La buona figliuola, an opera buffa in three acts, was the operatic composition that catapulted Niccolo Piccinni to international fame. The libretto is based on the story from Samuel Richardson's novel Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded. Richardson's novel was very widely read and extremely popular in the eighteenth century, and was translated into many languages. Carlo Goldoni adapted it for the Italian stage and then transformed it into an opera buffa libretto. Goldoni's text was first set by the composer Egidio Duni in 1757. Duni's opera was not particularly successful, but Piccinni's version, with its sweet melodies, formal variety, effective orchestral writing, and energetic chain finales at the ends of acts, was a huge success. The libretto contains strong characterizations, vivid dramatic situations, sharp humor, and a smooth unfolding of the story. The opera's charming sentimentality captured the hearts of audiences. The premiere of the opera took place at the Teatro delle Dame in Rome, on February 6, 1760. The production was sung by an all-male cast, which must have added to the irony of the story. The opera was widely produced all over Europe throughout the rest of the century and became as popular as the original novel. Piccinni and Goldoni wrote a sequel to their opera, La buona figliuola maritata, which was not as successful.

© Rita Laurance, Rovi