IL SIGNOR BRUSCHINO
or
THE SON BY ACCIDENT

Opera in one act by Gioacchino Rossini

SYNOPSIS

Florville arrives at the country - house of Gaudenzio, Sofia's guardian. Now that his father, Gaudenzio's mortal enemy, is dead, Florville wishes to ask for Sofia's hand in marriage. Sofia and Florville declare their joy at seeing each other again.

Then Sofia tells Florville that her guardian wants her to marry a certain Bruschino, who is expected to arrive at any moment. Florville is absolutely determined to stop the wedding, and since no one in the house except Sofia and Marianna, the maid, knows him personally, the young man decides to stay and see how things work, out Filiberto the innkeeper arrives. Florville introduces himself as Gaudenzio's representative. Filiberto has been putting up a certain Bruschino who owes him a lot of money, and out of caution has locked him in the inn's attic, from which he will not release him unless the debt is paid. Filiberto has come to bring Gaudenzio a written by the young Bruschino and addressed to his father, in which he expresses regret for his dissolute behaviour. Florville then makes Filiberto believe that he is the younger Bluschino's cousin; he pays Filiberto part of the debt takes the letter himself and exacts a promise that young Bruschino will remain shut up in the inn.

Gaudenzio enters, making some "philosophical" observations on man's eternal dissatisfaction and on the need to be happy by enjoying whatever one has. Marianna hands him a letter supposedly written by the elder Bruschino, but really written by Florville. In it Bruschino - padre ostensibly asks Gaudenzio, the friend of his youth, to have his son arrested and kept at his house, the son, he says, is guilty of dissolute conduct and has recently run away from home. There follows a description, presumably of his son, but really of Florville, The servants leave to search for him and return almost immediately with Florville. The latter, whom everyone believes to be the young Bruschino, begs Gaudenzio's pardon for his behaviour; he says he is sorry and, to prove it, shows the letter written by the real Bruschino junior to his father - the letter intercepted by Florville.

Positively impressed by the young man, whom he believes to be Bruschino s son, Gaudenzio says he will ask Signor Bruschino to behave less severely. When the latter arrives, suffering from the heat and in a highly agitated state, Gaudenzio fells him that he has locked up the young Bruschino in his house. The father doesn't believe in his son's penitence and says he has no intention of seeing him. Gaudenzio intercedes: the elder Bruschino is uncertain how to proceed and Florville pretends to be moved. Florville, alias the young Bruschino, is then introduced: the elder Bruschino, much annoyed asks him who he is.

Florville Bruschino pretends to be reduced to despair, whereas Gaudenzio is indignant at the elder Bruschino for his severity Finally all present see only one way out of the situation: call the police to establish the truth. Meanwhile Sofia, at Gaudenzio's request, tries to make her fiance's supposed father behave more reasonably. Signor Bruschino is increasingly put out. A Police Commissioner arrives to settle the issue; Gaudenzio produces the letter that Florville - Bruschino gave him. The Commissioner compares it with another letter which the elder Bruschino had already declared to be in his son's handwriting. The handwriting is the same in both cases, the proof irrefutable: Florville - BruschIno is truly the young Bruschino! But the elder Bruschino, taken aback, will not recognise the fact Sofia is in despair, all the others restate their sorrow over such inhuman stubbornness.

Filiberto the innkeeper arrives to claim the rest of what he is owed by the young Bruschino. Signor Bruschino turns to Filiberto to unravel the affair, asking him it he sees his debtor in the room. Filiberto indicates Florville, who had in effect assumed the debts of Bruschino junior. Amid general confusion. everyone except Filiberto and the elder Bruschino exits. Bruschino - padre then learns from Filiberto that his real son has been locked up at the inn by order of Florville, who has duped Filiberto into believing that he was a cousin of the young Bruschino.

Gaudenzio, who intends to bring off the marriage between the presumed Bruschino junior, and Sofia, tests the feelings of the latter an learns, by her own admission that she likes tin youth. In the course of a duet, when Gaudenzio explains to her win marriage means, Sofia finds the idea highly attractive.

In the meantime the elder Bruschino discovers by chance the true identity of Florville. He decides to play along with the deception, recognizing Florville as his son Gaudenzio conducts the marriage ceremony.

Filiberto and Bruschino junior arrive. The latter uttering his only words in the course of the entire farce, declares he is sorry. Gaudenzio is furious because of trick played on him; but Signor Bruschino repeats the same words that he has heard many times in the course of the day: Is Gaudenzio going to be so cruel as to repudiate someone who, as a result of the recent ceremony, has become his son? The farce concludes with a general reconciliation and a hymn to love.

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Gioacchino Rossini
1792 - 1868