Le Convenienze Ed Inconvenienze Teatrali: Dramma Giacoso in One Act, Libretto by Domenico Gilardoni

Le convenienze ed inconvenienze teatrali is surely one of history's wittiest operatic treatments of the foibles of opera itself: it depicts a rehearsal thrown into chaos by stage mother—played by a bass in woman's costume—who wishes her own daughter to upstage the prima donna. This critical edition of Donizetti and Gilardoni's riotous spectacle is the first to assemble all versions of the opera with which Donizetti himself was involved. The base text is the second version, performed in Naples in 1831; its musical numbers can be connected with by spoken dialogue or by contemporary recitatives, both provided here. In addition, extensive appendices contain all extant materials for the first version of 1827, as well as several pieces that Donizetti composed for revivals of the opera during the 1830s.