from Act II of the Italian opera La Finta Giardiniera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Ranieri Calzabigi

Role: Serpetta, maid of the Podestà, in love with him

Voice Part: soprano       Fach: soubrette

Setting: a hall in Anchises's palace

Synopsis: Serpetta tells Roberto in this aria that he should not push her so much into loving her. She knows that she should be sincere and cheerful but that doesn't work today with men. The only thing to do is to pretend to be shy and make excuses to make the men long for you. She then finishes the aria by saying that she learned this tactic from her mother.