Opera Books
TWO HUNDRED
OPERA PLOTS
GLADYS DAVIDSON
161. — THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE; OR, “THE SLAVE OF DUTY”
Comic
Opera in Two Acts
By Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan
Libretto
By Sir W. S. Gilbert
First
Produced
New York, Dec., 1879
Chief
Characters
Mabel, Ruth, Frederic, The Pirate-King, Major-General Stanley, Sergeant
of Police, Samuel
THE
first act opens upon a rocky coast in Cornwall, where the celebrated
Pirates of Penzance are gathered to celebrate the majority of Frederic,
a youth who has been apprenticed to them until his twenty-first
birthday, he being released from his indentures this day. It now
transpires that Ruth, a piratical maid-of-all-work, who is middle-aged,
plain and sentimental, made a slight mistake with regard to Frederic,
who was delivered into her hands in childhood—she being his
nursemaid—with instructions to have him apprenticed until his
twenty-first birthday to a Pilot; but she, mistaking the word,
apprenticed him to a Pirate instead. Frederic has lived happily with the
Pirates, who are so gentle and harmless that they will never attack a
weaker party than themselves, and always allow all orphans to go
scot-free—being all orphans themselves. Now, however, he tells them
that, having been a slave to duty always, whilst their apprentice he has
served them conscientiously, and he feels, on being freed from his
indentures, it is equally his duty to exterminate them. The Pirates see
the force of his argument, and sorrowfully agree to it; and as he is
about to leave them, the elderly Ruth, who has always been devoted to
him, entreats him to marry her and take her away with him. Frederic
first asks if she is as beautiful as other damsels, and on being assured
that such is the case he somewhat reluctantly gives his consent. At this
moment, however, an interruption occurs, since a bevy of pretty girls
enter, headed by the daughters of Major-General Stanley; and Frederic,
instantly falling in love with Mabel, the fairest of these, thrusts Ruth
from him with contempt, telling her that she has deceived him, since he
now sees that she is elderly, grey-haired and plain. The fussy
Major-General now arrives on the scene, and the picnic-party are at once
surrounded by the Pirates, who are all very anxious to marry the pretty
girls. But on learning that the Major-General is an orphan they feel
bound to let him go free; and the old soldier and the pretty girls all
depart, taking with them Frederic, who offers himself as a suitor for
Mabel, and, being freed from his piratical indentures, desires to join
the army.
Act 2 takes place in the Major-General’s ancient hall and gardens,
where the old soldier is found in a depressed state, full of remorse for
having deceived the Pirates by telling them that he was an orphan when
such is not the case; and presently Frederic and Mabel appear, the
former bidding farewell to his sweetheart prior to setting out to
exterminate the Pirates, in accordance with his strong sense of duty,
although he still cherishes great affection for them. When he is left
alone the Pirates appear, headed by the Pirate King, who comes to inform
him that as the papers of his indentures state that he is bound to serve
the band until his twenty-first birthday, and that as he was born on the
29th of February in Leap Year, he has not nearly served his time, and
must return to them. Frederic is full of dismay; but again his strong
sense of duty prevails over all, and he resolves to go back to his old
life. He happens to mention to them that the MajorGeneral’s statement
to them that he was an orphan was only an excuse to obtain his freedom;
and the Pirates determine to be revenged. They accordingly return at
midnight, intending to kidnap the Major-General; but they are met by a
comical company of policemen, who overcome them and are about to march
them all off to prison, when they announce that they are in reality
English noblemen in disguise, having taken up piracy when things went
wrong with them. They are therefore released by the Major-General when
they promise to be Pirates no more; and they promptly choose brides from
amongst his pretty daughters and their friends. Since there are
therefore no longer any Pirates for him to exterminate, Frederic
remains at home to marry the charming Mabel; and even Ruth joins in the
merriment, since the Sergeant of Police proves too great an attraction
for her to resist.
162. — PRINCESS IDA; OR, “CASTLE ADAMANT.”
Comic
Opera in Three Acts
By Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan
Libretto
By Sir W. S. Gilbert
First
Produced
London, January, 1884
Chief
Characters
Princess Ida, Lady Psyche, Lady Blanche, Melissa, Hilarion, King
Hildebrand, King Gama, Florian, Cyril
THIS
opera is a mild burlesque on Tennyson’s “Princess,” and a good-natured
satire on the “ Advanced Woman.” The first act takes place in the Castle
of King Hildebrand, who is awaiting the coming of King Gama with his
daughter, Princess Ida, who is to wed Hilarion, the son of Hildebrand.
Gama presently arrives, alone, declaring that his daughter has foresworn
marriage and refuses to leave Castle Adamant, the Women’s University she
has founded, and of which she is the head; and Hildebrand is so furious
at this breaking of the compact between the two royal families that he
seizes the three sons of Gama and holds them as hostages until the
Princess Ida shall be brought as a bride for his son. Meanwhile Hilarion
and his friends, Florian and Cyril, set off for Castle Adamant,
determined to see for themselves if the fair Princess is so
stonyhearted as given out.
Act 2 takes place at Castle Adamant, where the “ advanced” ladies
are all engaged in various studies, in which they are chiefly encouraged
by the Lady Blanche, the Professor of Abstract Science, who is the most
enthusiastic member of the College, of which she is anxious to secure
the leadership. Hilarion and his two companions get into the sacred
precincts by the primitive method of scaling the high garden wall; and
finding a supply of academic robes, they don these and present
themselves as girl-students. They are consequently admitted to the
College, agreeing to the rules with great glee when they find that one
of them binds them to love all the inmates. Their disguise, however, is
presently penetrated by the Lady Psyche, who recognises Florian as her
brother; but she promises to keep the secret, for, truth to tell, she,
like most of the other inmates, is already tired of her man-excluded
life, and gladly welcomes the intruders. This interview is overheard by
Melissa, the daughter of Lady Blanche, who relates all to her mother;
but the latter also decides to keep the secret since, if Hilarion should
succeed in winning the Princess Ida, the College will then fall to her
own leadership, and her life’s ambition will thus be gained. But when
the Princess at last discovers that the three new-comers are men she is
furious, and runs from their presence at once; and in crossing a bridge
she falls into a stream, from which she is rescued by Hilarion. In spite
of his ready gallantry, however, she still refuses to marry him, and,
instead, orders him to be thrust into a dungeon with his two companions.
This command has no sooner been carried out than King Hildebrand storms
the Castle, and commands the Princess to set his son at liberty and
marry him without fail by noon next day.
In Act 3 the lady students prepare to defend their liberty; but
they grow very half-hearted in the task on beholding the King’s manly
followers and realising that life holds other joys beside the study of
Abstract Science. Finally it is decided to settle the whole matter by a
contest between the three sons of Gama and Hilarion and his two
companions, the Princess to be freed from her marriage contract should
the latter be defeated. The contest takes place and ends in the victory
of Hilarion, who claims Princess Ida as his bride; and the latter, whose
growing love for him has gradually broken down all her “advanced”
notions, has no longer any objection to the union. Cyril and Florian
also find brides in Lady Psyche and Melissa; and the ambitious Lady
Blanche is left in possession of her coveted office as leader of the
Women’s College.
163. — RUDDYGORE; OR, “THE WITCH’S CURSE.”
Comic
Opera in Two Acts
By Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan
Libretto
By Sir W. S. Gilbert
First
Produced
London, January, 1887
Chief
Characters
Rose Maybud, Mad Margaret, Hannah, Robin Gakapple (Sir Ruthven
Murgatroyd), Sir Despard Murgatroyd, Richard, Adam
“
RUDDYGORE” presents us with a very amusing satire upon the
mid-Victorian highfalutin melodrama; and the plot centres round the
working out of a Witch’s Curse laid upon Sir Ruthven Murgatroyd, the
first of the Murgatroyd Baronets, who was an inveterate foe and
persecutor of the sorcery of his day. The curse compels the holder of
the title to commit a crime every day, and it has continued in the
family through all the succeeding generations. At the beginning of the
opera the present Baronet, Sir Ruthven, in order to prevent the curse
falling upon him, has vanished from the Castle, and, disguising himself
as a rustic youth under the name of Robin Oakapple, is dwelling in the
neighbouring village; and the title has consequently fallen upon his
younger brother, Despard, upon whom the curse also descends, causing him
to commit a crime every day. Robin Oakapple has fallen in love with Rose
Maybud, an orphan, who is the belle of the village; but as he is very
shy his love-making does not progress very well, greatly to the
disappointment of a bevy of pretty “Professional Bridesmaids,” who have
come to the village hoping to render their services at the expected
wedding. Robin’s foster-brother Richard, a sailor, arrives in the
village, and, seeing the state of affairs, tries to hurry matters by
pleading Robin’s cause with Rose; but the coquettish maiden, in order to
punish her backward lover, shows great favour to the ambassador, and
even announces that she thinks seriously of marrying him, to the great
dismay of the disconsolate Robin and the huge delight of the jolly
gobetween. At this moment Sir Despard arrives in the village, and,
recognising Robin as his brother, compels him to return to the Castle
and take on his rightful title, together with the family curse, of which
he is himself heartily sick, and greatly relieved to be rid of. Rose
Maybud, though sorry for the fate of her lover, flatly refuses to wed a
“ Bold, Bad Baronet,” and is inclined to show favour to the released Sir
Despard; but the latter is soon seized upon by Mad Margaret, a village
girl whose undoing has provided scope for one of his daily crimes when
under the Witch’s Curse.
In Act 2 Robin is found installed at Ruddygore Castle as Sir
Ruthven, where, being now under the family curse, his servant, Adam, is
kept constantly busy hunting up daily crimes for him to commit. The
unhappy and bored Wicked Baronet, having had quite enough of crime at
the end of the first week, retires to the Portrait Gallery of the
Castle; and here, to his surprise and dismay, the various dead and gone
Murgatroyd Baronets, whose portraits ornament the walls, all come to
life again, and, stepping down from their frames, declare that Robin
will presently meet with a terrible and lingering death unless he at
once makes arrangements for the abduction of some unwilling lady.
Finally, however, the brilliant discovery is made that the Baronets of
Ruddygore, according to the correct reading of the curse, can only die
by declining to carry out the daily crime; whereupon the revivified
ancestors, realizing that, since they did not refuse to perform the evil
deeds required of them, they ought none of them to have died, and that
as the curse has thus never been properly carried out, it is now null
and void. Having, therefore, come back to life they now refuse to return
to their frames; and when the Professional Bridesmaids presently appear
on the scene they pair off very contentedly with them. Mad Margaret and
Sir Despard also pair off; and since Robin, being freed from the curse,
can no longer be regarded as a Bad Baronet, Rose Maybud very gladly
consents to marry him, and the scene ends with a merry revel.
Comic
Operetta in Two Acts
By Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan
Libretto
By Sir W. S. Gilbert
First
Produced
London, November, 1877
Chief
Characters
Lady Sangazure, Aline, Constance, Mrs Partlet, J. W. Wells ( The
Sorcerer), Alexis, Sir Marmaduke Pointdextre, Dr Daly
IN Act 1 the villagers are gathered in the grounds of Sir Marmaduke
Pointdextre to witness the signing of the marriage contract between his
son Alexis, and Aline, daughter of the aristocratic Lady Sangazure, with
whom Sir Marmaduke was himself in love in his early youth. Amongst the
merrymakers is Constance, the daughter of Mrs Partlet, the pew-opener;
and of all the gay throng she is the only unhappy one. On inquiring the
reason for her sadness Mrs Partlet learns that the girl has fallen in
love with the elderly vicar, Dr Daly; but the worthy doctor is too dense
to realise the conquest he has made, in spite of the broad hints given
him by the matchmaking old dame. When the notary arrives, with Sir
Marmaduke and Lady Sangazure, the betrothal contract is signed; and when
the lovers are left alone Alexis tells Aline that, in order to test the
working of his pet theory that love and marriage should always be
consummated without any regard to the worldly considerations of rank,
wealth or age, he has ordered Mr J. W. Wells, of the famous firm of J.
W. Wells & Co., family sorcerers, to bring down a good supply of their
Special Love-potion, which is guaranteed to cause any person who
partakes of it to immediately fall in love with the next passer-by of
the opposite sex. Wells presently appears, and, after a comical
description of his wonderful wizard powers, he proceeds to administer
the potion to all the company in cups of tea, which he hands round, and
the guests, one by one, come under the magic spell and fall asleep . In
Act 2 they awaken from the strange trance; and immediately the
potion begins to work, and most amusing scenes follow, as incongruous
couples get together. Sir Marmaduke, beholding old Mrs Partlet, the
pew-opener, falls in love with her and announces his intention to marry
her; Aline and Dr Daly walk off as sweethearts; Constance and the old
notary rush into each other’s arms; and Lady Sangazure swears eternal
love to the embarrassed sorcerer, who is astounded at the potency of his
drug, and at the same time dismayed at the havoc he has wrought amongst
the peaceful guests. Finally Alexis, furious at the defection of his
betrothed, and realising the failure of his theory, commands the
sorcerer to undo the mischief he has caused; and Wells explains that
this can only be achieyed by sacrificing someone to Ahrimanes as a
peace-offering. It is unanimously decided that he shall himself
be the victim, and the sorcerer therefore vanishes into the ground
amidst red fire. At the same time the various couples return to the
rightful objects of their affection, and the operetta ends with the
wedding revels of Aline and Alexis.
165. — UTOPIA, LIMITED; OR, “THE FLOWERS OF PROGRESS.”
Comic
Opera in Two Acts
By Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan
Libretto
By Sir W. S. Gilbert
First
Produced
London, October, 1893
Chief
Characters
Princess Zara, The Twin Princesses Nekaya and Kalyba, Lady Sophy, King
Paramount, Scaphio and Phantis, Tarara, Captain Fitzbattleaxe, Lord
Dramaleigh, Capt. Sir Edward Corcoran, K.C.B., Mr Goldbury, Sir Bailey
Barre, Q.C., M.P., Mr Blushington
THE scene opens in the tropical palace gardens of King Paramount of Utopia, an absurd King, who is supposed to be an autocratic tyrant, but is actually ruled with a rod of iron by his two Wise Men, Phantis and Scaphio, whose will he is forced to obey on pain of being blown up with dynamite by the Public Exploder, Tarara, who, in such a case, would succeed him on the throne. The King has been seized with a frantic desire to model his kingdom on the plan of England, and he encourages everything English. His eldest daughter, Princess Zara, is just expected to return home from England, where she has been to school, with a view to becoming as English as possible. The two younger twin Princesses, Nekaya and Kalyba, are being educated by an English governess, Lady Sophy, who is very prim and proper, and has taught the girls to be likewise. King Paramount admires Lady Sophy, and desires to marry her; but the Governess is so terribly shocked at reading in the Palace Peeper of the improper doings of her royal admirer that she will not encourage his advances. The King himself is the author of these scurrilous “ pars,” which he is compelled to write by his two Wise Men, in order to keep up his reputation as a supposed tyrant and evil-living monarch; but he does not dare to inform the scandalised Governess of this fact for fear of being instantly blown up with dynamite — the regulation fate of autocratic tyrants. Meanwhile the Princess Zara arrives from England, bringing with her six typical Englishmen, whom she calls “ The Flowers of Progress,” being representatives of the principal causes that have tended to make England the enlightened power she is; and with these she hopes to remodel Utopia on British lines, to the great delight of her father, who is tired of being a bullied autocrat. Her new friends at once set to work. Captain Fitzbattleaxe (of the Life Guards)—who is in love with Zara, who returns his affection — is to remodel the Army; Captain Corcoran, R.N., is to renovate the Navy; Sir Bailey Barre, Q.C., M.P., will attend to Law matters; Lord Dramaleigh will show them what a Lord Chamberlain ought to do; Mr Blushington, a County Councillor, will do wonders in Sanitary and Health Reforms; whilst Mr Goldbury, a financier and company promoter, immediately takes the Government and Exchequer in hand, and transforms the Country into a Limited Company. Strange transformations at once take place, greatly to the wrath and dismay of the two Wise Men, who, finding their antiquated laws utterly disregarded and their cherished authority over the puppet King vanished, make a great outcry. Everything has become so perfect in Utopia that the country is “swamped by dull prosperity.” The Army and Navy are so efficient that war is impossible; the sanitary and health reforms have worked so well that the doctors are dying of starvation; the remodelled laws have extinguished crime, and the lawyers are also starving; and something is therefore still needed to make things quite right. The Princess Zara—who has been holding Court Drawing-rooms in the approved English fashion—solves the difficulty by declaring that she had forgotten the principal factor in the new scheme, which is Government by Party. This being established, things are righted; and Utopia, from being a Monarchy (Limited), becomes a Limited Monarchy. The King, freed from his tyrannical Wise Men, is free to tell Lady Sophy the truth about the libels on himself which he had been compelled to write, and is made happy by her now considering him sufficiently respectable as a husband for an English governess; the two young Princesses respectively wed Lord Dramaleigh and Mr Goldbury; and Princess Zara, who has brought the whole reform about, is very gladly united to her dashing English sweetheart, Captain Fitzbattleaxe.
166. — THE YEOMEN OF THE GUARD;
OR, “THE MERRYMAN AND HIS MAID.”
Comic
Opera in Two Acts
By Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan
Libretto
By Sir W. S. Gilbert
First
Produced
London, October, 1888
Chief
Characters
Elsie Maynard, Phoebe, Dame Carruthers, Colonel Fairfax, Jack Point,
Wilfred, Leonard, Lieutenant of the Tower, Sergeant Meryll
THE
action takes place within the precincts of the Tower of London, in old
English times. Colonel Fairfax has been sentenced to death through the
malice of a kinsman. He has accused him of sorcery in order to inherit
his estates, which can only be claimed by him, however, should Fairfax
die unmarried. To disappoint his accuser, therefore, Fairfax asks the
Lieutenant to grant him, as a last favour before his execution takes
place, permission to be married; and the Lieutenant consents, if a
maiden can be found in time to go through such a ceremony with him.
Sergeant Meryll, whose life Fairfax has saved in battle, endeavours now
to save his in return; and he arranges for the prisoner to mingle
amongst the Yeomen of the Guard in the place of his own son, Leonard,
who manages to slip out of the Tower unnoticed. Meanwhile a strolling
jester, Jack Point, arrives and sings and dances with his pretty gipsy
companion, Elsie Maynard; and the latter is so interested in the talk
about the unfortunate Fairfax that she consents to gratify his last wish
by wedding him, on condition that they are both blindfolded and separate
immediately after the ceremony. She is therefore blindfolded and taken
into the prisoner’s cell, where the marriage ceremony is hastily
performed, after which she returns to Jack Point, who is greatly
relieved to see her safely back; for the Jester loves Elsie, who,
however, has only pity for his passion. Meryll now endeavours to get the
yeoman’s uniform into Fairfax’s cell so that he may join in the ranks;
and as the keys of his cell are in possession of Wilfred, an extremely
dour jailer, Phoebe Meryll undertakes to obtain them. Wilfred loves
Phcebe, in spite of the latter’s saucy delight in teasing him; but the
merry maiden now encourages her gloomy sweetheart’s clumsy love-making,
and during the interview slyly abstracts the keys from his pocket
unnoticed, returning them when the deed is done. Fairfax dons the
disguise which is thus brought to him, issues from his cell, and falls
into the ranks of the Yeomen of the Guard; and the scene ends with the
discovery of his escape as the executioner waits for him at the block.
In Act 2 Dame Carruthers, a comely widow, is seen scolding the
jailer for the escape of the prisoner; but as Wilfred moves sheepishly
aside Jack Point, at Elsie’s instigation, persuades him to fire his gun
outside the courtyard and then return and announce that he has shot the
escaped prisoner dead — and as a reward Jack will teach him how to
become a jester. Wilfred agrees, and when the noise of the report has
been heard with surprise, Wilfred hastens back and declares that he has
killed the escaped prisoner. Meanwhile Fairfax still mingles with the
Yeomen; and from the ranks he watches the beautiful gipsymaiden, Elsie,
with ever-increasing interest, being strangely thrilled on hearing Dame
Carruthers gossiping that she believes Elsie to be the unknown maiden
who, blindfolded, married the prisoner before his escape. Seeing that
Jack Point loves the girl, however, he approaches her and tries to plead
the Jester’s cause with her; but before the end of the interview he has
fallen desperately in love with her himself, and is overjoyed to find
his passion returned. Matters are brought to a climax by the arrival of
a belated pardon for Fairfax, who now steps forward and reveals himself,
claiming Elsie as his bride. Phoebe also now consents to marry Wilfred,
whilst Sergeant Meryll is captured by the buxom Dame Carruthers, who has
long had her eye on him; but the opera ends in tragedy, nevertheless,
for the faithful Jack Point is filled with woe at the loss of his
beloved Elsie, and as the curtain descends he falls dead at her feet, a
poor, broken-hearted “Merryman,” who has “died for the love of a Ladyee!”
Opera
Comique in Three Acts
By Franz von Suppé
Libretto
By Zell and Genée
First
Produced
Venice, February, 1879
Chief
Characters
Fiametta, Peronetta, Boccaccio, Pietro (Prince of Palermo), The Duke of
Naples, Lutteringhi (a Cooper), Lambertuccio (a grocer)
THE action takes place in the neighbourhood of Florence during the time of the Italian poet and romance-writer, Boccaccio. Fiametta, who is in reality the Princess Maria of Naples, has been brought up by a grocer, into whose hands she was placed by her father, the Duke, who has special reasons for his resolve. He has, however, betrothed her in early childhood to Pietro, Prince of Palermo, and at the opening of the opera Pietro is proceeding to Florence to claim his bride. On his way he joins a company of wild, hilarious students, the merry ringleader of whom is Boccaccio, the famous romancer and poet. Boccaccio also is in love with Fiametta, who returns his affection, and he leads Pietro into many wild escapades in order to get his rival out of the way. On one occasion Pietro is encouraged to make love to a cooper’s wife, whom he is led to believe is a single woman; and this leads to amusing complications for him. He also gets a severe beating by being mistaken for the mischievous Boccaccio. Finally, however, he arrives in Florence, still accompanied by Boccaccio, and the arrangements for his marriage with Fiametta are prepared. The dashing Boccaccio, however, seeing with joy that his own love for Fiametta is returned by her, slyly arranges for the performance of a play, in which he causes all the wild frolics and flirtations of Pietro on his journey to Florence to be set forth in exaggerated colours; and Fiametta affects to be so greatly shocked at the misdeeds of her betrothed that she now flatly refuses to wed with him. When, therefore, the ardent Boccaccio puts in his plea for her regard she admits that she loves him and gladly bestows her hand upon him.
Opera in
Five Acts
By Charles Ambroise Thomas
Libretto
By Carré and Barbier (Adapted from Shakespeare’s Tragedy)
First
Produced
Paris, March, 1868
Chief
Characters
Ophelia, Queen Gertrude, Hamlet, King Claudius, Horatio, Laertes, The
Ghost of Hamlet’s Father, Polonius
GREAT
liberties have been taken with Shakespeare’s text in this opera, and in
many places rank absurdities occur.
In Act 1 Hamlet is shown grieved and shocked at his mother’s
marriage with Claudius so soon after the mysterious death of the late
King. Ophelia, daughter of the crafty minister, Polonius, tries to bring
comfort to him, and Hamlet is grateful for her love, which he returns,
and on the departure of her brother Laertes he promises to cherish her.
At midnight the scene with the ghost occurs, and Hamlet’s former
suspicions are confirmed on thus learning from the spirit that his
father was murdered by Claudius at the instigation of the Queen. He now
seeks to avenge the murdered King, to which end he arranges the famous
play scene, in which the actor pours poison into the ear of a sleeping
rival, and seeing, by Claudius’ guilty countenance, that the ghost’s
words were true, he passionately accuses him of the murder of his
father. He has, however, no definite proof, but later he receives
further confirmation by overhearing a conversation, by which he learns
that Polonius was the accomplice of Claudius. This makes him turn from
Ophelia, whom he suspects also; and he now disdains her love and treats
her with such cruel coldness that the gentle girl, in her grief at his
conduct, becomes crazed.
In Act 4 we see her decked with flowers, playing with the village
girls; and after they have left her she crouches amongst the reeds
be-side the lake, into which she presently casts herself, being drawn
thither by the song of the sirens, which she sings as she floats away.
In Act 5 the funeral procession of Ophelia comes by,
followed by the unhappy Hamlet, who is now filled with grief and
remorse for the fate of the loving girl who was to have been his bride;
but upon the ghost once more appearing and urging him to avenge his
wrongs he falls upon Claudius and kills him. Explanations follow, and
the opera closes with the people acclaiming Hamlet as their King.
Romantic
Opera in Three Acts
By Charles Ambroise Thomas
Libretto
By Barbier and Carré (Adapted from Goethe's “Wilhelm Meister”
First
Produced
Paris, November 1856
Chief
Caracters
Mignon, Filina, Wilhelm Weister, Laertes, Lotario, Giarno, Frederick
THE
plot is based upon Goethe's novel, “Wilhelm Meister.” and the scene is
laid in Germany and Italy. In Act 1 we are introduced to an old
wandering harper, Lotario, who is in reality a rich Italian nobleman,
whose beloved and only daughter, Sperata, was stolen in childhood
by gipsies, and the distracted father has since spent his life wandering
about Europe in minstrel garb, seeking for her, his wife having died
before the loss of the child. As the curtain rises he is seen resting in
the courtyard of a German inn, where a band of gipsies presently arrive
and begin to entertain the bystanders. Giarno, the leader of the band,
commands Mignon, a pretty young gipsy maiden, to perform the egg dance,
and upon the girl refusing because of utter weariness, he proceeds to
beat and ill-treat her. Lotario hastens to the assistance of the poor
girl, but is too feeble to help her; and at this moment a young student,
Wilhelm Meister, approaches with some strolling players, and, beholding
the scene, at once comes to the rescue and drives off the bully. Mignon,
full of gratitude, entreats him to keep her with him, and Wilhelm, full
of pity for the ill-used girl, gives the gipsy a sum of money in
compensation, and takes her away with him, providing her with the dress
of a page. Mignon soon falls in love with her gallant young preserver,
who, however, does not notice the fact, having himself fallen under the
fascinations of the pretty and coquet-tish strolling actress Filina,
who, knowing him to be a young man of good family, desires to wed him.
The players proceed to the castle of a neighbouring prince, where they
are to perform, taking with them Wilhelm and Mignon, being also followed
by the harper, Lotario, who is strangely attracted to the lovely maiden,
in whom he fancies he traces a likeness to his own lost child. At the
castle Wilhelm falls deeper into the toils of the gay Filina, greatly to
the grief of Mignon, who, in despair at the hopelessness of her own
love, is about to drown herself in a lake, when she is prevented from
doing so by Lotario, who endeavours to comfort her. In her misery Mignon
expresses the wish that the castle and all the players might be
destroyed; and Lotario, in sympathy with the girl’s grief, secretly
enters the castle and sets fire to the place. As the players and guests
run out in alarm into the grounds, Filina sends Mignon back to fetch a
bouquet she has left behind; but when it is discovered that the girl’s
return is cut off by the fire all are filled with consternation, and old
Lotario is in despair. Wilhelm, however, dashes into the burning
building and presently returns through the smoke and flames bearing the
unconscious Mignon in his arms.
Act 3 takes place in Italy, whither Lotario has brought Mignon to
his own château to recover from the effects of the fire, and here also
Wilhelm has followed the pair, having now learnt of his little
protégée’s love for him, and conceived a like passion for her,
having freed himself from the toils of the coquette Filina, who soon
consoles herself with her other lovers, Laertes and Frederick. When
Mignon recovers, therefore, he succeeds in winning her hand; and when
Lotario presently appears in his rightful garb as an Italian noble it is
proved by Mignon’s production of a girdle and trinket she has always
preserved that she is indeed his long-lost daughter, as he had hoped and
believed.
Grand
Opera in Three Acts
By Peter Ilyitch Tschaikowsky
Libretto
By Kashkin (Adapted from Poushkin’s Poetic Romance)
First
Produced
St Petersburg, May, 1877
Chief
Characters
Tatiana, Olga, Madame Larmna, Philip-jewna, Eugène Onegin, Lenski,
Prince Gremin
THE
scene is laid in Russia in the present time.
Act 1 opens upon the terrace of Madame Larina’s country abode,
where the lady of the house is picking fruit with the old nurse,
Philipjewna, and watching her two daughters, Olga and Tatiana, who are
singing and moving about the garden. Olga is lively and merry; but
Tatiana is of a more pensive and sentimental nature. Presently visitors
arrive. These are Olga’s fiancé, Lenski, and his friend, Eugène Onegin,
whom he introduces to the family, and who is given a hearty welcome.
Onegin is a somewhat blasé man of the world, who has drunk deep of the
pleasures of life, and has lost faith in most things; but his air of
gloomy sadness makes him doubly attractive to the dreamy Tatiana, who at
once conceives a violent attachment for him, which deepens as she
strolls in the garden and talks with him. So great is the young girl’s
infatuation that she sits up all night composing a letter to him, in
which she artlessly confesses her love and begs him to meet her in the
garden next day; and this she gives to the old nurse to deliver to the
guest. When the pair meet, however, Onegin, being merely amused at the
young girl’s romantic outburst, coolly declares that he has only a
friendly feeling for her, and he advises her to learn to restrain her
emo-tions in future. This leaves Tatiana overcome with shame at her own
foolish conduct, and she endeavours to avoid Onegin and to bury her love
for him.
In Act 2 Madame Larina gives a ball, at which Onegin, for
the mere sake of amusement, gets up a flirtation with Olga, who, being
of a merry and somewhat frivolous disposition, very readily responds, in
order to punish her fiancé, Lenski, whose serious passion often bores
her; and this so rouses Lenski’s jealousy that he finally challenges his
friend. Onegin, seeing that he has gone too far, and sorry for the
trouble he has so carelessly caused, tries to soothe the angry lover;
but Lenski refuses to listen to his protestations and the duel is
arranged. In the next scene the duel takes place, and Lenski falls dead,
to the great grief of Onegin, who departs at once, more world-weary than
ever.
In Act 3, which takes place five years later, we are introduced to
a brilliant assembly at the Palace of Prince Gremin; and here Onegin
appears, having just returned from his wanderings, during which he has
always been haunted by remorse for having caused the death of his friend
Lenski. He is gloomy and uninterested in the proceedings until Prince
Gremin introduces him to his wife, and in this beautiful and charming
lady he recognises Tatiana, now developed into a brilliant lady of
society. The sentimental girl has grown into a sympathetic and high-souled
woman, and Onegin now falls deeply in love with her, and is grieved when
she merely speaks to him in cold and polite tones. He, however, in his
turn, cannot control his passion, and later on he seeks an opportunity
of entering the Princess’s boudoir, where he confesses his love and begs
her to respond. Tatiana is strongly tempted, for her love for him has
not altered, in spite of her pretended coldness; but she has a deep
regard and respect for her husband, and she firmly declares that she
will not forsake him. Finally Onegin’s passionate outpourings and
entreaties are more than she can bear, and again utterly refusing to
accept his love, she rushes away. Onegin is in despair on thus realising
that the love he craves for, and which was once so generously offered to
him, and which he then despised, is now lost to him for ever; and as the
curtain falls he shoots himself.
Last updated October 31, 2006