Casperl inherits money from his neighbor Frau Bas, who recently died: it's a fortune. He passes a miserable evening, tormented by the idea that people are plotting to steal his money. He even cries out about a fire. The next day, Grethel buys the latest style of toilet, hires a cook… Casperl goes out to drink at the tavern with his friend, the hunter Tomerl. However, when he returns, the notary Stahlfeder is there to announce to the cleaners that Madame Casperl's purchases and the settling of debts with the tavern have exhausted the fortune of Frau Bas—there is nearly nothing left. Casperl throws out the notary and police chief Schnuffler, who came with a fine for nighttime disturbances. He then scarfs down a plate of Knödel that his cook prepared while declaring that he doesn't need money as long as he keeps his good spirits.

String marionette

Young audiences

Pocci Franz von

Germany

Munich

Printed

Burial

Coffee

Inheritance

Grief

Beer

Wealth

Fear

Night

Paranoia

Conflagration

Fashion

Knödel

Comical

Satirical

Farcical

German

Zwischenspiel in zwei Abteilungen

Kasperl

Madame Kasperl

Thomerl

Hunter

Fireman

Notary

Police officer

Cook

Shopkeeper

Night watchman

Song

Parody of formal language

Off-stage voice

Chorus

Sung scenes

Brawl

Final song

Dance

Current affairs

Die Erbschaft

L'Héritage

Pulcinella calls Teresina, his fiancée. He has already talked with her father and brother, and now wants to plan their wedding, but Teresina admits that they need to solve one last problem. Before falling in love with Pulcinella, Teresina was engaged to Vincenzo Carnevale, who does not know that their love story has ended. Pulcinella agrees to talk to him. First, Pulcinella and Carnevale argue, and fight for Teresina’s love. Then, Pucinella explains to Carnevale that Teresina does not want to marry him anymore. Carnevale pretends to accept this, but decides to sabotage Pulcinella’s wedding. He dresses up as a woman and seduces Pulcinella. As a woman, Carnevale is very attractive and also charms a guappo, Gennarino Cataclisma. When Gennarino realises that Carnevale is a man, he kills him before being murdered by Pulcinella. Pulcinella, Teresina, and the other puppets grieve Carnevale and sing the traditional dirges (nenie) that are dedicated to him in Naples. In Hell, Carnevale meets Gennarino and the pair goes to honour their love. But first, Carnevale asks the devil Farfariello to sabotage Pulcinella and Teresina’s wedding. Farfariello asks his friend the rooster for help: he sends off his fiancée, the hen Cicerenella, to seduce Pulcinella. Pulcinella murders Cicerenella and makes a roast chicken out of her. The rooster seeks revenge. Farfariello curses Pulcinella: when he eats the chicken, he suffers from terrible abdominal pain. A doctor comes to help, misdiagnoses Pulcinella, and calls a midwife. Pulcinella gives birth to a large egg. As he is about to make an omelette with it, a little Pulcinella comes out of the egg, followed by four other Pulcinellini. Teresina, realising that Pulcinella birthed five children on his own, is overjoyed: she will not have to suffer. She is still determined to marry him. They both dance a final tarantella.

Glove-puppet

Marotte

Not specified

Leone Bruno

Italy

Naples

Gender

Wedding prevented

Birth

Seduction

Unfaithfulness

Neapolitan

Il parto di Pulcinella

Pulcinella

Teresina

Carnival

Thug

Old woman

Sculptor monk

Death

Devil

Cock, cockerel

Doctor

Midwife

Pulcinellino

Blow-with-a-stick

Nursery rhyme

Cross-dressing

Misunderstanding

Enchantment

Childbirth on stage

Multiplied characters

Egg eclosion

Storia di Carnevale

Story of Carnival, Pulcinella giving birth

Pulcinella plays a serenade for Teresina, but a dog intimidates him. Pulcinella tries to coax him, but the dog bites him. He calls for help. The dog’s master arrives, makes fun of Pulcinella and helps him free himself from the jaw of the dog. The master asks Pulcinella to pay him and they both begin to fight by striking each other with sticks. Pulcinella kills the dog’s master. A monk asks Pulcinella what he is doing; Pulcinella replies that he is taking a dead man to the cemetery. The monk wants to help Pulcinella bury the corpse, but he hits himself against the booth and dies. Pulcinella carries the two dead bodies and screams “o sapunaaar!” like a ragman in the street.