Il mondo della luna

Ecclitico
Vicent Romero * (8, 10) / Moisés Marín * (12, 14)

Ernesto
Olga Syniakova *

Buonafede
César Méndez * (8, 14) / Jorge Eleazar Álvarez * (10, 12)

Clarice
Annya Pinto *

Flaminia
Giorgia Rotolo * (8, 10) / Elena Schirru * (12, 14)

Lisetta
Nozomi Kato

Cecco
Andrés Sulbarán *

* Centre Plácido Domingo

Act I

A terrace in the house of the fake astronomer Ecclictico.

Ecclictico and his students sing to the moon, and the astronomer boasts of how he can deceive those who are gullible, such as Buonafede, who arrives at that moment. Buonafede is interested in astronomy and admits he does not know exactly what the moon is. Ecclictico explains to him that it is another world, the intimate details of which he has become familiar with thanks to his telescope. Buonafede asks if he can look through it, and Ecclictico agrees. Buonafede enters the observatory. On Ecclictico’s orders, two servants place a machine with moving figures in front of the telescope. Buonafede is fascinated and tells everyone what he has seen: a girl caressing an old man, a husband punishing his wife for her infidelity, a young man who treats his beloved with a firm hand. He gives Ecclictico a bag of coins and leaves. Ecclictico complains about how he would prefer to have been given Clarice, Buonafede’s daughter, instead of the old man’s money.

Ernesto and his servant Cecco enter and join in with the complaint: Ernesto is in love with Flaminia, Buonafede’s other daughter, and Cecco is in love with Buonafede’s servant Lisetta. But Buonafede intends to marry the three girls to rich aristocrats. Ecclictico tells them that with a little ingenuity they will attain their loved ones.

A room in Buonafede’s house.

Clarice and Flaminia complain that their father does not let them marry Ecclictico and Ernesto. Buonafede scolds them: the old man thinks they will be suitably punished on the moon and he tells Lisetta. She pretends to love him, when all she is interested in is his money. Ecclictico arrives to say goodbye: he has been summoned by the Emperor of the Moon and a magic potion will transport him to the moon. He pretends to drink the magic potion. Buonafede asks to go with him and Ecclictico gives him the bottle. The old man drinks and falls into a deep sleep. Clarice and Lisetta are frightened by the sight of their father fainting, but they are consoled with the idea of a decent inheritance. On Ecclictico’s orders, two servants carry the sleeping Buonafede away.

Act II

Ecclictico’s garden, outlandishly decorated.

Buonafede awakes and is fascinated by the world on the moon. Ecclictico tells him they will be joined by his daughters and servant and that they will be obedient. This is confirmed by Cecco, disguised as the Emperor of the Moon, and Ernesto who is disguised as the hero Hesperus. Lisetta is the first to arrive but to Buonafede’s misfortune she prefers to be the Empress of the Moon. Clarice and Flaminia agree to marry Ecclictico and Hesperus, and Buonafede consents, carried away by the confusion of the moment. He is furious when he realises he has been tricked, but it is too late.

Act III

A hall in Ecclictico’s house.

Buonafede is prisoner in Ecclictico’s house. The three conspirators will free him if he accepts his daughters’ marriages and gives them their dowries. Although the old man refuses at first, he gives in in the end.

Under a full moon.

The lovers rejoice at their good luck and Buonafede repents of his previous behaviour. They all enjoy the good fortune the moon has given them.