Synopsis

ACT ONE
The village square.

The whole village is celebrating the marriage of Amina, the adopted daughter of the miller Teresa, with the rich landowner Elvino. Only Lisa, the inn’s owner, doesn’t share the general joy: in fact, she hoped to be herself Elvino’s lucky bride and answers back badly to Alessio’s compliments. The villagers are crowding the square and joyfully welcome Amina, who’s entering with Teresa. The girl, moved to tears, thanks them for their display of love; the Notary arrives, slightly preceding Elvino. In front of the witnesses and the Notary, Elvino gives to Amina the ring that belonged to his mother and offers her a bunch of flowers. Then he invites all those who are present to the party that will take place the next morning in his farm, after the religious ceremony. A horse pawing is heard and the attention is drawn by the arrival of a stranger. It’s Count Rodolfo, son of the late Lord of the village, who’s returning home after many years; nobody recognizes him. He decides to spend the night in the village, since he prefers not to climb at night the slope leading to the Castle; Lisa offers him lodging in her inn. The Count is deeply moved by seeing the places where he has spent his childhood; everything looks beautiful, Amina’s grace enchants him and she addresses him kind compliments. In the meanwhile, nightfall has come and people are quite eager to go back home. The stranger asks why they are in such a hurry: they answer that the village is visited by a ghost. The Count thinks that this is a fool superstition and follows Lisa to the guesthouse, while the other villagers go away. Amina keeps Elvino, who is a little bit jealous of the stranger’s attention for his fiancée. But the girl reassures him and so they part in tenderness.
A room in the inn. Lisa comes in and asks the Count whether he’s satisfied of the room: the Mayor has revealed the traveller’s identity and so Lisa is very happy to have him as her guest. Rodolfo is happy, too, for having decided to stay in the inn and lets himself take liberties with the beautiful innkeeper, who does not reject him. A noise scares Lisa: she hides in the next room letting fall down a handkerchief. Amina enters from the window, in a white nightdress: she’s a sleepwalker, she talks in sleep and thinks of being with Elvino. Rodolfo is not sure whether to wake her up or not; at fi rst he’s tempted to avail himself of the opportunity, but then he’s touched by the girl’s perfect innocence and, to avoid compromising her, goes out of the window. Amina lays down on a couch and continues to sleep. Lisa, having seen Amina, rushes to inform Elvino. In the meanwhile, the Mayor, Alessio and a group of peasants, who have come to greet the Count, fi nd Amina asleep in his room and also Elvino, rushing in together with Lisa, is sure of the girl’s infidelity. Hearing all that noise she wakes up, astonished and accused by all of them. Protesting her innocence and in tears, she seeks comfort in Teresa, who puts on her shoulders the handkerchief lost by Lisa and then leads her away.

ACT TWO
A shady valley between the village and the castle.

A group of peasants is going to the Castle to ask the Count to convince Elvino of Amina’s innocence, if this is true, or, in any case, to fulfil his duty with the girl. Even Teresa wishes to take Amina to the Count to have his vindication but, as they see Elvino, the two women stop and face him, trying in vain to persuade him of Amina’s innocence. Elvino can’t calm down and gets even more indignant when the peasants come back from the Castle announcing that the Count is coming himself to reassure him. He refuses to meet him and he goes away in despair. The village square. Alessio confesses to Lisa his true affection and advises her not to trust in Elvino, who’s decided to merry her only out of spite. But Lisa is very happy of having won back Elvino and treats Alessio with despite, as she receives the congratulations of the villagers. Elvino, sure of Amina’s infidelity, is willing to celebrate the wedding with Lisa at once, but is held back by Rodolfo, who tells him how Amina entered his room in sleep, without realizing it. Nobody believes him. Teresa comes out from the mill begging them to keep silent since, after all those tears, Amina has at last fallen asleep. Seeing Elvino and Lisa going straight to the church, Teresa shows to all of them the handkerchief that Lisa has lost in the Count’s room. Lisa gets ashamed; the Count doesn’t want to make any comment, but confirms to Elvino that Amina is innocent. And this time they must all believe him: Amina gets out of a window and walks on the mill roof. Everybody is breathless and scared of seeing her falling down, but slowly the girl gets down and reaches the middle of the square. She talks to Elvino in dream, she kneels down and prays Heaven to make him happy with his bride and, crying, she kisses the bunch of fl owers that he had given to her. Deeply moved and persuaded, Elvino gets near Amina and puts the ring on her finger again. As she wakes up, Amina finds herself between Teresa and Elvino that are holding her. Everybody cheers up and celebrates the married couple.