Note: On the surface Candide seems like a simple tale of adventure and woe. However, it is not. Almost every utterance refers to something in history or philosophy. Moreover, many of the events are lightly disguised reflections of something in Voltaire's own life. There is a multitude of characters, and the ideas come so fast that, on first hearing, the significance of many of them can be lost. The following detailed synopsis, with its many links to notes or other articles, attempts to cover most of this material for those who wish to explore all of the facets of this extraordinary work. A Brief Synopsis gives a quick summary of the main events.

Much of the action is narrated by Voltaire himself and by others. Several the characters are played by the same actor as the one who plays Voltaire. This may sound confusing, but it is all made clear by the action and costumes.

ACT I
The performance starts with the well-known Overture

Westphalia
The Castle of Thunder-ten-Tronck is the most imposing in Westphalia; it even has a door and windows! After an introductory chorus by peasants, Voltaire introduces the bastard orphan Candide who sings of his happiness in his situation (Life is Happiness Indeed). Paquette, the serving maid is introduced next, then Maximilian, the Baron's son, and Cunegonde his daughter. In a quartet, the four young people continue "Life is Happiness Indeed". They were taught to be happy by Dr. Pangloss a teacher of metaphysico-theologico-cosmolonigology. He explains his belief that, since this is the only possible world, it must be the best of all possible worlds, reflecting the optimistic philosophy of Leibnitz, Pope and others. He leads his students in singing a ‘proof' of this (The Best of All Possible Worlds), ending with Quod erat demonstratum (Q.E.D.) They continue by discussing the thesis that all things were created for a purpose, for example: noses were made to keep spectacles on and pigs were made to be eaten.

After making sure she has no fleas, Pangloss goes off with Paquette for a private ‘lesson' in ‘physics'. They are observed by the innocent Candide and Cunegonde who imitate them, starting with a kiss. He asks her to marry him, and they happily plan their future. He dreams of a little farm, with cows, chickens, dogs, children and growing old together; she imagines a life of luxury with gourmet food, jewels and parties. Each is oblivious to what the other is thinking. They are interrupted by Maximilian, and the Baron and Baroness. When Candide says they want to be married, the others are aghast. How can Cunegonde marry anyone without any quarterings. Candide is chased off with final kick from the Baron.

Candide wanders off musing that, although his world is now dust, Dr. Pangloss taught it must be good (It Must Be So). He falls asleep in a field. In the morning, two army officers find him, admire his physique, and offer to give him dinner at an inn. After all, men were made to help each other. They have him drink a toast to the King of the Bulgars and, before he knows it, he is in the Bulgar army, drilling and being subjected to repeated flogging. He decides to go for a walk and is caught and accused of desertion. Told to exercise his Free Will and choose between 36 beatings from each man in the regiment or 12 shots in the head, he chose beating. (Since there are 2,000 men in the regiment this would mean 72,000 strokes with whip!) The punishment begins, but soon the King comes by and pardons him. The King decides to make war on the Abars and choses Westphalia as the battlefield. It is a bloody conflict in which 6,000 men are killed on each side and 9,000-10,000 civilians. The Wesphalians kneel in prayer and sing "Sieg, Heil to our Westphalia". The chorus is interrupted by soldiers committing atrocities on the civilian population. Candide, who has hidden during the war, wanders in and finds the body of Cunegonde. He kisses her and continues his wandering. After several months, and almost starving, he meets James the Anabaptist and asks him what other worlds must be like if this is the best of all possible worlds. The kind James gives him two florins and leaves. A beggar with a tin nose and many sores enters asking for charity, and Candide gives him the two florins. Lo and behold it is Pangloss! His present state is because of love! He has contracted syphilis from Paquette. Still convinced that all is for the best, he tells his story. Just as honey comes from bees that sting, love was responsible for his sores (Dear Boy). Columbus brought syphilis to Europe, but if he had not discovered the Americas, we would not have chocolate to eat or tobacco to smoke.

Travel to Lisbon and Lisbon
James tells how he paid for Pangloss's cure, made him his bookkeeper and took him and Candide on a boat bound for Lisbon. While Pangloss continues to expound his philosophy, James disagrees: men have a corrupt nature; man, not God, invented the bayonet. However, Pangloss maintains that the more misfortune, the greater the general good. Suddenly, a vicious storm breaks, and a sailor is swept overboard. When James reaches out to help him the sailor pulls him down, then climbs on board himself. When Candide attempts to rescue James, Pangloss stops him, the sea was formed to drown the Anabaptist. The ship breaks in two, and all are drowned except for Candide, Pangloss and the sailor; they float to shore on a plank. Just then a nearby volcano erupts and the earthquake strikes.

Amidst the devastation in Lisbon, the sailor searches for loot, and Candide is trapped under rubble, but Pangloss stills thinks it must all be for the best. Two informers for the Inquisition overhear him and decide he must be guilty of heresy. After they free Candide he and Pangloss try to escape capture but are caught up in the crowd which is celebrating because there is going to be an auto-da-fé. The leaders hope this will prevent further disaster. Various vendors are trying to get people to buy their wares but they have no money (What a Day, What a Day). Pangloss pleads that he is too ill to die and tells the history of the syphilis which traveled from America to Paquette and thence to him (Oh, My Darling Paquette). It is in vain; he is taken to the gibbet. The auto-da-fé proceeds; while the crown prays for him,Candide is flogged, and Pangloss hanged. As the crowd rejoices at the death of Pangloss, Candide resumes his travels to a reprise of "It must be me". He still believes what his tutor had told him.

Paris
Meanwhile we learn that Cunegonde was not killed after all. She has made her way to Paris, is the wealthy mistress of both the Cardinal Archbishop of Paris and the rich Moor*, Don Issachar, and is accompanied by an Old Lady. (The Archbishop had tried to have Don Issachar, as a Moor, burnt at the stake, but he was spared because he was banker to the Vatican.) Couples are waltzing but soon exit, leaving Cundegonde alone with the Old Lady whom she tells of coming to Paris and of her life now (Glitter and Be Gay). Suddently Candide enters, and they joyfully greet each other (You Were Dead, You Know). They are interrupted by the arrival of Don Issachar who berates Cunegonde for taking still another lover and draws his sword. Candide" kills" him, then tells her of the death of Pangloss. She describes what happened to her after the war in Westphalia and how she met Don Issachar and the Archbishop. Just then the Churchman enters and condemns both young people to be burned at the stake. Candide says it is their Christian duty to submit, but he kills the Archbishop anyway. The Old Lady appears, sizes up the situation and, snatching all the jewels Cunegonde has been given, the three go to the stables to take horses to flee to Cadiz. The Old Lady tells the audience that the Archbishop was buried in the Cathedral while Don Issachar, because he was not a Catholic, was dropped into the sewer.

Cadiz
After an uneventful trip across the border to Spain, the travelers arrive at an inn in Cadiz. There the Old Lady tells how she, the daughter of a Pope came to her present unfortunate condition. (The Old Lady's Tale) Suddenly Cunegonde discovers they have been robbed of the gold and jewels. It must have been by the Franciscan who had shared the Old Lady's bed. She takes it upon herself to restore their fortunes (Tango: I Am Easily Assimilated). Afterward Candide is observed practicing swordplay by a half-caste from South America, Cacambo, who summons the Captain of a vessel about to sail to South America. When he learns that Candide was in the Bulgar army, he offers him the post of captain in the New World to help the government murder the Jesuits there and gives free passage to all to America where they hope to find the best of all posible worlds. In a final quartet Cunegonde, the Old Lady, Candide and the Captain sing of the coming adventure (Once Again We Must Be Gone).

ACT II
Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Eldorado and Surinam
During a ball at the Governor's mansion, an aide arrives with news that a new group of female slaves has arrived. Voltaire introduces the Governor, Don Fernando d'Ibaraa y Figueora y Mascarenes y Lampoudos y Souza, a vain man and an admirer of women. Among the slaves are Maximilian (in drag) and Paquette. The Governor passes over Paquette but takes fancy to the "girl" Maximilian. Just then, Candide, Cunegonde and the Old Lady arrive. Voltaire, who has been narrating, becomes Cacambo. The Governor's attention immediately turns to Cunegonde and, to separate her from Candide, directs him to review his soldiers. The Old Lady advises Cunegonde to stay with the Governor because they need the money he will give her. The Governor sings "My love", and she agrees to stay on condition he marry her. While the Governor is distracted, Maximilian quickly takes her place. The marriage ceremony starts, but the Governor discovers Maximilian is a man and orders him hanged. However, he is saved by Father Bernard who pays to take him to join the Jesuits. Just then Cacambo announces that a man has arrived with a warrant for Candide's arrest as the man who killed the Archbishop and Don Issachar and stole the jewelry . They escape leaving Cunegonde and the Old Lady behind.

Three years elapse. In spite of her pleas, the Governor still has not married Cunegonde, and he orders her to be quiet. Meanwhile, Candide and Cacambo have been wandering through the jungle. The young man has decided to join the Jesuits in Montevideo instead of fighting against them. As they arrive, an offstage chorus is singing an "Alleluia". They discover Spaniards are not welcome at the monastery but, when they announce Candide is German, all is fine because the Father Provincial is also German. Just then another Jesuit enters and greets Candide warmly. It is Paquette, there because some Jesuits prefer women. The Father Provincial arrives — he is Maximilian! When Candide tells him he means to make his fortune, free Cunegonde from the Governor, and marry her, Maximilian reacts in horror; Candide is a bastard without quarterings! Candide attacks Maximilian and, distraught because he thinks he has now killed three men, puts on Maximilian's Jesuit robes and escapes with Cacambo.

After wandering for a while, they sit down in a meadow to eat the provisions they have managed to steal from the Jesuits. They are seen by some Mump Indians who salivate at the sight of a Jesuit to eat. However, Cacambo speaks some of their language and manages to convince them Candide is not a Jesuit. He gives them the Jesuit robe instead. Candide refers to them as noble savages; he is convinced that Rousseau was right — unspoilt human nature is good. They wander on until, almost starving, they come to a great river. On the shore they find a boat, fill it with coconuts, and float off through a dark cavern. After 24 hours they come out into a country surrounded by unscalable mountains. It is Eldorado, where even the stones are jewels and the very soil is gold dust. Natives offer them a drink and refuse payment. There are no law courts and no prisons, and they worship one god, not three-in-one. Food and everything else is free and available to all. However, Candide and Cacambo wish to leave this Utopia, continue their travels, and find Cunegonde. The King offers to have his engineers build a machine to lift them over the mountains. They load some "red sheep" with gold and jewels and leave (Up a Seashell Mountain).

As they wander on, most of the sheep, with their loads, are lost; only two are left when they arrive in Surinam. There they meet the Dutchman, Verderdendur, who warns Candide that he is wanted in Buenos Aires and should not attempt to go there. Instead Cacambo is sent with one of the laden sheep to ransom Cunegonde and bring her to Venice. There they will meet again. Cacambo leaves and reemerges as an elderly academic, Martin, now making a living as a road sweeper. As they talk, they observe a poor slave who has lost a hand as punishment for losing a finger in the sugar-cane machine and a leg for an attempt to run away. Martin observes: "That is the price you pay to eat sugar in Europe". He warns Candide about Vanderdendur, but the ever-trusting young man pays the Dutchman an exorbitant amount for passage for himself and the remaining sheep on a frigate leaving shortly for Venice. The crafty Vanderdendur offers to take the sheep on board himself while his skiff takes Candide out to the frigate. The Chorus wishes all "Bon Voyage". The skiff is swamped by a huge wave; Martin is drowned, but Candide is picked up by a merchant ship. Vanderdendur's ship gets into a fight with another one, and both sink. He is drowned, but the sheep floats among the wreckage and is saved.

Travel to Venice and Venice
The merchant ship finally reaches Constantinople where Candide and the sheep board a galley (rowed by slaves), which is bound for Venice. Among the slaves is Pangloss who has survived his hanging, and Candide ransoms him. The scene changes to a casino in Venice where the chorus sings "Money, Money,Money". After everyone else leaves, a sailor gives Candide a letter from "Cunegonde", in which she says she is sick and the sailor will take him to her. They enter a dark room, and Candide gives the silent invalid some money for a doctor. She reacts with a cry of "Money". It is Paquette last seen as a "monk" in Montevideo. The Prefect of Police, actually Maximilian (another resurrection from the dead), orders Candide's arrest because he is a foreigner. He starts to request the usual bribe from someone arrested when Cacambo runs in. He has ransomed Cunegonde and the Old Lady and brought them to Venice. However, on the voyage they were attacked by pirates, and the women are now the slaves of the evil Prince Ragotski, the owner of the casino. Cunegonde is washing dishes in the Grand Canal.

The scene changes back to the casino where the richly garbed Old Lady and Cunegonde are being used by the Prince to lure gamblers to the tables (We Are Women). The Old Lady, Ragotski, Maximilian, a Crook and a Croupier sing about how money is passed from one to the other in the casino losses or in bribes. (What's the Use) When a masked Candide enters with his treasure-laden sheep, the also masked Old Lady is ordered to tell him her troubles and get money from him. (The Venice Gavotte: I've Got Troubles). He is about to give her money when a masked Cunegonde grabs the sheep and also sings of woe. Pangloss and Paquette emerge from the crowd. He has broken the bank and now all the women adore him. Suddenly all unmask and recognize each other. Finally Candide realizes that all his ideas of life were wrong (Nothing More Than This). They need to stop philosophizing and settle into the simple life of cultivating their garden. Voltaire tells the audience what happens to all of the characters as the chorus sings "Universal Good". Candide and Cunegonde marry; they now see each other are they really are but remain together. They have a house, Candide tends the garden, and Cunegonde becomes a baker. The Governor, Old Lady, Maximilian, Paquette and Voltaire emerge and sing:

Let dreamers dream what worlds they please;
Those Edens can't be found.
The sweetest flow'rs, the fairest trees
Are grown in solid ground.

We're neither pure nor wise not good;
We'll do the best we know.
We'll build our house and chop our wood,
And make our garden grow.

*In the original he is a Jew.

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Revised August 2008
Please credit Lyric Opera San Diego when using this material.