The Spendthrift Miser
(L'avare fastueux)
Carlo Goldoni - 1776.
Comedy
Count Chateaudor,
a miser and parvenu, decides to marry Eléonore, whose mother is the practical,
wealthy Araminte. Eléonore is actually in love with Chevalier de Courbois,
the son of a penniless but blue-blooded marquis, to whose daughter the
snobbish count soon transfers his affections. Araminte, meanwhile, learns
that the count is giving a large dinner and, mistakenly thinking him
a wastral, decides against a possible marriage between him and Eléonore.
On the other hand, when the marquis learns that the count has refused
his horses oats, he decides against marrying his daughter to a miser.
The marquis offers to marry Araminte and to allow her to arrange his
disordered financial affairs, which were the sole obstacle to Eléonore's
marriage to the chevalier.