Opera Books
TWO HUNDRED
OPERA PLOTS
GLADYS DAVIDSON
151. — THE QUEEN’S LACE HANDKERCHIEF
Opera
Comique in Three Acts
By Johann Strauss
Libretto
By Genée and Bohrrnann-Reign
First
Produced
Vienna, October, 1880
Chief
Characters
The Queen of Portugal, Irene, King of Spain, Cervantes, The Prime
Minister, Sancho
THE scene is laid in Portugal during the sixteenth century. The Prime Minister has gained great influence and power, and being in league with Philip II of Spain endeavours to retain his almost autocratic ascendancy by stirring up squabbles and jealousies between the young King and Queen, enticing the former to indulge in many amours and intrigues. The poet, Cervantes, having been banished from Spain, is at this time at the Court of Portugal, where he has been appointed Reader to the Queen, and where he falls in love with Irene, a Waiting-Lady. The Queen being young and fond of seeking admiration shows great favour to Cervantes, and even goes so far as to write a sentimental love message upon her lace-trimmed handkerchief, which she places in his book, “ Don Quixote,” hoping he will see and read it. The book, however, is found by the Prime Minister, who, regarding the characters in the story as drawn from existing ministers, causes Cervantes, whom he distrusts, to be arrested for libel. Irene implores the King — who has been showing her considerable attention — to save her sweetheart; and the two, by proving him to have been mad when he wrote the book, secure his release. The Prime Minister, however, now produces the lace handkerchief, with the Queen’s foolish message on it; and this leads to the Queen being sent to a convent and to Cervantes being once more arrested. The latter makes his escape, however, and throws in his lot with a party of brigands, whom he persuades to kidnap the Queen as she is being conducted to the convent. Cervantes leads the Queen to a country inn, where they persuade the landlord to allow them to masquerade as the host and waiting-maid, having heard that the King is expected to call there after a hunting expedition; and when the young monarch appears they both serve him. They soon make themselves known to him, and then proceed to explain matters, and make him see that no dishonour has been offered to him. The Queen, now ashamed of her indiscretion and sentimentality, leads her royal husband to suppose that the message written on the handkerchief was addressed to himself and given to Cervantes to deliver to him; and the King, mindful of his own shortcomings, graciously accepts this explanation. All ends well, therefore, peaceful relations being restored between the royal pair, and Cervantes and Irene are left happy in each other’s love.
Tragic
Opera in One Act
By Richard Strauss
Libretto
By Hugo von Hofmansthal
First Produced
Dresden, January, 1901
Chief
Characters
Elektra, Clytemnestra, Chrysosthemis, Orestes, Ægisthos
THE story follows closely the old Greek classical myth, and the scene is laid in Mycene, where Elektra is seen mourning the murder of her royal father, Agamemnon, by her mother’s lover, AEgisthos. The Princess is seen in rags, having been thus reduced to degrading poverty by her mother, who hates her and her gentle sister, Chrysosthemis, both of whom she compels to feed with the slaves. Elektra longs to avenge her beloved father’s death by bringing her mother and the infamous AEgisthos to justice; but her only hope is in the return of her lost brother, Orestes, who had been sent away in early youth by the unprincipled Queen, for fear he should hamper her evil designs. When Clytemnestra presently appears, a stormy scene ensues between the pair, and the Queen is terrified when the Princess sternly foretells a disastrous end for her and her illicit love. As the Queen departs Chrysosthemis enters with the news that Orestes is dead, this report having been brought by a stranger; and full of despair that their brother therefore cannot be the avenger of their father, Elektra entreats her sister to aid her in the slaying of the bad Queen and her lover. But the gentle Chrysosthemis has no desire for revenge, and declares she cannot help in any such deed of violence; and then Elektra determines to do the deed herself and produces the axe with which her father had been killed. At this moment a strange man appears who announces to her that her brother is indeed dead; but upon Elektra scornfully denouncing him for being yet alive himself to bring the news of the death of the young Prince, for whom he should have been ready to give his own life, the stranger, recognising her as his noble sister, in spite of her rags, reveals the fact that he is none other than her brother, Orestes, himself. Overjoyed at his return Elektra entreats him to avenge their father’s death; and Orestes enters the chamber of Clytemnestra and her lover, AEgisthos, and slays them both. All rejoice at the death of the tyrannical pair, and the young Prince Orestes is brought forth in triumph amidst general acclamations. Elektra, in her exultation, performs a marvellous dance of triumph, which waxes ever wilder and more passionate, until at last she drops lifeless as the curtain falls.
A Lyric
Poem Opera in One Act
By Richard Strauss
Libretto
By Ernest con Walzoger
First
Produced
Weimar, October, 1902
Chief
Characters
Diemuth, Kunrad, Iorg Poschel, Kunz Gilgensloch, Tulbeck, Hamerlein
THE story is based upon an old Dutch legend, and the action takes place in Munich, in the mediaeval “notime “age, on Midsummer Night, when the lighting-up of the “ Johannis Fires” is about to be celebrated. The children of the town are merrily collecting wood and fuel for their bonfires, and they finally come to the “Wizard’s House.” Here they find a young dreamer-philosopher, Kunrad, who, suddenly realising that he has missed the real meaning of life and wasted his time by indulging in abstruse study and thought instead of making practical use of everyday life and things, determines at once to mend his ways. He therefore gives the children his books to burn, and helps them to cut down the shutters for their fires; and a crowd of’ curious spectators soon gather to gaze upon the handsome young recluse, whom they have never had the chance of seeing before. Amongst the spectators is the Burgomaster’s beautiful daughter, Diemuth, who gazes upon the stranger with unusual interest. Kunrad, never having experienced any earthly passion before, is seized with an overmastering love for the fair maiden and, suddenly seizing her in a tender embrace, kisses her passionately. Diemuth, however, though still enthralled by the spell of the handsome stranger, is now filled with indignation at the liberty he has taken, and determines to play a trick upon him as a punishment. When, therefore, he later on appears beneath her chamber window she listens to his protestations of love with pretended interest, and offers to grant him a closer interview if he will permit her to draw him up into her room by means of a sliding basket in which wood had been lowered to the children in the street. Kunrad gladly agrees and steps into the basket; but, after drawing him up half-way, Diemuth leaves him dangling there in mid-air and exposed to the jeers of the crowd gathered below. In a fury at this treatment Kunrad calls upon the spirit of his dead master, the Wizard, whose power he invokes, and by exerting his magic he suddenly extinguishes all the midsummer bonfires and plunges the whole town in darkness. The people are greatly alarmed at finding themselves without fire or light, but the form of Kunrad is presently thrown into relief by a moonbeam, which shows him on the balcony where he has managed to drag himself, and from which point of vantage he proceeds to deliver a lecture to the people upon their shortsightedness. This is really a satire upon the people of Munich for their early neglect of the great musician Wagner, whom he refers to under the name of the Wizard, and whom they drove from their town without recognising his power and genius. Himself (Strauss) as Kunrad he announces as the successor of the great master, whose work he intends to continue, and as his life partner he has chosen Diemuth (who represents Munich) to help him, declaring that until the maiden shall consent to love him and accept his love, he will leave them in their darkness, thus pointing out that without love and an appreciation of the true and beautiful in art, there can be no light or warmth. Even as he speaks, Diemuth, on hearing his burning words, can no longer hold aloof from the stranger, whose first glance had enthralled her, even though she had refused the true dictates of her heart, and as his speech comes to an end she comes forth and confesses her love for him. Then as Kunrad and Diemuth appear hand in hand, happy in each other’s love, the light appears in the windows and all the fires burn brightly once more; and the city, which in its blindness drove forth the first great master, now receives his successor with joy.
Tragic
Opera in One Act
By Richard Strauss
Libretto
By the Composer *Adapted from Oscar Wilde’s Drama)
First
Produced
Dresden, December, 1905
Chief
Characters
Salome, Herodias, Jokanaan, Herod, Narraboth
THE subject-matter of this opera is taken from the Biblical story, but the character of Salome herself is much more freely developed, and she is the central figure of the drama. In Act 1 the Jewish prophet Jokanaan is held captive in Herod’s palace courtyard, and his fearless voice is heard now and again still sounding forth his prophecies and denunciations. The beautiful and passionate young Princess Salome is greatly struck by the bold, manly tones of the captive, and she begs to have him brought forth for her to gaze upon. The soldiers, however, refuse her request, having strict instructions from Herod to keep the prisoner out of sight since he is afraid of his denunciations; but Salome exercises her great powers of fascination upon a young Syrian soldier, Narraboth, who, being desperately enthralled by her beauty, disobeys his orders and brings forth the prisoner. As Salome gazes upon the stern and noble features of the fearless prophet, his fine bearing and true force of character appeals to her so strongly that, seeing his superiority to the pleasure-seekers around her, she is seized with a sudden wild passion for him, and exerts all her powers of seduction to win his love. Jokanaan, however, is utterly untouched by her beauty and her wiles, and calling upon Herod and Herodias, denounces them in fiery language for their evil lives, uttering the most scathing rebukes. Neither does he spare Salome, but when she smiles upon him and endeavours to enthral him with her allurements, he turns from her in scorn, and rebukes her sternly as he is borne back to his prison. This disregard of her charms enrages the passionate Salome, and her sudden love changing to jealous and unreasoning hatred she resolves to be revenged upon the prophet. Meanwhile Narraboth, the Syrian officer, having seen that the lovely princess has no real regard for him, but only desires the love of Jokanaan, is filled with despair and kills himself; and when Herod and Herodias presently appear, the former, having conceived a violent passion for his step-daughter, and guessing from the Syrian ‘s dead body the state of affairs, is filled with a gloomy jealousy. He nevertheless begs Salome to dance for his amusement in order to distract his thoughts, for Jokanaan now is once more heard uttering denunciations, and the monarch is greatly in awe of the prophet. Salome, however, refuses to dance, but suddenly forming a daring and dreadful scheme, she changes her mind and declares herself ready to thus entertain him if he will afterwards grant her anything she may desire. Herod, intoxicated with her beauty and charm, rashly agrees, and the famous Dance of the Seven Veils is performed by Salome. When the dance comes to an end Herod again promises to give the maiden anything she may desire, even to the half of his kingdom; and Salome boldly demands the head of Jokanaan the Prophet, whom she hates for despising her love, to be brought to her on a silver charger. This dreadful request staggers Herod with horror, for he fears to slay the Prophet; but when Salome repeats her request and taunts him by scornfully accusing him of cowardice he is so goaded to desperation by her stinging words that he agrees to grant her wish, and commands the executioner to bring forth the head of the prisoner, as desired. Salome never wavers from her resolve to be revenged upon the man who has disdained her proffered love, and waits with an awful calmness and determination for her wish to be carried out; but when the head of Jokanaan is at last brought to her in the silver charger she is filled with remorse, and kisses the silent lips with passionate fervour. This act so enrages and horrifies Herod that he bids his guards slay the now weeping girl, and the opera closes with the fall of the beautiful and passionate Salome beneath the weapons of the soldiers.
155. — THE GONDOLIERS; OR, “THE KING OF BARATARIA”
Comic
Opera in Two Acts
By Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan
Libretto
By Sir W. S. Gilbert
First
Produced
London, December, 1889
Chief
Characters
Gianetta, Tessa, Casilda, Duchess of Plaza Toro, Inez, Guiseppe, Marco,
Luiz, Duke of Plaza Toro, Don Alhambra (Grand Inquisitor)
THE
scene is laid in Venice, where the pretty contadini have brought
showers of roses for the two most popular gondoliers, Marco and Guiseppe,
who presently appear; and, both being unable to select a wife from
amongst so many pretty girls, the young men blindfold themselves, and
take the first they capture. Marco snatches Gianetta, and Tessa falls to
Guiseppe; and the merry couples hasten off to be married at once. As
they depart a party of strangers arrive. These are the Duke and Duchess
of Plaza Toro, their daughter, Casilda, and their one attendant, Luiz.
They are Grandees of Spain, very proud, and great sticklers for
etiquette; but, in spite of the grandeur of their ancient lineage, they
are desperately poor and shabby, and the Duke is about to form himself
into a limited company in order to retrieve his fallen fortunes. They
have come to interview the Grand Inquisitor, Don Alhambra; and Gasilda
is now informed by her parents that the object of their present visit
is to discover the young Prince of Barataria, who is her husband, she
having been married by proxy to the royal heir when they were both
infants. Soon after the contract was completed, the King of Barataria,
having suddenly become a Wesleyan Methodist, the Grand Inquisitor
managed to steal away the baby Prince, and has kept him hidden in Venice
ever since, so that he might be kept from a similar fate. The Methodist
King having recently died, the throne now awaits the hidden Prince, and
the Duke is anxious to find him and introduce Gasilda as his Queen.
Casilda, however, is not pleased at this prospect; for she and Luiz, the
Duke’s sole attendant, are secret lovers, and are filled with dismay at
the thought of their coming parting. When the Grand Inquisitor presently
appears, they learn that he is not sure which of the two gondoliers,
Marco and Guiseppe, is the real King, since he gave the royal child into
the charge of a merry gondolier, who was such a roystering “tippler “
that he was never able to tell the adopted baby from his own son of the
same age. The only person who could now identify the Prince is his own
old nurse, Inez, who happens to be the mother of Luiz; and she is at
once sent for. The Grand Inquisitor then decides that until her arrival
Marco and Guiseppe shall both reign jointly, and they are promptly
separated from the two contadini they have just married, and conveyed to
Barataria.
Here, in Act 2, the two ex-gondoliers are seen in the palace,
seated upon the throne, feeling very awkward and uncomfortable in their
unaccustomed grandeur; hut they soon regain their merry spirits once
more on the arrival of Tessa and Gianetta, who, unhappy at the absence
of their husbands, have come to look them up. Whilst they are engaged in
revels and dancing the Cachuca, the Grand Inquisitor appears, and tells
the two girls that they can neither of them be Queen, since, whichever
gondolier is presently proved to be the real King, he is already married
to the Lady Casilda, to whom he was united in infancy. The Duke and
Duchess now arrive with Casilda and Luiz and the three pairs of lovers
are in the direst dumps when the old nurse, Inez, arrives, and settles
all the complications most unexpectedly and satisfactorily. She states
that when the baby Prince was put into her charge, she was so afraid
that he might be stolen that she substituted her own baby boy for him,
and allowed the royal child to be regarded as hers. She therefore now
declares that the real Prince is Luiz, greatly to the delight of Casilda,
who rushes joyfully into his arms; and the now happy pair mount the
throne as King and Queen. Marco and Guiseppe very gladly discard their
royal trappings and irksome grandeur, and, taking their pretty contadini
wives with them, they step into a gondola, and merrily sail back to
their beloved Venice.
Romantic
Opera in Three Acts
By Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan
Libretto
By Sidney Grundy
First
Produced
London, 1892
Chief
Characters
Dorothy Vernon, Lady Vernon, Dorcas, John Manners, Sir George Vernon,
Oswald, Rupert Vernon, The MacCrankie
THE
plot of this charming opera is adapted from the famous story of Dorothy
Vernon of Haddon Hall; but several liberties have been taken with the
actual events, time, etc., with the object of producing a dramatic
ensemble. The scene takes place at Haddon Hall in Derbyshire, where the
retainers of Sir George Vernon are gathered in the grounds, engaged in
revels in honour of the betrothal of the young Mistress Dorothy to her
cousin, Rupert Vernon. Dorothy presently appears with her parents, when
it transpires that she has already lost her heart. to the handsome
yeoman-squire, John Manners; and she refuses to marry her cousin. Sir
George is furious, and commands her to obey his wishes; but, when he
has gone, the weeping Dorothy is comforted by her mother, who promises
to aid her in her plans for avoiding the union with her hated cousin. As
they retire into the Hall, Oswald, the faithful servant of John Manners,
appears, disguised as a pedlar. He has a letter from his master to
Dorothy, arranging for their elopement; and he soon persuades Dorothy’s
confidential maid, Dorcas, to deliver this to her mistress, who
presently comes out to the messenger. The three talk the matter over,
the two servants persuading the somewhat fearful Dorothy to follow the
dictates of her heart, and not to hesitate in falling in with the
directions of her lover. John Manners, impatient at his servant’s long
absence, now appears himself; and the lovers have a passionate
interview, Dorothy finally agreeing to the elopement that night during
the festivities which are to be held. Rupert Vernon now appears with his
Puritan friends, for he has joined the Roundheads in the hope that
Parliament will favour his claim to the Vernon Estates. Sir George is a
Royalist, but he has arranged for the union of his daughter with Rupert
in order to keep a hold on the estates should they eventually fall into
the hands of the latter. When Dorothy is brought forward and presented
to Rupert, she flatly refuses to marry him; and she is sent to her
chamber in dire disgrace by the angry father.
In Act 2, which takes place outside the Hall at night, the Puritan
followers of Rupert are shown in a very disagreeable light; and they are
looked upon with great disapproval by Sir George’s Royalist retainers,
who especially show their contempt for “ The MacCrankie,” a humbugging
Scotch ultra-Puritan of the worst type. As they retire, Dorothy and
Dorcas presently issue forth from a little private door, and are quickly
joined by John Manners and Oswald, who hurry them away; but not before
they are spied by Rupert and his Puritans, who at once give chase to
them. The scene now changes to the interior of the Hall, where Sir
George is entertaining his guests with the genial hospitality of “the
Fine Old English Gentleman"; and the revels here are suddenly
interrupted by the hurried entrance of the wrathful Rupert, who, baffled
in his pursuit of the fugitive lovers, has returned to break the news
and get additional help; and the gay scene ends in confusion and dismay.
In Act 3 Rupert is shown in possession of Haddon, having succeeded
in getting Parliament to support his claim; and, under his Puritanical
rule, the once bright and cheerful Hall has taken on a dull and sombre
look. Sir George and Lady Vernon are about to take a sorrowful leave of
their beloved home when Oswald suddenly enters, and, announcing the
accession of Charles II., produces a document from the Merry Monarch,
establishing his loyal follower, Sir George Vernon, as the legitimate
owner of Haddon Hall. The crestfallen Rupert is therefore forced to
retire; and when John Manners and his fair bride, Dorothy, presently
appear, they are received with open arms, and freely forgiven by the now
happy and thankful parents.
157. — H.M.S. PINAFORE; OR, “THE LASS THAT LOVED A SAILOR”
Comic
Opera in Two Acts
By Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan
Libretto
By Sir W. S. Gilbert
First
Produced
London, May 28th, 1878
Chief
Characters
Josephine, Little Buttercu p , Captain Corcoran, Ralph Rackstraw, Dick
Deadeye, Sir Joseph Porter
THE action takes place on board H.M.S. Pinafore, where Captain Corcoran is worried at finding things “at sixes and sevens.” A bumboat woman, known as “ Little Buttercup,” although she is in reality a big, buxom, rosy dame, has long preserved a secret; and when she comes on board she has a mysterious interview with Dick Deadeye, one of the seamen. A very important visitor arrives, Sir Joseph Porter, K.C.B., who is attended by “his sisters, and his cousins and his aunts,” who all sing his praises. He desires to marry Josephine, the daughter of Captain Corcoran; but this pretty maid has fallen in love with Ralph Rack-straw, who, though but a common seaman, has attracted her by his handsome looks and gallant bear-ing, and she therefore declines the offer of the great personage, much to his annoyance. The lovers have a secret meeting, and arrange to elope at midnight from the vessel; but their plans are overheard by Dick Deadeye, who informs the Captain. Just as Ralph and Josephine are about to steal away from the boat, the Captain appears with Sir Joseph, and an angry scene ensues. The wrathful Sir Joseph soon orders the Captain to the ship’s dungeon for using profane language, and young Ralph meets with the same fate for having dared to attempt an elopement with the Captain’s daughter. Sir Joseph is just lecturing the weeping Josephine when “ Little Buttercup” appears and reveals her long-preserved secret, which is to the effect that in her early days when she had charge of a baby farm she received two babies, one being well-born and the other a child of the streets. To please her fancy, she changed the infants and “mixed them up,” so that no one knew their identity. She now states, however, that the well-born child was Ralph Rackstraw, and that the child of the streets was Captain Corcoran. This being so, Sir Joseph sends for the prisoners, and makes Ralph the Captain, commanding Corcoran to serve as a seaman. The latter makes no objection, but comforts himself by taking “Little Buttercup” as his wife, to her entire satisfaction, this having been the sole object of her confession; and since Sir Joseph would offend his sisters and his cousins and his aunts did he take a seaman’s daughter as his bride he magnanimously bestows her upon the gallant Jack, and all ends happily.
158. — IOLANTHE; OR, “THE PEER AND THE PERI”
Comic
Fairy Opera in Two Acts
By Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan
Libretto
By Sir W. S. Gilbert
First
Produced
London, November, 1882
Chief
Characters
Iolanthe, Phyllis, Queen of the Fairies, Strephon, The Lord Chancellor,
Private Willis, Earl of Mountararat, Earl of Tololler
ACT 1
takes place in Arcady, where the fairies are assembled for the
purpose of imploring their Queen to pardon one of their number, Iolanthe,
who, because she married a mortal, has been condemned to pass the
remainder of her life head-first in a pool of water. The Fairy Queen,
who is of the Amazonian order, grants the wish of her subjects, and
commands Iolanthe to come forth from the pool, from whence she
presently emerges, covered with dripping weeds and water, plants. She
admits her guilt in having wedded a mortal, and tells her companions
that she has a son, Strephon, who is half-fairy and half-mortal. When
Iolanthe is presently left alone, Strephon appears in the garb of an
Arcadian shepherd, and complains to his mother because he is such a
half-and-half kind of being. He can go through a keyhole as far as his
waist, but this is of no advantage, since his mortal’s legs are left
behind. He is also unhappy because he has been forbidden by the Lord
Chancellor to marry the pretty shepherdess, Phyllis, who is a ward in
Chancery. Iolanthe endeayours to comfort her son by saying that things
will right themselves in time; and, as she has a constituency in her
gift, she promises to secure his return to Parliament as a “
Liberal-Conservative.” Phyllis enters, and the lovers have a pretty love
scene together. As they wander off the Lord Chancellor and the Peers
enter, having met together to decide which of them shall marry Phyllis,
since they have all fallen in love with her. Their chief, though he
fancies the lady himself, since he is “such a susceptible
Chancellor,” puts his own claim aside, that he may act as arbitrator of
his charming ward’s fate. Phyllis is sent for, and, upon her declining
to wed anyone but her beloved Strephon, she is at once separated from
the latter, who calls the fairies to his aid. Iolanthe talks to her son
in such familiar and affectionate terms that Phyllis becomes jealous;
and, refusing to believe Strephon’s protestations that the fairy is his
mother, she accuses him of infidelity, and declares she will now choose
a husband from amongst the peers. The latter rejoice; but Iolanthe,
indignant at her son’s ill-treatment, announces that she will certainly
send him to Parliament, where he shall cause them endless trouble by
mixing up their politics into a hopeless muddle.
Act 2 takes place at Westminster, outside the Houses of
Parliament, where the fairies congregate in the moonlight, their Queen
being greatly attracted by Private Willis, the burly sentry. Strephon is
in Parliament, where, as the Leader of both Parties, he has wrought
considerable confusion, as prophesied; and Phyllis is engaged to the two
Earls, Mountararat and Toleller, and cannot make up her mind which shall
marry her in the end. In order to settle matters, the Lord Chancellor
announces that he will marry his ward himself; whereupon Iolanthe
appears, and reveals to him the fact that she is his wife, he having
been the mortal whom she married, and that Strephon is his son, in whose
light he cannot, as a good father, stand. The Lord Chancellor is
overcome with emotion on beholding his fairy wife once more; and
Phyllis, now convinced of Strephon’s fairy descent and fidelity, makes
up her squabble with him, and consents to be his wife, casting off the
two peers, who, however, quickly console themselves with new
sweethearts. Iolanthe, having thus revealed the identity of her mortal
husband, has again forfeited her life; but, as all the other fairies now
confess that they have also utilised their sojourn in Westminster by
wedding peers, the Fairy Queen is nonplussed, since she is reluctant to
condemn all her subjects to death. She therefore decides to follow their
example, and, leading forth the bashful sentry, Private Willis, she
chooses him as her husband; and the opera closes with a merry dance of
the happy peers and their fairy wives, who provide them with wings to
make them more suitable partners.
159. — THE MIKADO; OR, “THE TOWN OF TITIPU”
Comic
Opera in Two Acts
By Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan
Libretto
By Sir W. S. Gilbert
First
Produced
London, March, 1885
Chief
Characters
Yum-Yum, Pitti-Sing, Peep-Bo, Katisha, Nanki-Poo, Ko-Ko, Pooh-Bah,
Pish-Tush, The Mikado
NANKI-Poo, son of the Mikado, arrives in Titipu, disguised as a “ Wandering Minstrel,” seeking Yum-Yum, whom he loves, and who is the ward of Ko-Ko, a cheap tailor, who is Lord High Executioner, and to whom he now learns she is to be married. He receives this information from PoohBah, the Lord High Everything Else; and presently a bevy of pretty schoolgirls enier, amongst whom are Yum-Yum and her two friends, Pitti-Sing and PeepBo. Yum-Yum rushes into the arms of Nanki-Poo, who now explains his rank and position to her. He has been condemned to death by his royal father for refusing to marry Katisha, an elderly and designing lady of the court, but having succeeded in making his escape he joined the Town Band of Titipu as Second Trombone, in which capacity he met the pretty school-girl Yum-Yum and fell in love with her. They are now much upset because the latter has to wed Ko-Ko, but the Lord High Executioner is presently filled with consternation on receiving a message from the Mikado, who declares that unless an execution takes place in Titipu within the next month his high office shall be abolished. He endeavours to persuade PoohBah or Pish-Tush to afford him an opportunity of exercising his new profession; but as they decline to oblige him, suggesting that he might cut off his own head as a last resource, he is in despair. When, therefore, Nanki-Poo presently appears in a doleful state, about to hang himself because his sweetheart is compelled to wed another, he begs the young man to kindly undergo decapitation instead, since he is so determined to end his life. Nanki-Poo consents to be beheaded at the end of the month if in the meanwhile he may marry Yum-Yum, and enjoy four weeks of bliss with her. Ko-Ko therefore agrees to postpone his own marriage for a month, when he may still wed Yum-Yum, who will then be a widow; and the matter is amicably settled. In Act 2 Yum-Yum is seen finishing her wedding toilet with her merry girlfriends. Nanki-Poo enters, and whilst both are expressing delight at the nearness of their happiness Ko-Ko comes in with bad news. He has just learned that, in accordance with the existing law, when a husband is beheaded, his widow must be buried alive with him, and as Yum-Yum objects to suffering “ such a stuffy death,” Nanki-Poo, in despair, offers to save her by committing suicide that day. As this would still leave Ko-Ko in his awkward dilemma he arranges to make a false statement of Nanki-Poo’s supposed decapitation, and when the Mikado presently arrives in great pomp, he mendaciously confirms this statement. Meanwhile the Mikado learns that the Wandering Minstrel, Nanki-Poo, is his own truant son in disguise; and he therefore pours forth his royal wrath upon the unfortunate Ko-Ko for having executed the heir to the throne, for which terrible deed -he is doomed to an awful death—” something with boiling oil in it!” Ko-Ko hastily seeks out Nanki-Poo, who is on the point of eloping with the charming YumYum, to whom he has just been married, and he implores the young prince to appear before his royal father. But Nanki-Poo refuses to come to life again since then he will have to wed the bad-tempered old spinster Katisha; but he suggests that if Ko-Ko cares to take the risk of marrying Katisha himself he will then appear in time to save him from the “boiling oil.” Having no other choice Ko-Ko, very much against his will, pays court to the domineering and elderly Katisha, who readily consents to accept him in order to escape spinsterhood, and they are married before Pooh-Bah, who is Registrar amongst his many other offices. Nanki-Poo then appears before the Mikado, who is so pleased at finding him still alive that he makes no objection to his union with YumYum, since Katisha, having just married the Lord High Executioner, is no longer available as a bride. Thus Ko-Ko is saved from his awkward predicament, and all ends happily.
160. — PATIENCE, OR, “BUNTHORNE’S BRIDE”
Comic
Opera in Two Acts
By Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan
Libretto
By Sir W. S. Gilbert
First
Produced
London, April, 1881
Chief
Characters
Patience, Lady Jane, Lady Angela, Reginald Bunthorne, Archibald
Grosvenor, Duke of Dunstabte, Col. Calverley, Major Murgatroyd
THIS
bright and pretty comic opera is a most amusing satire upon the
“aesthetic “ movement of the early eighties of the last century. The
first act takes place in front of Castle Bunthorne, where Lady Angela,
Lady Jane, and a number of other “love-sick maidens,”’ all robed in long
“ aesthetic “ gowns of subdued tints, are bemoaning their sad fate, for
they are all in love with Bunthorne, the aesthetic, “fleshly” poet, and
spend their days following him about and indulging in deep sighs, and
uttering “ecstatic, transcendental” platitudes. Lady Jane, an elderly
admirer of the poet, reveals the harrowing fact that Bunthorne has
fallen in love with Patience, a milkmaid; and presently Patience, a
matter-of-fact, healthy young girl, appears, laughing at the doleful,
devoted, limp maidens, and informing them that their old admirers, the
Dragoon Guards, have arrived. The love-sick ones disdain such prosaic,
reasonable beings as soldiers; and when the Dragoons appear, headed by
Colonel Calverley, Major Murgatroyd, and Lieutenant the Duke of
Dunstable, they are much disappointed at the cold reception accorded to
them by the lackadaisical ladies, who, on the appearance of the absurd
Bunthorne, who is composing a poem, all 7crowd around him and offer him
rapturous adoration. The Dragoons depart in high dudgeon at this state
of affairs, their very uniform being declared “ crude “and
“heartrending” by their former sweethearts, who almost faint at the
sight of “primary colours.” Bunthorne, being left awhile alone,
soliloquises, admitting to himself that he is but a sham, and his
aestheticism and “ fleshly poetry “ meaningless; and then, on the
entrance of Patience, he proceeds to make love to her. Patience,
however, is frightened, and declares she knows nothing of love; but when
Lady Angela presently speaks with her and explains Love to her in
high-flown terms as an ennobling, unselfish passion, declaring it to be
her duty to love, the milkmaid, conscience-stricken, promises that she
will not rest until she has fallen in love with someone. Presently there
arrives another aesthete, Archibald Grosvenor, the simple and “ idyllic
“ poet, who is so beautiful that it is his misfortune to be loved by
every maiden who beholds him; and he and Patience, having been
playfellows in early childhood, now fall in love with each other in
earnest. When, however, they discover that there is nothing “ unselfish
“ or “ self-sacrificing “ in their love since they have no faults in
each other’s eyes, they feel obliged to part for artistic and poetic
reasons. Bunthorne now appears, decked with roses, having decided that
since he cannot marry all his admirers they shall raffle for him. Just
as the lottery is proceeding, however, Patience rushes forward and
offers herself as his bride, considering this to be her duty since such
an act entails an unselfish sacrifice on her part, and Bunthorne very
readily accepts her. Then the rapturous, but disappointed, maidens, on
beholding the beautiful Grosvenor, who has now appeared on the scene,
immediately attach themselves to him and desert the “fleshly poet,”
Bunthorne, who is furious at the appearance of such a formidable rival.
In Act 2 he discovers that Patience really loves Grosvenor,
and he departs in a jealous pet with the elderly Jane, who has always
been his most ardent admirer. Presently the rivals meet and Bunthorne
commands Grosvenor to discard his aestheticism, cut his hair, and become
“an everyday young man “ at once, on pain of his own most dire and fatal
curse. Terrified at such an alarming threat Grosvenor agrees, and in the
final scene he appears with his hair cut, and clad in the immaculate,
prosaic attire of a “ matter-of-fact young man.” With him come the
rapturous maidens, who, following his excellent example, have
transformed themselves into “everyday young girls,” who very readily
return to their old sweethearts, the dashing Dragoon Guards. Patience
follows suit, and deserting Bunthorne, accepts her beloved Grosvenor;
and even the ancient Jane is chosen, as the plainest lady present, to
wed the fair-dealing Duke of Dunstable. Bunthorne, therefore, is left
alone in his own aesthetic glory, without a bride, and condemned to
satisfy himself with a walk down Piccadilly, With a poppy or a lily!”
Last updated October 31, 2006