and the score short (five musical numbers) but brilliant, offering a spectacular role to a comic baritone. The part of Enrico was played, at the first performance, by the same Giorgio Ronconi who more than once took on a tragic role for Donizetti, and who would be Verdi's first Nabucco. He sings two duets with Don Annibale, the first of which (with the singer having lost his voice) uses all sorts of musical gags (including a quotation from Marino Fallerò), while the second equals the best of Rossini in terms of quantity of notes and syllables per second. Starting with a joyous wedding scene, the opera ends with a collective farce which is not without a certain tenderness. This sparkling farce is usually put on by modest companies, whereas it requires performers of the highest calibre.