Betrothal in a Monastery

by Sergei Prokofiev (1891 - 1953).

ACT I

Scene 1

Don Jerome, a grandee of Seville, is talking animatedly with the rich and elderly fish merchant Isaac Mendoza about their shared dream of cornering the fish trade. They make an agreement which is to be sealed by Mendoza's marriage to Don Jerome's young daughter, Louisa, whose great beauty is described to him by Don Jerome. As they part each expresses his pleasure with the deal that has just been made.

Don Jerome's son, Ferdinand, returns home lamenting that he is desperately in love with the proud beauty Clara. Ferdinand's friend Antonio, who is in love with Louisa, comes to serenade her. Ferdinand first considers chasing him away, but relents believing that this will prevent Antonio from going off to serenade Clara. When Louisa hears Antonio's song she steps out onto her balcony to join him. Don Jerome suddenly appears, interrupting the couple, but Antonio has already vanished. As carnival revelers dance around the old man, he bemoans his difficulties with his teenage daughter and hopes that he can marry her off to Mendoza as quickly as possible.

Scene 2

Louisa and her Duenna are plotting how to outwit Louisa's father and Mendoza. Antonio is poor and Don Jerome will never allow his daughter to marry him. The Duenna is happy to help the couple since she herself dreams of marrying Mendoza and becoming rich. When Louisa asks her to hide a love letter from Antonio, the Duenna sees a perfect opportunity to plot against Don Jerome. Don Jerome enters, first scolding Ferdinand for disappearing at night, and then Louisa for allowing Antonio to serenade her. When Louisa refuses to marry Mendoza and Ferdinand sides with her, the argument grows more heated. Don Jerome threatens to lock Louisa in her room until she agrees to marry whomever he chooses. Louisa storms off, followed by her father, while Ferdinand worries about his beloved Clara.

The Duenna rushes on followed by Don Jerome, who is trying to wrest the letter from her. Grabbing the incriminating letter, he berates her for delivering love-letters to Louisa. When their argument escalates to a shouting match, the old man dismisses the Duenna and she goes to Louisa's room to collect her things. Louisa then comes out, disguised in the Duenna's cape, hood, and veil. Pretending to cry and hiding her face with a handkerchief she makes her way to the front door, which Don Jerome opens for the supposed "Duenna" before pushing her into the street.

ACT II

Scene 1

Mendoza and his impoverished friend Don Carlos are on the waterfront watching the fishwives sell their goods from Mendoza's barges.

Clara, in the company of her maid Rosina, meets up with Louisa who is searching for Antonio. Both girls discover that they have each run away from home: Louisa has decided to elope with Antonio, and Clara has fled from her wicked stepmother. Louisa assumes that Clara is now in search of her brother, Ferdinand, but Clara tells her that she has been offended by Ferdinand because he entered her room at night with a key he had duplicated. She has decided to flee to the Convent of Saint Catherine where she has friends among the nuns. When Louisa catches sight of Mendoza she asks Clara if she can temporarily borrow her identity. The real Clara agrees and departs.

The self-assured Mendoza thinks this pretty young girl, who calls herself Donna Clara d'Almanza, is in love with him. When she asks him to carry a message to Antonio he is at first outraged, then remembers that Antonio has been chasing after his fiancée, Louisa, and decides that this development might work to his advantage. He tells Don Carlos to take 'Donna Clara d'Almanza' to his home while he goes off to visit Louisa at Don Jerome's house. Louisa hears the vendors hawking fish from 'Signor Mendoza's barge' and realizes that the presumed 'nobleman' Mendoza is just a fishmonger!

Scene 2

Mendoza tells Don Jerome that Clara has run away from home, and the two laugh at her foolish father. Don Jerome sends his servant, Lauretta, to bring Louisa, who refuses to come out of her room while her father is there. After Don Jerome exits, the Duenna appears, dressed as Louisa. At first Mendoza is polite, although scandalized by her appearance. She flatters him by praising his looks, and then sings him a song. Mendoza begins to think that Don Jerome's daughter is not all that bad - above all, she is clever and rich. Mendoza asks for her hand, but the Duenna coquettishly refuses. She suggests that if he elopes with her it will be more romantic. They work out a plan and imagine the carriage that will carry them off in the dark.

When Don Jerome's footsteps are heard the Duenna quickly exits. Don Jerome and Mendoza share a bottle of champagne to celebrate how well everything is going.

Scene 3

The disguised Louisa has been awaiting Antonio's arrival in Mendoza's house for several hours. The kindly Don Carlos tries to converse with her, but she is impatient. Mendoza and Antonio enter, but Antonio cannot understand why Clara, his friend's fiancée, would ask to see him. The laughing Mendoza pushes him into the room where 'Clara' is waiting. Mendoza's curiosity gets the best of him, and he spies through the keyhole in spite of Don Carlos' protests.

When 'Clara' and Antonio appear, Mendoza tells him of his plan to elope with Don Jerome's daughter. As the three celebrate their good fortune Don Carlos recalls the great love of his life who broke his heart.

ACT III

Scene 1

Don Jerome enjoys making music in the afternoon: he plays the clarinet; his friend, the coronet; and his servant, Sancho, the drum. Don Jerome is amazed that his daughter has decided to elope with the very man he had chosen to be her husband. Don Carlos arrives with a letter from Mendoza asking for forgiveness and his blessing to marry 'Louisa'. Don Jerome gives his permission for them to marry, then the trio continues to practice a minuet.

Suddenly, a young boy runs with a letter from Louisa asking his permission to marry. He sends his blessing, orders a wedding banquet for that evening, and returns to his clarinet.

Scene 2

Clara, now dressed as a nun, wanders sadly in the garden of the convent and is soon joined by Louisa and Antonio, who are eagerly awaiting an answer from Don Jerome. When the young boy arrives with Don Jerome's reply, the overjoyed couple decide to marry at once.

Disconsolate, Clara is once again left alone. Ferdinand appears - he has heard rumors of a romance between Clara and Antonio, and he has come looking for his treacherous friend in order to punish him. When he sees Antonio in the distance with a woman on his arm whom he assumes to be Clara, he goes into a rage and rushes off. Realizing that Ferdinand really does love her, Clara races after him.

Scene 3

The monks are having an uproarious time in their monastery, drinking wine, singing songs, and toasting the inhabitants of the neighboring Convent of Saint Catherine. When two rich gentlemen are announced, the bottles and mugs quickly disappear, and the monks pull out psalters and begin to chant. Antonio and Mendoza have come to request the help of the Brothers. They are greeted by the dour Father Superior, who issues them an angry sermon, but when a purse of ducats appears, his anger turns into kindness. Louisa runs in, followed by Ferdinand, who is prepared to fight Antonio.

Ferdinand sees the real Clara dressed as a nun standing in the doorway. As Louisa and Clara stop the fight the Duenna appears. The Father Superior blesses all three couples and leads them into the chapel to be married.

Scene 4

Don Jerome awaits the newlyweds impatiently in the ballroom which has been readied for the wedding banquet. Mendoza arrives saying that Louisa is trembling at the door and is afraid to enter her father's house.

Don Jerome embraces the Duenna, and only after Louisa and Antonio appear, followed by Ferdinand and Clara, does Mendoza realize that he has been fooled. When the Duenna assures Mendoza that she is his lawfully wedded wife, he runs away cursing her. When the two young couples ask Don Jerome's blessings he reasons that while Antonio is poor, Clara is rich, and he hasn't lost anything in the bargain. He gives his blessings as the guests assemble for the wedding banquet.

As the guests congratulate the newlyweds Don Jerome exclaims, 'Wise is the father who understands his children.'