Il Signor Bruschino (Son by Chance), Italian farce opera by Gioachino Rossini: opera plot synopsis, character description, and other Rossini opera information.

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

The Main Characters 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 (Mister Bruschino)

Act 1

Scene: A ground floor room in Gaudenzio's house exiting onto the garden.

Florville and Sofia are in love, but Sofia's guardian, Gaudenzio and old enemy of Florville's father, opposes the match and promises her to Bruschino's son.

Bruschino, Jr. spent 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, Jr's debts, takes the letter to Filiberto and tells him to lock up Brushino, Jr.

Florville decides to take Bruschino, Jr's place.

Florville (alias Bruschino, Jr) forges a letter from Bruschino, Sr., to Gaudenzio.

He then tells Gaudenzio how sorry he is to have been such a jerk.

Gaudenzio, thinking he's Brushino, Jr, pleads the case of the pretending Florville with Brushino, Sr. but Bruschino, Sr. 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, Sr.

She does, but without success.

The commissioner of police gets Bruschino, Sr. to say that the letter from Bruschino, Jr. is in fact in his son's handwriting.

Since Florville brought the letter, the commissioner concludes that Florville is Bruschino, Jr. The innkeeper further confuses matters by addressing Florville as Bruschino.

Bruschino, Sr. learns the whole truth after Filiberto explains everything about the mix-up.

Gaudenzio talks his daughter Sofia about the proposed marriage.

Bruschino, Sr. 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, Sr. pays off Filiberto for his son's bills, releasing Bruschino, Jr. Gaudenzio eventually forgives Florville.

Operas Written 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)

Primary Source Consulted

Opera Manual by Nicholas Ivor Martin (Da Capo Press, 1997)