Italian 3-act opera buffa (comic opera) La Finta Semplice (The Pretended Simpleton or The Feigned Simpleton), K. 51/46a by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791).
Mozart was only 12 years old, but already showed musical mastery. La finta semplice is generally translated as The Pretended Simpleton or The Feigned Simpleton, when in fact "semplice" doesn't have the same connotation as a "simpleton." Rosina, one of the characters, adopts a naïve kind of character, that of "feigned innocence."
La finta semplice was rehearsed in Vienna in 1768 but never performed. The performance in Salzburg the following year was produced with local singers including Michael Haydn's wife Maria Magdalena Lipp, who played Rosina. (Mozart and His Operas, edited by Stanley Sadie for the 'New Grove Composers Series', 2000)
- Libretto: Marco Coltellini. Based on a libretto by Carlo Goldoni.
- First Performance: Salzburg, Palace of the Archbishop, May 1, 1769.
- Setting: A country estate, Cremona, Northern Italy in the 18th century.
The main Characters in La finta semplice (The Pretended Simpleton)
- Captain Fracasso, a captain of Hungarian troups lodging with Cassandro (tenor)
- Rosina, Fracasso's sister, who pretends to be a simpleton (soprano)
- Don Cassandro, a rich landowner from Cremona, miserly (bass)
- Don Polidoro, Cassandro's younger brother (tenor)
- Giacinta, sister of Cassandro and Polidoro (soprano)
- Ninetta, Giacinta's chambermaid (soprano)
- Simone, Fracasso's sergeant, in love with Ninetta (bass)
Basic Plot Summary of Mozart's opera La finta semplice (The Pretended Simpleton)
Act 1
Captain Fracasso and his Hungarian troups are stationed near Cremona. He lodges in the home of Don Cassandro. Captain Fracasso falls in love with Giacinta, and Simone with Ninetta. Fracasso and Giacinta want to marry, as do Simone and Ninetta. But they can't do it without the consent of Cassandro and Polidoro. The two brothers are comfortable with their status quo – they don't want to marry, or to part with their sister. A plan was devised to outwit the brothers, with the help of Rosina. She poses as a naïve simpleton and make both brothers fall in love with her until they agree to the marriages. Polidoro falls in love with Rosina first and proposes marriage immediately. At first Cassandro was indifferent but eventually his defences are completely disarmed through Rosina's naïve innocence. So far, the plan is working.
Act 2
Polidoro still believes Rosina plans to marry him. Rosina coaches him for a confrontation with his brother. Polidoro demands half of his inheritance from Cassandro. Giacinta fears a quarrel between the brothers, but the others look forward to their fight. Rosina and Fracasso congratulate each other for their successful plan to outdo Cassandro. They continue to engineer the rest of the plot. Simone takes Giacinta into hiding. Fracasso tells the brothers that Giacinta absconded the family inheritance and run away. The plan is so successful that Ninetta follows. Simone announces that Ninetta has stolen whatever she could get and also fled. The brothers promise to marry both girls to whoever can bring them back. Fracasso and Simone volunteer.
Act 3
Simone catches up with Ninetta and they get married. Giacinta is afraid her brother will not agree to her marrying Fracasso, but he assures her Rosina has taken care of everything. Fracasso and Giacinta pair off. Finally Rosina rejects Polidoro and marry Cassandro. All ends well except for Polidoro.
Other operas written by Mozart
- Die Zauberflöte
- Così fan tutte
- Don Giovanni
- Le nozze di Figaro
- Der Schauspieldirektor
- Die Entführung aus dem Serail
- Idomeneo
- Il rè pastore
- La finta Giardiniera
- Lucio Silla
- Il sogno di Scipione
- La clemenza di Tito
- Mitridate, rè di Ponto
- Ascanio in Alba
- Bastien und Bastienne
Sources:
Mozart and His Operas by David Cairns, 2006
Opera, Editor-in-chief, András Batta, 2000, for this English edition
The Da Capo Opera Manual by Nicholas Ivor Martin, New York: Da Capo Press, 1997
