Gaetano Donizetti’s comic opera Il fortunato inganno, a.k.a. The Happy Deception, merits only a minuscule article on Wikipedia. “Composed in 1823, it was first given on September 3 of that year at the Teatro Nuovo in Naples,” the website states. “It was not a success, and has disappeared from the repertory.”
Clearly, it’s time for an update. This obscure work by a very talented 24-year-old composer is getting a rare revival, thanks to the adventurous Pacific Opera Project. The Los Angeles-based company will present what is arguably the least-known opera by the great composer of Lucia di Lammermoor and Don Pasquale.
