Duenna, The

Opera by Thomas Linley, father and son (libretto by Richard Brinsley Sheridan), first produced at Covent Garden, London, England, on 21 November 1775. Sheridan was the son-in-law of Linley senior.

It is also the title of an opera by Roberto Gerhard (libretto by composer and C Hassall after Sheridan), first performed by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and broadcast on 23 February 1949; it had its stage premiere in Madrid, Spain, on 21 January 1992. In the story, Luisa is inclined to Antonio but must marry Isaac Mendoza. After mistaken identities and twists in the plot, the opera ends with a triple wedding: Luisa marries Antonio, Luisa's brother Ferdinand marries Clara, and Isaac Mendoza marries Margaret, Luisa's duenna. See also Betrothal in a Monastery.