Fiordiligi and Dorabella eventually do fall for the Albanian soldiers. Meanwhile Alfonso is surely convinced that his plan is working so he goes to visit Despina when the others are off taking walks. Alfonso is visiting her to place yet another bet. His bet is that, the women will fall in love and eventually marry these men, and someday they will learn the truth about their identities and realize they have married their original lovers. And when this happens, both Ferrando and Guglielmo will stay with their cheating wives.
Despina doesn’t believe Alfonso and takes the bet. Everything goes as planned, a wedding takes place, and eventually the two men are caught in their lie.
Fiordiligi and Dorabella are beyond outraged and disgusted at this horrible truth, but at the same time they are happy to see them alive. They come to a decision to stay with these men whom they truly love no matter what their appearance.
Ferrando and Guglielmo return to Alfonso’s residence to collect their gold only to find that Alfonso is gone, along with his servants and Despina has gone missing too.
A letter has been left for them in the house. The contents of the letter basically state that this was all planned from the beginning and that while women are fickle, men are so very ignorant to stay with them after learning the truth of their ways.
The last scene of the opera is of Alfonso sitting with Despina at his side along with his servants in a small town in Italy. We see him conversing with two young soldiers drinking wine at a table. And as the curtains are lowered on the opera we hear Alfonso saying “I can guarantee they will fall for it, women are like that.”

04/01/2009

Posted on 04/01/2009
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