Micaele Sparacino General Director

The story of La Sonnambula

Act I

Set in a Swiss village in the early 1800s, Bellini's La Sonnambula (The Sleepwalker) follows intrigues surrounding the engagement of the lovely, orphaned Amina to the handsome Elvino, a wealthy young landowner.

All are happy about the engagement save Lisa, the spurned former lover of Elvino. She is courted by the persistent Alessio, a local country boy, but she
spurns his attentions.

A stranger, Rodolfo, enters the village. Rodolfo had been spirited away from the castle as a youth and was the missing heir to a local Count's estate, but he prefers to keep his identity a secret. Count Rodolfo is also quite taken with Amina, and the attention he pays to her provokes jealousy in Elvino.

With darkness encroaching, the assembled townpeople disperse to avoid a phantom rumored to walk the area at night. A ghostly apparition has been seen in a long, white, flowing robe, with arms outstretched, walking in the moonlight.

Lisa brazenly follows Rodolfo to his room, having guessed his true identity, and the two engage in flirtation. Their tête-à-tête is noticed by Teresa, Amina's foster mother and the owner of the old mill. She sees them leave together and follows them to see where they go.

Their rendezvous is soon interrupted however by the apparition. It is Amina. She is in a deep trance — walking in her sleep. In this dreamlike state she sings a sweet duet with the Count. She dreams she is at the wedding altar with Elvino. She soon returns to a deep sleep, reclining on the Count’s bed.

Lisa, upon seeing all this, quickly fetches Elvino. He immediately arrives with all of the townfolk. Amina awakens but does not understand why she is there. Outraged and shocked, Elvino and the crowd accept Amina's presence in another man's room as proof of infidelity. Elvino breaks off their engagement. Amina is heartbroken. Lisa is triumphant.

Act II

Rodolfo tries to clear Amina's name by explaining to everyone that Amina
has episodes of wandering in her sleep. His declaration of her innocence falls on deaf ears. It appears Lisa will have Elvino as her groom, as she wished.

However, Teresa tells Elvino what she witnessed between Rodolfo and Lisa, and Elvino quickly abandons Lisa as well.

Amina's honor is cleared when Elvino and the entire village witness her sleepwalking perilously across the teetering plank bridge of an old mill — a somnaubulistic "mad scene" that is the opera's most famous moment.

Amina sings her famous aria, “Ah! Non credea mirarti” Miraculously, she survives her walk across the plank. Realizing his error with great relief, Elvino reunites with Amina.

Awakened from her dreaming, Amina has had her reputation, her sanity and her lover restored. Rejoicing ensues. She celebrates in her famous aria, the dazzling coloratura finale, “Ah! Non giunge!” A happier ending with such extravagant singing could be found only in operetta!

—Micaele Sparacino