or El Burlador de Caras Galadon

ACT I
Scene 1: Outside the house of Celeborno, the commandant of Caras Galadon.

Legolello, the lecherous Don Gimli's servant, keeps a lookout while Gimli is inside courting  the fair Galadriella, wife of Don Celeborno. Suddenly, the door is thrust open, and out rushes Gimli (bass), pursued by Galadriella (soprano), who cannot bear to be parted from her amorato. Gimli gives in to Galadriella's entreaties and is kissing her when Celeborno (castrato) turns up. Celeborno squeaks the famous "Io son disonorato!" aria and then draws his rapier against Gimli. Gimli, however, knocks him out cold with his cudgel and escapes.

Scene 2: A street, early in the morning.

Don Gimli is in a good mood, but Legolello upbraids him for his loose living. Then they hear somebody coming and hide. It is a veiled lady who appears to be quite disconsolate. Gimli is at once willing to console her but discovers that she is one of his former mistresses, Donna Finduilas, whom he left after three days. She reproaches him vehemently, but Gimli defends himself and claims that he was suddenly summoned to the office. Weeping, Donna Finduilas turns to Legolello and Gimli escapes. Legolello sings the well-known list of all Gimli's conquests:

Donna Finduilas is so shaken by this revelation that Legolello manages to escape as well.

Scene 3: Outside an inn.

Gimli is chatting up an Elvish peasant girl, twirling his beard, when two Elves, Don Haldiro and Don Rumilio (baritones), approach him and ask him to assist them in catching the insolent person who knocked the commandant unconscious. Gimli plays helpful and asks what the housewrecker looks like. Haldiro and Rumilio, who like all people in operas are absolutely clueless, tell him that he is a Dwarf of a most villainous and lecherous aspect. Gimli agrees that Dwarves are terrible ladykillers and sings the famous "Cherry Aria" (banned in Boston).

    Dwarves are never out of luck,
    never go without a... [censored]

and so on.
  Then they walk into the inn to drink to their friendship.

ACT II
Scene 1: The street outside the commandant's house.

Arm in arm, Gimli and his newfound friends reel up to the house. Haldiro and Rumilio stagger inside to fetch Don Celeborno. Galadriella looks out and perceives Gimli. Blind with infatuation, she rushes out, sweeps up Gimli and covers his face with kisses. Still holding Gimli, she then sings a torrid tune (inspired by Wood-elvish folk songs) called "My Heart Belongs to Gimli". Don Celeborno and his friends come out. When Celeborno recognizes Gimli, he is filled with wrath and draws against him, but Gimli knocks him cold and escapes.

Scene 2: The street outside the commandant's house.

Early the next morning. Galadriella opens the door and furtively kisses seven Dwarves good-bye. Celeborno turns up with his friends and tries to sing a furious aria, but his squeaky tones make everybody stop their ears. Suddenly, Gimli turns up and knocks him stone cold. When the terrible singing stops, everybody applauds, even Don Haldiro and Don Rumilio. Before their ears have recovered, the Dwarves scatter in all directions. Gimli strolls off with a wink at Galadriella.

Scene 3: The street outside the commandant's house.

Early the following morning. Galadriella opens the door and furtively says good-bye to thirteen Dwarves, a wizard and a strange little fellow with furry feet. Don Celeborno comes out of the house after them with his friends, but when he fills his chest to sing, Haldiro and Rumilio run away. Gimli turns up and knocks Don Celeborno cold. The others sing a merry country song, but when they hear the city guard approach, they change their tune and sing:

They all run off, except Galadriella who sadly walks back into the house.

ACT III
Scene 1: The street outside the commandant's house

Gimli turns up and starts to sing a love aria to Galadriella. She throws open a window on the second stair and joins the song. Their beautiful duet, "These Lips Were Made For Kissing", is interrupted by Don Celeborno, but when he opens his mouth to sing, Gimli knocks him stone dead. Then he and Galadriella run off together, hand in hand, singing: "Tra-la-lally!" 

Scene 2: The churchyard

Gimli is drunk. On his way home, he takes a shortcut through the churchyard. He passes Don Celeborno's grave and mocks the stone effigy of the commandant, inviting him to his home for dinner that evening. To his amazement, the statue answers and promises to come. Gimli is aghast. He looks at his wine bottle, throws it away and sings a mournful song in which he promises to become a sober, hard-working Dwarf and a model husband for Galadriella. Then he walks home, quite steadily.

Scene 3: Gimli's home.

Galadriella makes a dreadful discovery. On hearing Gimli and Legolello sing a comical but loving song called "You say MORAYA and I say MOREEA", she realizes that Legolello is a disguised girl and furthermore pregnant by Gimli. She boots out Legolella, to give the servant lass her proper name, and promises to tear out Gimli's beard by the roots if he ever, ever looks at another woman again. Cowed, Gimli promises to obey in "The Henpecked Husband's Song", including the famous lines:

Then the couple have a reconciliation, singing the beautiful "Springtime " duet:

    O spring-time all went to my head!
    And now to test the springs in our bed!

Galadriella lifts up Gimli and carries him upstairs. A light is lit behind a window upstairs. There is a woman's delighted squeal and the light goes out. A little later, the stone guest arrives and knocks on the door. No reaction. He knocks again. No reaction. Motionless, he waits. Then he sags and slouches away.

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