The regiment, as a
body, has the right of disposing of her hand in marriage, and when Tonio
presses his claim, which is not disallowed by the heroine, it is decided
that he shall be allowed to marry her if he will consent to join the
regiment. Everything goes well, when a local grandee in the shape of the
Marchioness Berkenfeld suddenly appears, identifies Marie as her niece
by means of a letter which was found upon her by the Sergeant, and
carries her off to her castle hard by, leaving the unfortunate Tonio to
the bitterest reflections. In the second act Marie is at the castle of
Berkenfeld though by no means at ease in her unaccustomed surroundings.
Her efforts to imbibe the principles of etiquette are pleasantly
interrupted by the unexpected arrival of the regiment, with Tonio now as
Colonel at its head. But even his promotion will not soften the
Marchioness's heart. She discloses the fact that she is in reality
Marie's mother, and adjures her by her filial respect to give up the
thought of her low-born lover. Marie consents in an agony of grief. The
lovers part with many tears, and at the psychological moment the
Marchioness relents, and all ends happily.
Even slighter in scope is 'Don Pasquale,' a brilliant trifle, written
for the Theatre des Italiens in Paris, and there sung for the first time
in 1843, by Grisi, Mario, Tamburini, and Lablache. The story turns upon
a trick played by Ernesto and Norina, two young lovers, upon the uncle
and guardian of the former, Don Pasquale.
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