La gazza ladra

STORY

Act 1

At Fabrizio Vingradito’s estate in a village near Paris, a banquet is being prepared for his son Giannetto, who is returning from the war. A magpie teases the servant Pippo*. Fabrizio and his wife Lucia argue over who is to arrange Giannetto’s marriage: to Fabrizio’s delight and Lucia’s annoyance, the magpie caws the name of the maid ‘Ninetta’. As the servants take their leave, Lucia laments the loss of a silver fork, which she blames on Ninetta’s carelessness.

Meanwhile, Ninetta returns from picking strawberries, eagerly awaiting Giannetto’s arrival. When Giannetto finally arrives, he takes Ninetta in his arms. Then the celebration begins with a drinking song (Brindisi) sung by Pippo. After the villagers and the Vingradito family have left, Ninetta carefully checks the cutlery. Just then, a ragged soldier approaches: it is Ninetta’s father, Fernando Villabella, who has enlisted in the army due to financial setbacks. Following a violent row the previous day with a superior over a day’s leave to visit his daughter, he was sentenced to death and has deserted. The mayor (Podestà) is preparing for a ‘chance’ rendezvous with Ninetta, knowing that she is alone. When he turns up at the house, Fernando, at Ninetta’s request, pretends to be an exhausted traveller fast asleep. The Podestà becomes forward, when his servant Giorgio arrives and delivers a letter. Whilst the Podestà is supposedly trying in vain to read the letter – having forgotten his spectacles – Fernando secretly hands over the remainder of his possessions to his daughter: a silver spoon and a fork, so that she can sell them and hide the money in a tree to aid his escape. 

The Podestà has Ninetta read the letter aloud and revelles in her humiliation. To her horror, she realises that it is the wanted poster for her father. She quickly alters the description of the wanted man so that no suspicion falls on Fernando. Whilst a fierce argument breaks out between the overbearing Podestà, Ninetta and Fernando, the magpie steals a spoon unnoticed and flies off. Furious, the Podestà storms off. Ninetta sends Pippo away and sells her father’s cutlery to the grocer Isacco, whom Pippo cannot stand. The Podestà has met with the parents and Giannetto and now returns to take his revenge on Ninetta. Even before Ninetta can get rid of the money, Lucia notices the spoon is missing. The Podestà turns the loss into a ‘case’ and asks for suspects. The magpie calls out Ninetta’s name, which is reason enough to interrogate the accused, with Lucia’s assistance, despite the protests of Fabrizio and his son. To everyone’s horror, the Podestà points out that the law punishes theft by domestic servants with death.  When it transpires that Ninetta is the daughter of Fernando, who is wanted by the police; money falls out of her bag; and Isacco, who has been summoned, explains that she sold him silver cutlery bearing the monogram ‘FV’, the chain of evidence seems complete, despite all Ninetta’s protests of innocence. The Podestà has the maid thrown into prison.

Act 2

In desperation, Ninetta begs the jailer, Antonio, to let Pippo in. Just then, Giannetto knocks on the door. Antonio hesitantly lets him in, and Giannetto, after initially reproaching her, assures Ninetta – who once again protests her innocence – of his love. The Podestà approaches, and Antonio urges Giannetto to leave.
The Podestà tries to take advantage of Ninetta’s plight. She refuses to yield to him and demands full vindication. He is summoned to trial by the villagers.
Pippo appears and Ninetta asks him to lend her money so that she can secretly slip it into the agreed so that he can secretly place it in the agreed hiding place. She wants to give him her most precious possession, a necklace with a cross.

Lucia reflects on Ninetta’s guilt; the situation works in her favour. Fernando learns from Lucia that his daughter is accused of theft; he is prepared to turn himself in to save her.

The prefect and the judges solemnly proclaim the inexorability of justice.
Following the jury’s secret deliberation, the prefect reads out the unanimous death sentence. Giannetto’s protests are of no avail, nor is Fernando’s sudden burst into the room; he is immediately recognised by the podestà as the wanted deserter and is also imprisoned.

Pippo is counting his remaining cash when suddenly the magpie appears, snatches a coin from him and flies off to a bell tower.
Ninetta is escorted by the villagers in a funeral procession to her execution. Meanwhile, Pippo and Antonio have followed the magpie and find in its nest not only the coin but also the silver cutlery that was thought to have been stolen. They announce Ninetta’s innocence by ringing the alarm bell. Everyone rushes over. Shots are heard from the place of execution, and the Podestà and Lucia collapse in remorse.

But the noise turns out to be a salute of joy for Ninetta’s release. Lucia reunites the bride and groom and asks for forgiveness. Fernando has, in the meantime, received the King’s pardon, which his friend Ernesto brought him. Everyone, except the Podestà, rejoices at this happy turn of events.

* The personalities of Pippo and Cecco are in the Naples 1819/20 version divided until the cavatina of Pippo (N.5) when Cecco disappears. This is only to make the aria a real cavatina, but has no sense dramaturgically and was eliminated in the Wildbad version as well as some minor roles, which can be combined with others.