Crispino e la Comare — (The Cobbler and the Fairy)
Opera “Bouffe” in three acts by Luigi and Federico Ricci; text by Francesco Maria Piave. Produced, Venice, 1850.
Characters
| Crispino, a cobbler | Baritone |
| Annetta, his wife, a ballad singer | Soprano |
| Count del Fiore | Tenor |
| Fabrizio, a physician | Bass |
| Mirabolano, an apothecary | Tenor |
| Don Asdrubale, a miser | Bass |
| La Comare, a fairy | Mezzo-Soprano |
| Bortolo, a mason | Bass |
| Lisetta, ward of Don Asdrubale | Soprano |
Doctors, Scholars, Citizens.
Place—Venice.
Time—Seventeenth Century.
Act I. Crispino, the cobbler, and Annetta, his wife, the ballad singer, are in sore straits. Don Asdrubale, their landlord, who is a miser, is about to put them out for non-payment of rent, but hints that if Annetta will respond to his suit he may reconsider. Crispino, in desperation, runs away, and is followed by Annetta. He is about to drown himself in a well when a fairy appears to him. She predicts that he will be a famous doctor. Crispino and Annetta rejoice.
Act II. Crispino nails up a physician’s sign. The neighbours rail, but soon a mason is brought in severely hurt, and, though the doctors fail to bring him around, Crispino cures him.
Act III. Crispino, overbearing since his good fortune, has built a fine house. He ignores former friends and even is unkind to Annetta. He even berates the Fairy. Suddenly he is in a cavern. The Fairy’s head has turned into a skull. She has become Death. Humbled, he begs for another glimpse of Annetta and the children. He awakes to find himself with them and to hear a joyous song from Annetta.