About the work
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Singspiel exists in two versions — the prose first version of 1776 and the verse version of 1788, which Goethe completely revised after his Italian journey. The verse version was set to music by Franz Schubert in 1815 (preserved only in fragments) and later by Johann Reichardt and Ignaz von Beecke.
Plot
At the castle Villa Bella, the young Claudine prepares her engagement to the noble Pedro. Pedro's brother Crugantino, however, has joined a band of robbers and appears unexpectedly, falls in love with Claudine's chambermaid Lucinde, and endangers the festivities. Through mistaken identities, aborted duels, and nocturnal pursuits the plot resolves itself. Crugantino returns repentant to society, and both couples find their happiness.
Cultural significance
Claudine von Villa Bella is Goethe's most successful Singspiel and shows his conscious engagement with Italian opera form. Franz Schubert's 1815 setting is preserved only as fragment — the second and third acts burned in an 1848 Viennese revolution. The surviving Schubert overture and the aria Cidli remain occasionally in the concert repertoire. Modern performances mostly use Reichardt's setting.