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La Finta Giardiniera

Mozart wrote the lovely Italian opera La Finta Giardiniera, or The Pretend Garden-Girl, when he was only 18. He converted it to German in 1780, and the original Italian score was only rediscovered in the 1970s. Violante Onesti and Count Belfiore were once lovers, until the Count stabbed Violante in a jealous rage. Violante and her servant Roberto now work in the gardens of Don Anchise, the Podestà, disguised as Sandrina and Nardo. Don Anchise is in love with Sandrina, and his niece Arminda is engaged to Count Belfiore. Ramiro is bitter, as is himself in love with Arminda, and Serpetta is jealous of Sandrina as wants the Podestà for herself, but rejects Nardo who is in turn in love with her. When Arminda tells Sandrina of her engagement to the Count, Sandrina faints, sowing suspicion in the mind of Don Anchise, and she awakes with Count Belfiore looking into her eyes. He has recognised her, but she does not reveal her identity. Arminda overhears Count Belfiore struggling with his reignited feelings for Violante, but still Sandrina does not drop her disguise. Not, at least, until the Count is to be tried for the murder of the Marchioness Violante Onesti, when Sandrina reveals herself to save him. Arminda arrives later with the news that Sandrina has run away, but she has in fact been kidnapped in jealousy by Arminda and Serpetta. After some confusion of misdirected advances in the dark, Belfiore and Sandrina lose their minds, believing themselves to be Medusa and Alcides and chasing the others away. When they come around, Violante professes she no longer loves the Count, but her resolution fails, and the two fall into each other's arms.