Short Summary
The innocent village beauty Amina is accused by her fiancé Elvino and the entire village community of being unfaithful while sleepwalking.
Despite her protestations of innocence and the support of Count Rodolfo, who is in love with Amina, she is abandoned by Elvino. But the truth about Amina's innocence comes to light when she is seen sleepwalking on a rafter in the local mill house. Elvino realizes the error of his ways and rushes back to Amina to beg her to take him back.
La sonnambula
Storyline
Amina's upcoming wedding to Elvino is celebrated. Only Lisa, Elvino's former lover, is saddened and refuses to accept her new beau Alessio.
At the engagement ceremony, Elvino puts the ring of his recently deceased mother on Amina's finger. A stranger arrives - it is Count Rodolfo, who is actually from the area but is not recognized. Amina catches his eye and he compliments her, which arouses Elvino's jealousy.
Amina's foster mother Teresa breaks up the party by warning of a ghost that haunts the area at night. Amina appeases Elvino's jealousy. Lisa vies for the attention of the count, whose identity she has recognized. Then the sleepwalking Amina enters; in her dreams she longs for Elvino. The count has to force himself not to take advantage of the situation with the affectionate, half-dressed girl. Lisa, however, summons Elvino; when he finds Amina asleep and wrapped in Rodolfo's coat, the situation seems clear to him. Only Teresa comforts the abandoned and desperate Amina.
Elvino buries himself in his pain. Amina's protestations of innocence are in vain; Elvino takes the ring off her finger and breaks off the engagement.
Lisa already sees herself as Elvino's new fiancée. Rodolfo tries to correct the false suspicions: Amina is a sleepwalker who has brought no guilt upon herself. But Elvino is not convinced. When Teresa learns of his new marriage plans, she reveals the events she witnessed between Lisa and Rodolfo the previous night.
Elvino also sees himself betrayed by the "second bride". While Count Rodolfo tries to save the situation by protesting Amina's innocence, she appears again, sleepwalking. Seeing her in this state, Elvino understands how the ambiguous situation of the previous evening could have come about. He embraces her again as his bride and Amina sings of her happiness.
Director Marco Arturo Marelli lets the story of the sleepwalking Amina, who is suspected of infidelity by her fiancé, unfold in a magical mountain-inspired sanatorium world. He links the inner states of the characters with parallel weather capers, creating a multi-layered overall picture. Bellini's wondrous and enchanting melody paints a panopticon of emotional states, culminating in the coloratura-infused finale of the diva-like heroine.
