Il Signor Bruschino (Mister Bruschino) is the last operatic farce that Gioachino Rossini composed. This type of small cast, short opera was popular in Venice at that time. It usually contains lovers and some comic roles. Singing ability was less important than acting and talent in comedy.
Gioachino Rossini's comic opera (operatic farce) Il Signor Bruschino (Son by chance or Mister Bruschine) in one-act, 15 scenes.
- Composer: Gioachino Rossini (February 29, 1792 – November 13, 1868)
- Libretto: Giuseppe Foppa. Based on "Le fils par hazard, ou ruse et folie" by Alisan de Chazet and E.T. Maurice Ourry
- Language: Italian
- First Performance: Venice, Teatro San Moisé, January 27, 1813
- Setting: Italy in the 18th century
Character Roles in Il Signor Bruschino (Mister Bruschino)
- Florville (tenor)
- Sofia (soprano)
- Gaudenzio (comic bass or baritone)
- Bruschino, Senior, the father (bass baritone)
- Marianna, maidservant (mezzo)
- Filiberto (baritone or bass)
- Police Commissioner (bass)
- Bruschino, Jr., the son (tenor)
- Servants (mute)
Plot Summary (Synopsis) of Il signor Bruschino
Place. A ground floor room in Gaudenzio's house exiting onto the garden
Florville and Sofia are in love but Sofia's guardian, Gaudenzio, and also an old enemy of Florville's father, opposes the match and promises her to Bruschino's son.
Bruschino Junior spends enormously at the inn and is detained by the innkeeper Filiberto for not being able to pay. He writes a repentant letter to his father. Florville takes advantage of the situation, introducing himself as a relative of Bruschino's, pays Filiberto some of Bruschino Junior's debts, takes the letter to Filiberto and tells him to lock up Brushino Junior.
Florville decides to take Bruschino Junior's place. Florville (alias Bruschino Junior) forges a letter from Bruschino Senior to Gaudenzio. He then tells Gaudenzio how sorry he is to have been such a jerk.
Gaudenzio, thinking he is Bruschino Junior, pleads the case of the pretending Florville with Bruschino Senior but the Senior insists he does not know Florville. Gaudenzio takes this to mean he is disowning his son (actually Florville in disguise). Gaudenzio asks his daughter Sofia to talk to Bruschino Senior. She does, but without success.
The commissioner of police gets Bruschino Senior to say that the "letter" from Bruschino Junior is in fact his son's handwriting. Since Florville brought the letter, the commissioner concludes that Florville is Bruschino Junior. The innkeeper further confuses matters by addressing Florville as Bruschino.
Bruschino Senior learns the whole truth after Filiberto explains everything about the mix-up.
Gaudenzio talks his daughter Sofia about the proposed marriage.
Bruschino Senior learns that Florville is the son of Gaudenzio's old enemy but decides to help Florville. The marriage between Florville and Sofia is celebrated. Bruschino Senior pays off Filiberto for his son's bills, releasing Bruschino, Junior. Gaudenzio eventually forgives Florville.
Operas by Rossini
- Tancredi
- L'italiana in Algeri (The Italian Girl in Algiers)
- Il Barbieri di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville)
- Guillaume Tell (William Tell)
- Il Signor Brushino (Mister Brushino)
- La Scala di Seta (The Silken Ladder)
- Le Comte Ory (Count Ory)
- Mosè in Egitto (Moses in Egypt)
Source:
Opera Manual by Nicholas Ivor Martin (Da Capo Press, 1997)
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