Donizetti’s comedy is fragile – it can easily be tipped into farce in one direction, or pathos in the other. After all, it’s not that funny a subject, poor old Pasquale, looking forward to marriage with a young wife, being duped, abused and taken for a ride by his own doctor, his nephew and the “virtuous” Norina. Daniel Slater’s production, designed by Francis O’Connor (no relation), updates the action to just after the First World War. The first scene finds Malatesta laying his plans in a meeting with Pasquale at a chic pavement café. In the background are posters for a modern art show. Norina appears, and is clearly a member of the avant-garde set. Once she has control of the household, she banishes all of Pasquale’s antiques and family portraits, and replaces them with Mondrian chairs, cubist canvases and outré sculpture in the garden.

Evelino Pidò is a specialist in this repertory and he leads the Geneva forces in a well balanced account of what many people consider Donizetti’s masterpiece. The outstanding performance comes from Simone Alaimo in the title-role. He has a great face for the camera and suggests all the conflicting emotions that the old boy has to endure during the course of his trial at the hands of his tormentors. Patrizia Ciofi is made up to look especially hard, with marcelled hair that turns blonde for the first scene of Act 3, once she is ruling the household. Her singing is accomplished, though without the charm of such famous Norinas of the past as Graziella Sciutti or Alda Noni. Marzio Giossi is a sinister Malatesta, and joins Alaimo in the fizzing duet in Act 3 that always brings down the house. Norman Shankle is a good Ernesto, especially in his serenade and the duet with Norina in the final scene.

The production introduces a new element to the story. Pasquale’s cook-housekeeper is secretly in love with him. Once everything has been sorted out, and Norina and Ernesto are united, she takes her chance and Pasquale has a bride after all. It’s a nice touch that brings to an end this generally enjoyable production. There is stiff DVD competition, though: Juan Diego Flórez is Ernesto on Decca, and Alessandro Corbelli is Pasquale on TDK.