In 1821, Theodor Hell developed a drama called The Battle for the Bride, with a story taken from the novel Der Brautkampf (1819) by Carl Seidel [de].

Weber's bereaved family made a number of unsuccessful attempts to have Die drei Pintos completed, but eventually his widow Caroline took the draft to Giacomo Meyerbeer, a composer, and friend of Theodor Hell.

Now Don Pinto de Fonseca, a foolish country squire, appears; he is also on his way to Madrid, to marry Donna Clarissa.

Gaston proceeds to teach him all the arts of the fiery lover – his servant Ambrosio having to play the part of the bride.

In the general joy which ensues, nobody notices Clarissa's despair: she loves Don Gomez de Freiros, and wants to marry no other.

The false Pinto (Gaston) insists upon the rights of the stolen letter with its promise of marriage, and challenges Clarissa's lover (Gomez) to a duel.

Nobody believes his assurances that he is Don Pinto de Fonseca, and when he tries to show his bride the art of wooing learned from the student Gaston, he is ridiculed.

Don Pinto is thrown out, Gaston and Ambrosio are satisfied with the outcome of their adventure, and nothing now stands in the way of the marriage between Clarissa and Gomez.

There was a production at the John Lewis Theatre in London on 10 April 1962, which claimed to be the first in England,[2] and a concert performance at the Edinburgh International Festival in 1976.

In January 1998, seven fully staged performances in a new production conducted by Geoffrey Moull were given by the Bielefeld Opera in Germany.

A concert performance of Zychowicz's edition of the opera was conducted by Leon Botstein at the Bard Music Festival in Fall 2002.