La cambiale di matrimonio

Gioachino Rossini

Gioachino Rossini (1792–1868) was the most celebrated Italian composer of his age, a master of both opera buffa and opera seria. Born in Pesaro, he penned nearly forty operas before the age of thirty-seven, including immortal works such as “Il barbiere di Siviglia,” “La Cenerentola,” and “Guillaume Tell.” “Adina, ovvero Il Califfo di Bagdad” (1818), though lesser-known, showcases all the melodic wit, rhythmic verve, and vocal brilliance that made Rossini the darling of Europe.

Rossini’s distinctive style, characterized by elegant melodies, rapid vocal passages, lively rhythms, and inventive orchestration, had a profound influence on nineteenth-century opera. His music combines theatrical energy with remarkable technical precision, allowing singers to display both virtuosity and expressive range. Even today, his operas remain staples of the international repertoire, admired for their wit, brilliance, and enduring freshness.

After retiring from the operatic stage at the height of his fame, he spent his later years in Paris as a revered cultural figure and gourmet.

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La cambiale di matrimonio is a one-act comic farce by Gioachino Rossini, with a libretto by Gaetano Rossi, first performed in Venice in 1810. The story is set in the drawing room of the home of the wealthy English merchant Tobia Mill, who has promised his daughter Fanny in marriage to the Canadian trader Slook by means of a marriage contract. Fanny, however, is secretly in love with the poor clerk Edoardo Milfort. When Slook arrives to ‘collect the goods’, Fanny and Edoardo persuade him, through a mixture of sweet talk and threats, to abandon the deal; the Canadian, frightened, announces that he wishes to withdraw from the contract.

Mill, furious at this rejection, challenges Slook to a duel. Meanwhile, Norton (the cashier) and Clarina (the maid) help the lovers. Slook discovers the true love between Fanny and Edoardo, is moved by it and decides to endorse the marriage contract in Edoardo’s favour, naming him his heir and blessing their marriage. Mill, initially furious, accepts the solution and everyone is reconciled in a happy ending: Fanny and Edoardo can finally marry with the blessing of her father and her generous Canadian ‘father-in-law’.

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