XXVIII:7, is an opera buffa by Joseph Haydn with a libretto written by Carlo Goldoni in 1750, first performed at Eszterháza, Hungary, on 3 August 1777.
Time: early 18th century Place: near Florence A terrace in the house of the bogus astronomer Ecclitico; an observatory tower with a telescope.
Ecclitico explains to him that through his powerful telescope he will be able to see the Moon's transparent surface all the way through the houses and able to spy on ladies as they undress before going to bed.
In a more serious aria ("Begli occhi vezzosi"), Ernesto sings of Flaminia's eyes and awaits impatiently the moment in which the two of them will spend their lives together.
Cecco, for his part, is convinced that everyone's playing games and insistently points out the comic side of life.
A room in Buonafede's house The sisters Clarice and Flaminia dream of escaping their tyrannical father.
In a long aria, Flaminia recognises that even if reason is to dominate the soul, when love intervenes it takes control of everything.
Buonafede mocks Clarice's stubbornness but she answers back, threatening him that she will find a husband for herself if he is not capable of providing one for her.
Buonafede invites Lisetta (his daughters' maid) to share the wonders he has seen through the telescope, in an attempt to win her over.
[4] Critics have particularly praised the noble arias Haydn writes for his serious characters Flaminia and Ernesto and the evocative music for the flight to the Moon in act 1.
[4] The sinfonia and ballet interludes in act 2 create an imaginary world through off-stage horns and bassoons and string harmonics.
Conducted by Sergiu Comissiona it was performed in a staging by Etienne Glaser at Drottningholm in August 1969, with Margareta Hallin, Birgit Nordin as the daughters, Erik Saedén as Ernesto, Jonny Blanc as Ecclitico, and Claes-Håkan Ahnsjö as Cecco.
[11] Since December 2013 a production of this work has formed a part of the repertoire of the Moscow Chamber Musical Theatre named after Boris Pokrovsky.