Die drei Pintos

The Bronx Opera will open its 2009-2010 Season with the first New York staged performances of "Die drei Pintos". The comic opera was left unfinished by Carl Maria von Weber at his death in 1826, and was finally completed in 1888 by Gustav Mahler.

Die drei Pintos has only been presented twice in the United States; this new performance will utilise the new scholarly edition of the score for the first time and present the opera in a new English version by Benjamin Spierman, who will also direct this production.

What is Die drei Pintos?

The story is a simple one, but appealing as a vehicle for singing. With the hand of Clarissa de Pacheco, one of the most attractive women in Madrid, promised to Don Pinto de Fonseca, the heir of a wealthy rural family, the prospect of marriage seems to preclude courtship. Yet when the adventurous young student Gaston realises the stakes, he assumes the identity of the yet unseen bridegroom. The idea is not lost on the woman’s beloved, Don Gomez, who also weighs the consequences of such a ruse, and soon the long-awaited Don Pinto arrives in no fewer than three guises.

Will Clarissa choose the heir, the lover, or the conniver? It is the substance of many comedies, and perfect for singing about love, romance, and intrigue...