Vicente Martín y Soler, Il burbero di buon cuore (1786)

Another Martín opera, another Da Ponte libretto--this time an opera buffa that's probably more the sort of thing you'd expect from him based on the Mozart stuff than L'arbore di Diana is.  

 Here's the plot: Angelica wants to marry her sweetheart Valerio.  But her brother Giocondo wants to send her to a convent (evidently he's her guardian since their father is dead and she's only sixteen, but it's not made totally clear).  He wants this because his wife Lucilla has incurred a shit-ton of debts and he doesn't want any more expense (though in the end, it turns out that it wasn't so much her being irresponsible as it was extremely poor communication about what their financial situation was like).  So she goes to her rich uncle Ferramondo for help--the burbero di buon cuore of the title (meaning something like "The Good-Hearted Grump").  He is what the title says he is.  He decides, okay, he'll find a husband for his niece.  It's really unclear why Valerio isn't just presented as her chosen suitor, but he's not, so he suggests his friend Dorval instead, who is of the unspeakably ancient age of forty.  Well, general hijinx ensue, as hijinx will, and in the end Ferramondo is prevailed upon to pay his nephew's debts as well as the dowry for his niece and her fiancé.  Everyone wins!  Oh, and there are also two comic-relief servants (wait, why does a comedy need comic relief?), Marina and Castagna.

Yeah, man.  What do you want me to say?  If you're thinking that I'll think this is great based on it having the same creative team as another opera I thought was great...well, you're right!  A winner is you!  The music here is hella fun, the story is good-natured and charming, and this particular production does it full justice; it's set in what appears to be a mid-century hotel lobby filled with faded elegance; it works quite well.  The whole cast is great (gawd, how many times have I said THAT?).  Not sure I'd ever before seen Carlos Chausson, in the title role, but he's very winning.  Also featuring Veronique Gens (as Lucilla) and Luca Pisaroni (as Dorval), who are in everything, for good reason.  Cecilla Diaz also stands out as Marina; she has a very good chemistry with Ferramondo.

Alas, this is the only other Martín opera available.  It's kind of amazing how cavalierly we cast aside so much great music.  I guess I can't really blame anyone; obviously this stuff is not as popular as it once was.  My appetite, however, is boundless, and Martín rulez, so gimme more!