Act I - At Mustafa’s palace

 

Mustafa’s faithful wife Elvira is depressed that her husband does not love her anymore.  Mustafa bursts into the room and asserts that women will not get the better of him.  He sends Elvira away as she complains.  Tired of his wife, Mustafa decides to give her away to Lindoro, a young Italian at the court.  He orders Haly to find an Italian woman for him because all the women in his harem are boring him.  Lindoro misses his lost love, Isabella, and is unimpressed by Mustafa’s scheme to get rid of his wife. 

 

By chance, the Italian girl Isabella survives a plane crash in Algiers while searching for her fiancé Lindoro.  Captured by Haly’s men who comment on Mustafa’s good fortune, Isabella and her admirer Taddeo are taken prisoner.  Isabella is confident she can outwit them and escape. 

 

Back at the palace, Lindoro refuses to marry Elvira, but Mustafa promises that Lindoro may return home only if he takes her with him.  Lindoro accepts, on the condition that he won’t marry Elvira until they reach Italy.  Lindoro comforts Elvira with the guarantee of better men than Mustafa in Italy; however, she loves her husband and sees no benefit in helping Lindoro escape from Algiers. 

 

In the main palace hall, Mustafa welcomes Isabella and finds her enchanting.  She is amused by his ridiculous appearance and feels certain that she will be able to deceive him and escape.  Elvira and Lindoro enter to bid farewell to Mustafa on their way to Italy, and Lindoro and Isabella are stunned to recognize each other.  To stop Lindoro from leaving, Isabella persuades Mustafa to keep Elvira at the palace and to make Lindoro her personal servant. 

 

Elvira and the court are amused by how gullible Mustafa is to the requests of this new Italian woman.  Taking mental notes on Isabella’s techniques, Elvira gains hope that she can reawaken his love for her. 

 

Mustafa enters to be alone with Isabella for coffee, but is turned away when she comes out of her room upset.  She is distressed, believing that Lindoro broke their engagement by agreeing to escape with Elvira.  Lindoro comforts her and explains to her his intentions while they devise a scheme to escape. 

 

Mustafa appoints Taddeo as his bodyguard, hoping he can help secure Isabella’s affection for him.  As Isabella prepares for Mustafa’s second attempt at a one-on-one visit, she advises Elvira to be more assertive with her husband so he will stay with her.  Isabella keeps Mustafa waiting, using Lindoro as a go-between while she is getting ready.   When he is finally allowed to arrive for coffee, Mustafa sneezes, a signal to Taddeo to leave, but Taddeo stays.  Isabella invites Elvira to stay, which greatly displeases Mustafa. 

 

Later, while Lindoro and Taddeo are discussing the recent events and plans for an escape, Taddeo confesses that Isabella is his true love.  Lindoro is amused by Taddeo’s ridiculous confession and is not threatened.  He chooses to keep Taddeo close to help him deal with Mustafa. 

 

Lindoro convinces Mustafa that Isabella cares for him and that she wants him to prove his worth by entering the “Italian order of the Pappataci.”  This order requires the man to eat, be silent and ignore his surroundings, implying an obedient husband.  Mustafa agrees to go through the test, believing this will impress Isabella.  Food is brought into the ceremony and the testing for the “Pappataci” begins.  Isabella and Lindoro pretend to make love while Mustafa must ignore them.  A plane is waiting in the background as the lovers move to escape.  Taddeo realizes they are being fooled and tries to convince Mustafa, but he doesn’t flinch in order to keep his vow to the rules of the order.  When Mustafa finally realizes he is being tricked, he renounces all Italian women and asks Elvira to forgive him.  Everyone praises the resourceful Italian woman.