About the work
"La lettera anonima" is a one-act comic opera (farsa) that Donizetti wrote within a few weeks in 1822 for the Neapolitan impresario Domenico Barbaja. Giulio Genoino's libretto draws on Pierre Corneille's comedy "Mélite". It premiered in Naples on 29 June 1822.
Plot
Countess Rosina is about to marry Captain Filinto when an anonymous letter arrives claiming he is secretly married to a certain Olympia. Rosina believes the letter despite Filinto's protestations, until the jealous widow Melita is revealed as its author and begs forgiveness; the wedding goes ahead as planned.
Cultural significance
Despite a weak singer at the premiere, the work ran for twenty performances; an extended quartet was singled out for praise for avoiding the era's usual symmetrical cabaletta repeats. The piece dates from Donizetti's productive apprenticeship under Johann Simon Mayr in Naples.