In Lo speziale (The Apothecary), the librettist Goldoni demonstrates his belief that ‘comedy was created to correct vice and ridicule bad behaviour’.  Haydn exploits the satire with characteristic wit and colour, and feasts on the comic potential of the four entangled characters.  Sempronio, a work-shy apothecary, spends his time with the newspapers, attempting to sift reality from fake news, but is readily distracted by the charms of his pretty ward Grilletta.  But her fluttering eyes are cast on his shy assistant, Mengone, a youth with little understanding of chemistry who somehow concocts a powerful laxative, to be praised in one of Haydn’s jauntiest arias.  Meanwhile Grilletta is also wooed by the foppish Volpino, whose mastery of disguise leads to a finale of delightful silliness. 

La canterina (The Diva - 15 June only) mocks a singer of great vanity but limited musical skill.  Although under the watchful and scornful eye of her chaperone-cum-PA Apollonia, Gasparina prefers to spend her precious practice time flirting with both her teacher Don Pelagio and a resourceful but thieving ‘gentleman’ Don Ettore.  Haydn’s music always sparkles and playfully breaks the rules, coaxing the listener into a surreal web of amorous intrigue.
 

Madeline Robinson Don Ettore
Iúnó Connolly Grilletta
Guy Beynon Sempronio
Henry Ross Volpone

Conducted by Mark Austin
Directed by Jeremy Gray

The Apothecary

Sempronio, a middle-aged and work-shy apothecary, is determined to marry his delectable ward Grilletta, chiefly on account of her attractive inheritance.   However, with two rivals, Mengone and Volpino, will he succeed?

Act 1
Whilst Sempronio keeps himself busy by catching up on the latest news in the papers, his apprentice Mengone, underpaid and overworked, gloomily reflects on his lot and his inability to marry the lovely Grilletta.  Unfortunately his work prospects don’t amount to much, as he knows remarkably little about chemistry.  Volpino, a foppish and wildly eligible young gentleman, enters with prescriptions as a ploy to see Grilletta: he hopes to keep Mengone safely out of the way, occupied mixing up the remedies.  Grilletta is sympathetic to Volpino’s infatuation but firmly rejects him.  Aware that this is because she loves Mengone, Volpino swears to use violence against his rival.  Mengone and Grilletta declare their mutual love, although Mengone is remarkably timid of the girl’s forward advances and is petrified lest he might lose his job.  At last embracing, Sempronio catches them, but they lie their way out of the situation, pretending that Mengone is feeling sickly and that Grilletta was checking his pulse.  Sempronio sets both to work, sifting powder and chopping herbs, whilst he avidly reads the latest news.  His fascination with world politics causes him to leave in search of map and compass – however on returning he again catches the couple in flagrante delicto, and angrily dismisses the girl to her room and Mengone out onto the streets.
 
Act 2
Volpino returns and requests Grilletta’s hand from Sempronio; firmly rejected, he taunts Sempronio with a made-up story about a tutor in France who wished to marry his pupil.  Sempronio only resolves more firmly to marry the girl, but is also suspicious about the propensity of pretty girls to flirt wildly.  Mengone and Grilletta manage to meet in secret, but the lad’s prevarication enrages the girl, especially when stupidly he pretends that flowers left for her by Volpino are actually from him.  She rows furiously and sends him away; fuming, she swears to be revenged by marrying the first person who asks her.  Since Sempronio overhears this, she walks into a trap: at first she goes along with Sempronio’s proposal, but suddenly realises she is caught when he tells her that he has already asked a notary to attend.  Volpino has caught wind of this, and so disguises himself as the notary.  Somehow Mengone independently has also discovered Sempronio’s plan and turns up in disguise as another notary.  There seems to be no escape for Grilletta.  Semponio dictates the marriage contract, including a careful clause by which her fortune will come to him.  However the ‘notaries’ write their own names into the contract.  Eventually the deception is discovered and both Sempronio and Grilletta are furious.

Act 3
Volpino doesn’t give up.  He visits Sempronio with a tempting story – the Sultan of Turkey is seeking a cargo of medicine to combat the plague (about which Sempronio had read in the papers – so it must be true): “the Grand Apothecary”, i.e. Sempronio, is clearly the man for this illustrious task.  Sempronio is beside himself with excitement, and no longer cares for Grilletta or her paltry wealth: in Turkey he will enjoy riches beyond compare!
Grilletta and Mengone patch things up and declare eternal love.
Volpino returns, disguised as a Turk.  Sempronio agrees that the visitor can marry Grilletta.  The ‘Turk’ further entices Sempronio with a mock oriental song “Salaam aleika, salaam Sempronio”.  Unwisely he leaves, at which point Mengone arrives – also disguised as a Turk; Grilletta is in on this plot.  Sempronio is now quite indifferent to whom Grilletta might be paired with, and so he blesses the marriage of the girl and this second ‘oriental’.  Volpino, still disguised, returns and is horrified to discover he has lost Grilletta. 
The deceits are revealed, and Sempronio’s and Volpino’s hopes are dashed.  “Our story is ended, least said, soonest mended.  As down comes the curtain, of one thing we’re certain, that love wins the day”.  Except, for the Apothecary, and for the Fop, it doesn’t….

La canterina
(June only)

The slight but deliciously tongue-in-cheek story is set in the rooms of Maestro Pelagio’s studios where he is housing the temperamental, manipulative and grasping young singer Gasparina (on whom he has designs), as well as her chaperone-cum-agent-cum-confidante Apollonia.  Gasparina unwisely receives visits from Don Ettore, a handsome boy prone to bringing her lavish jewellery and other gifts stolen from his mother.  Unfortunately Pelagio’s arrival to give Gasparina a singing lesson coincides with Ettore and quick thinking is need to pass the boy off as a linen draper bringing material for a new concert dress.  Pelagio presents his pupil with a new tragic aria, full of fashionable ‘Sturm und Drang’ and attempts to teach it to her, but eventually his lascivious desires get the better of him - perhaps just as well since Gasparina can barely manage a note of it.  After his departure, Ettore returns but is exposed by Pelagio who has crept back into the room.  Remembering that his lodgers owe both rent and payment for lessons, the furious Pelagio vows to evict them.  He finds the task quite difficult, however, and Gasparina makes the most of his wavering sympathy by playing the tragic outcast in a passionate C minor aria ‘Bereaved and abandoned’.  He relents and even offers to give her money and better lodgings.  Gasparina is greedy for even more and so causes his extreme alarm by fainting.  In a panic, Pelagio calls for Apollonia and Ettore.  The boy showers further diamonds on his beloved, Pelagio empties his purse and at the end the revived prima donna has got both the men just where she wants them.