Donizetti, already one of the world's most beloved opera composers, has sparked a renaissance of remarkable vitality in recent years--even his lesser known works or those in alternate versions have witnessed a steady growth of interest, and his most celebrated operas enjoy special attention from both scholars and performers. "Don Pasquale, a milestone in opera history, is Donizetti's comic masterpiece; it is presented here in a facsimile edition of the full autograph score, along with an exhaustive, engaging, and enlightening essay by Philip Gossett examining the complex history of the composition's shaping. Since Donizetti's autograph scores were not finished "fair copies," but rather heavily marked "works in progress," Gossett's examination of the various layers and changes offers fascinating insight, for professionals and music-lovers alike, into the composer's supreme skill as a craftsman.