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Who pretends to be the notary at Don Pasquale’s wedding?
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In the opera buffa Don Pasquale by Gaetano Donizetti, the character who pretends to be the notary at Don Pasquale’s wedding is Dr. Malatesta’s cousin.1
This deception is part of a larger plot orchestrated by Dr. Malatesta to teach the elderly Don Pasquale a lesson and allow his nephew, Ernesto, to marry Norina. Norina participates in the scheme by disguising herself as Malatesta’s shy, country-bred sister, "Sofronia," to trick Don Pasquale into a fake marriage.1