Overview
Synopsis
Nino Rota’s one-act opera I due timidi (The two shy ones) is a comedy of two young people who, having seen each other from across the courtyard, have fallen madly in love and are desperate to find the courage to say ‘buongiorno’ to each other. When calamity befalls Raimondo, namely a window-shutter falling on his head and knocking him out, he feels the need to reveal his emotions to his beloved. In his delirium he confesses his love to his caregiver, but it is not his beloved Mariuccia as he supposes, rather the nasty hotel owner Signora Guidotti. She could never believe herself so lucky to have a young man like this fall in love with her, so she seizes the opportunity, claiming that he has changed her life forever and given her back her youth. In the apartment opposite, Mariuccia is so affected by seeing her darling Raimondo injured that she falls into a stupor and her mother calls for the doctor. Doctor Sinisgalli’s affection for Mariuccia is clear and he aids her tenderly. In a daze, and unaware of the Doctor’s presence, Mariuccia expresses her feelings for Raimondo and how she had hoped he would return to see her. The Doctor takes her words to be a reply to his proposal and Mariuccia’s mother returns to news of their engagement. Being too shy to explain their mistakes, Raimondo and Mariuccia go on to marry their new partners and forsake the love they had for each other from across the courtyard. Written by the composer of the famous ‘Speak Softly Love’, the theme to The Godfather movie, Nino Rota’s hilarious opera is a great work for an ensemble cast, with some truly beautiful operatic melodies woven into a contemporary sitcom-style environment.
Show Information
- Music
- Nino Rota
- Libretto
- Suso Cecchi d'Amico
- Category
- Opera
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 1
- First Produced
- 1950
- Genres
- Comedy
- Settings
- Unit/Single Set
- Time & Place
- Courtyard of an apartment building, Italy, 1940s
- Cast Size
- medium
- Orchestra Size
- Small
- Dancing
- Optional
- Licensor
- Ricordi/Casa Ricordi
- Ideal For
- Chamber Opera, College/University, Professional Opera, Mostly Female Cast, Includes Young Adult, Adult, Mature Adult, Elderly Characters, Medium Cast
Context
Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Bass |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Baritone, Bass |
|
|
Featured |
Either Gender |
Spoken |
Songs
Scene 1 Il cortile - bottega di calzolaio / The Courtyard - house of the shoemaker: ‘Le sette passate, finita e la pace' (Narrator)
Scene 2 Il cortile - mattina / The Courtyard - morning: ‘Buongiorno, buongiorno. Che freddo stamattina’ (Lucia, Maria, Lisa, Vittorio, Mariuccia, Raimondo)
Scene 3 Il cortile - bottega di calzolaio / The Courtyard - house of the shoemaker: ‘Raimondo Benetti ho fatto il suo ingresso…’ (Narrator, Signora Guidotti)
Scene 4 Interno Pensione Guidotti / Inside Hotel Guidotti:‘Vengo, ho capito!’ (Signora Guidotti, Raimondo, Un pensionante)
Scene 5 Il cortile / The Courtyard: ‘Lucia, oh dimmi sei stata su in terrazza?’ and ‘Si un po d’aria…’ (Lucia, Maria, Mariuccia, Raimondo)
Scene 6 Il cortile / The Courtyard: ‘Che e stato? Un ferito!’ (Mariuccia, Lucia, Maria, Lisa, Narrator, Signora Guidotti, Dottor Sinisgalli)
Scene 7 Camera di Mariuccia / Mariuccia’s room: ‘Oh, oh, e ferito…’ (Mariuccia, Madre di Mariuccia)
Scene 8 Camera di Raimondo / Raimondo’s room: ‘Dottore! Dottore!’ and ‘Amore, amore mio’ (Signora Guidotti, Dottor Sinisgalli, Raimondo, Madre di Mariuccia, Vittorio)
Scene 9 Camera di Mariuccia / Mariuccia’s room: ‘Dottore! Dottore ci aiuti!’,‘Mariuccia tesoro, cos’ha?’,‘Un anno pieno di speranze’, ‘Signora sua figlia non ha nulla’ (Madre di Mariuccia, Mariuccia, Dottor Sinisgalli)
Scene 10 Il cortile - bottega di calzolaio / The Courtyard - house of the shoemaker:‘Per tutto il giorno Mariuccia ha continuata a piangere’ (Narrator)
Scene 11 Camera di Raimondo / Raimondo’s room: 'Come stai? Hai dormito?' (Signora Guidotti, Raimondo)
Scene 12 Il cortile / The Courtyard:‘L’amore mio ci ha gli occhi belli’ (Lisa, Narrator, Maria, Lucia)
Scene 13 Le camera di Mariuccia e di Raimondo / Mariuccia’s room and Raimondo’s room: ‘E felice lei mentre io soffro’ ‘Un anno di sogni distrutti in un giorno’ (Narrator, Raimondo, Mariuccia)
Scene 14 Le scale / The Stairs: ‘Buona sera, che imprudenza!’ (Dottor Sinisgalli, Raimondo, Mariuccia, Signora Guidotti, Madre di Mariuccia, Narrator)
Scene 15 Il cortile - notte / The Courtyard - night: ‘Lucia, do mattina laviamo in fontana…’ (Lucia, Maria, Lisa)
Scene 16 Il cortile / The Courtyard: 'E dopo due anni’ (Narrator, Raimondo)
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
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Videos
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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Guide Written By:
Wendy Silvester
Singer and vocal coach based in the UK.