SORANZO

PLOT The Duke of Savoy was to marry Leonora, Princess of Milan; but with the death of her father, the Milanese feared falling under the dominion of Savoy and have tried to force her to marry her uncle instead. Rather than go to war, the Duke redirects his amorous attentions to Cleona, who is Savoy-born and so poses none of the problems of language and obedience associated with a foreign wife. Cleona has just lost another lover, Foscari, who was reported dead on a journey. In fact, he has returned with a new page, Dulcino, whom he rescued from the banditti. He sends Dulcino with a letter announcing his return. Cleona at once loses all interest in the Duke; but when Foscari learns that he is the Duke’s rival in love, he decides to bow out: Dulcino is sent back to make a false confession that the letter was a forgery and that Foscari is dead after all, clearing the way for the Duke’s suit and Cleona’s advancement. The Duke, however, finds himself unaccountably attracted to Dulcino. Foscari intends to become a monk, taking Dulcino with him. Dulcino does not share this ambition: ‘he’ is really Leonora, who fled Milan to escape the forced marriage. The monk sent to negotiate Foscari’s admission to the abbey turns out to be the one who also helped her to abscond, Valentino, and he promises to arrange matters. Meanwhile the Duke learns that Foscari is alive, but promises to keep it from Cleona until after the monastic initiation ceremony, which they are both to witness. In the event, however, Valentino slips the Duke a paper identifying Leonora. That not only debars her from joining the abbey but also puts an end to any interest the Duke may have in marrying Cleona; which means that Foscari in turn no longer needs to take himself out of the Duke’s way. Both couples can pair off as originally intended. In the sub-plot, the Duke’s brother Lodwick neglects his wife, and plans to give himself grounds for divorce by procuring his associate Piero to commit adultery with her; this will leave him free to marry Cleona. He then aims to succeed to the dukedom by inducing his brother to enter religion. His former governor, Grimundo, persuades him that he is himself a secret debauchee, and offers to arrange a garden assignation for him. His date introduces herself as the devil in sexy human form, which somewhat dampens his ardour. He rushes back, to find with relief that Piero’s attempted seduction has been unsuccessful, and resolves to become a more dutiful husband — even…