Les Fiançailles au Couvent

Act I
Seville in the 17th century during carnival. Wealthy Don Jerome and Mendoza the merchant prepare to take over fishing in the Guadalquivir. To strengthen their partnership Don Jerome arranges to marry his daughter to Mendoza despite his ugliness. As Mendoza does not know his betrothed, the father showers her with praise. Fully satisfied, the two graybeards leave each other at dusk. Ferdinand, Don Jerome’s son, goes to woo beautiful Clara under her window and comes across his friend Antonio. The impecunious gentleman is on his way to serenade his sister Louisa. Don Jerome catches them but three mocking masks enable the lover to escape. The father has but one obsession: marry his daughter as quick as possible so that he need not protect her virtue any longer.

Act II
Being shut away by her father, Louisa sets her hopes on her duenna who is eager to marry rich Mendoza. The marriage of Ferdinand’s sister makes him jealous like a Spaniard as he fears that Antonio courts… his Clara! The scheming duenna is dismissed by Don Jerome. She packs her things and Louisa steps out draped in her veil while the duenna disguises as a young lady. The next day at the market appears beautiful Clara in desperate straits. Running away from her parents, she cannot count on Ferdinand who wooed her too aggressively. She meets Louisa who is looking for shelter. They reach a bold decision: Clara flees to a convent disguised as Louisa while Louisa requests aid from Mendoza under the name of Clara. Mendoza gladly welcomes the false Clara who claims to be in search of Antonio, his rival in the heart of his betrothed. At Don Jerome’s house the duenna/Louisa puts on airs in order to be alone with her fiancé Mendoza. He thinks she is a far cry from Don Jerome’s flattering picture but the duenna wheedles him and asks him to abduct her by moonlight.

Act III
Back home, Mendoza brings Antonio to Louisa whom he mistakes for Clara. He is pleased to see his rival turn away from his betrothed and confides his plan of romantic flight to the delighted lovers. The next day, Don Jerome is surprised that his daughter elopes with the man he intended for her. Interrupted in his music playing, Don Jerome casually blesses both Mendoza’s messenger and his daughter’s. In the convent’s garden, Clara is expecting Ferdinand dressed as a novice. Louisa has rejoined her and waits for her father’s assent. As soon as she gets it, she runs to church with Antonio. Ferdinand appears, convinced that his lover is going away with a rival. His jealousy persuades Clara of his deep love.

Act IV
In a nearby monastery, drunken monks accept to marry the couple for a fee. At Don Jerome’s house, the wedding ball is about to commence as the three couples arrive. The graybeard resigns himself to blessing his partner and the duenna, his daughter and a poor gentleman, his son and a false nun. Youth and cheerfulness eventually triumph.