La Scala di Seta (The Silken Ladder), an Italian farce opera by Gioachino Rossini: opera plot synopsis, character description, and other Rossini opera information.

Gioachino Rossini's La Scala di Seta (The Silken Ladder), a one-act farce opera (sarsa comica), is a short comedy opera piece, quite popular in Venice at the end of the 18th century until the beginning of the 19th century. As typical of a comic farce, comedy is more important than singing ability.

• Composer: Gioachino Rossini (February 29, 1792 – November 13, 1868)
• Libretto: Giuseppe Foppa. Based on a libretto by Francois-Antoine-Eugéne de Planard for Gaveaux.
• Language: Italian
• First Performance: Venice, Teatro San Moisé, May 9, 1812
• Setting: France in the 18th Century
• Opera in One Act. 1 Scene

Rossini, in his teenage years until his early 20s, composed Italian farce operas. La Scala di Seta (The Silken Ladder) is an example and most likely the best known. Its overture is known to be a lively perpetuo moto in anticipation of the coming comedy.

The Main Characters in La Scala di Seta (The Silken Ladder)

• Giulia (soprano)
• Germano, Giulia's servant (comic bass)
• Dorvil, Giulia's lover (tenor)
• Blansac, Dorvil's friend (baritone)
• Lucilla, Giulia's cousin (mezzo)
• Dormont, Giulia's guardian (tenor)

Plot Summary (Synopsis) of La Scala di Seta (The SIlken Ladder)

The plot is really simple. Giulia and Dorvil are secretly married against the wishes of Dormont, her guardian and tutor. Dorvil goes to his wife every night by climbing up a silken ladder (scala di seta) that Giulia lowers down from her balcony, something perhaps more exciting that the famous 'Romeo and Juliet' tale.

Act 1

Scene: Apartment of Giulia in the house of her guardian Dormont.

Giulia is annoyed with her talkative servant, Germano. She wants to be left alone and tells Germano and her cousin Lucilla to let her be.

Giulia has secretly married her lover, Dorvil, who is usually hides in the closet until she can let him out by a silken ladder.

Dormont, Giulia's guardian, not knowing about her marriage, wants her to marry Blansac.

Giulia plans to marry Blansac off to Lucilla, her cousin.

Meanwhile, without revealing the real reason, Dorvil uses his friendship with Blansac to try and talk him out of the marrying Giulia, as Dormont wishes.

When Blansac isn't as warm to Giulia, she accuses him of being fickle, but he swears he will be faithful.

Dorvil and Germano spy on this conversation, which makes Dorvil jealous.

Blansac flirts with Lucilla.

Germano overhears Giulia's plans for a midnight rendezvous.

Assuming that she is meeting Blansac, Germano reveals the details to Blansac and Lucilla.

Lucilla and Germano both hide as Giulia talks to the jealous Dorvil.

Giulia tries to appease his jealousy, but hides him when she hears Blansac coming. Giulia rebukes Blansac for his presumption.

The commotion brings out Dormont who asks what's going on.

Everything is revealed.

Dorvil admits that he and Giulia are already married.

Blansac marries Lucilla. Dormont can't do anything and despite reluctance, accepts the whole situation.

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 Bruschino (Mister Bruschino)
• La gazza ladra (The Thieving Magpie)
• Armida
• Mosè in Egitto (Moses in Egypt)
• Semiramide
• Le Comte Ory (Count Ory)

Sources

The Da Capo Opera Manual by Nicholas Ivor Martin (1997)

The Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd Edition, edited by Stanley Sadie (2000)