| Lo speziale | |
|---|---|
| Opera buffa by Joseph Haydn | |
 Portrait of Haydn by Thomas Hardy, in 1791 | |
| Translation | The Apothecary |
| Librettist | Carlo Goldoni |
| Language | Italian |
| Premiere | 1768 |
Lo speziale (The Apothecary), Hob. 28/3, is a three-act opera buffa by Joseph Haydn, with a libretto by Carlo Goldoni.
A love triangle between the poor apprentice Mengone, the rich and assured dandy Volpino, and the local apothecary's ward, Grilletta, Lo speziale is a comedy of great warmth and ebullience.
Lo speziale prefigures Mozart. It opens with an aria complaining about an apprentice apothecary's job, much like Leporello's opening aria in Don Giovanni. The trouser role of Volpino reminds one of Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro and the young lovers' use of disguises will call Così fan tutte to mind.
The opera is scored for two flutes, two oboes, bassoon, two horns, strings, continuo.