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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.