The opera tells the story of how one old man learns a harsh and expensive lesson when he tries to stand in the way of true love. In the finest traditions of the genre we enjoy disguises, crooked lawyers, scheming doctors and at its heart, two love-truck youngsters trying to find a way to be together. Above all, Donizetti’s score is suffused with beauty and vivacity from which a torrent of wonderful music tumbles. First performed in 1843.