Opera Books
THE OPERA
EDITED BY
ALBERT HILLERY BERGH
VOLUME III.
1909
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Dukas.
Paul Dukas was’ born
in Paris on October 1, 1865. He entered the Paris Conservatoire in 1881,
and won the Prix de Rome with his cantata Velléda. Dukas’ first
fame was made as a symphonist, and it is not until recently that he has
become known as a composer of operas. The introduction to this line of
work may be said to have been the symphonic poem L’Apprenti Sorcier,
an orchestral humoresque, the libretto written by Maurice Maeterlinck,
and through which the composer is perhaps best known in this country.
This successful symphony was followed in 1907, at the Opéra Comique, by
the production of Ariana et Barbe-Bleue, an opera dealing with
the familiar subject of Blue-Beard, the libretto to which was also
written by Macterliuck. At the time of the production it was observed by
the critics that while the opera could hardly be called a master-work,
it was’ nevertheless a very interesting example of the modern French
school of musical Composition.
Dukas has written a large number of instrumental pieces, besides a
lyric drama and a few songs. He is a musical critic as well. His home is
at present in Paris.
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Opera in three acts by
Paul Dukas. Libretto by Maurice Maeterlinck.
Characters: Ariana; Blue-Beard; Selysette, Mélisande, Ygraine,
Bellangère, the five wives of Blue-Beard; the Nurse; Alladine (pantomime
rôle); an old peasant; second peasant; third peasant; the crowd.
Place, Fairyland. Time, Middle Ages. First produced at Paris in
1907.
In this opera the librettist has set forth, in the form of a
familiar old legend, woman’s innate craving for emancipation, and her
slowness to accept it when it is offered. Both the music and the
libretto of the opera are of the extreme modern type. In the first act
Ariana, sixth wife of Blue-Beard, opens the forbidden door. When the
curtain rises a sumptuous apartment in the form of a semi-circle is
disclosed. At the rear is a great door, on each side of which are three
smaller doors of ebony, with ornamentations of silver. Above these six
smaller doors are an equal number of tall windows, which are open. It is
night, and the chandeliers are lighted. Through these windows come the
cries of an excited and angry crowd. It may be gathered from their
half-articulate cries that a beautiful young woman has just been
conveyed in a coach to the castle of Blue-Beard. The leaders of the
crowd shout that she should be warned before it is too late. Five have
been before her! That is too much! Some say that she knows all, and that
she enters the trap with her eyes open. But she is too beautiful to die,
so lovely,
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in fact, that twenty lovers have followed her out from the city, and are
weeping aloud in the road.
As the crowd talks the windows close of their own accord, and
Ariana, the sixth wife, and her nurse, enter the room. The nurse is full
of fears about this terrible husband of whom such horrors are rumored.
Ariana assures her that she cannot believe that the wives are dead. She
is going to discover the secret at any rate. Tier husband has given her
the keys which lock the bridal treasure. The six silver keys are to be
used; the golden key is forbidden. That, however, is the only one that
counts with Ariana. and she flings the others on the floor. The nurse
hastily gathers them up, and with the permission of her mistress unlocks
one of the smaller doors. It swings open, and a shower of amethystine
jewels falls upon her, colliers, aigrettes, girdles, diadems, rings,
bracelets and buckles. Delightedly the nurse thrusts her arms deep into
the treasure, and folds it in her mantle.
Ariana agrees that the jewels are beautiful, and directs her to
open the second door. The breathless nurse turns the key, and opens the
door. A dazzling stream of sapphires falls upon them. The third door
releases a rivulet of pearls; the fourth a cascade of emeralds; the
fifth a glowing deluge of rubies, like a gory warning; and from the
sixth there flows a bewilderingly beautiful cataract of diamonds. For a
moment only the young wife gazes at the splendors before her. She is
intent upon the opening of the forbidden seventh door. Heedless of the
nurse’s warnings, she turns the key and throws open the door.
Nothing but a frightful dark opening is seen, from
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which weirdly issues the song of the five daughters of Orlamonde, who
have wandered through five hundred balls searching for the light. The
great ocean seen through the window frightens them. They knock upon the
closed door, but dare not open it. Blue-Beard enters the room. “You, too!”
he observes, laconically, regarding Ariana. “I particularly,” responds
Ariana. “How long have they been there?” she asks. “Some, many days;
some, many moons; the last, a year. It was such a little thing that I
asked of them.” “You asked more than you gave ,“ retorts Ariana. “But
you lose the happiness I had prepared for you,” sadly says Blue-Beard.
“Only give up wishing to know, and I will yet pardon you.” But Ariana
has no intention of doing this. Blue-Beard seizes her arm, and she
involuntarily utters a cry. The listening crowd hears it. A stone
crashes through the window, and the angry people enter. Ariana advances
calmly towards them, saying that Blue-Beard has done her no ill, and,
abashed, the crowd melts away.
In the beginning of the second act Ariana and the nurse are seen
descending the steps of a subterranean staircase, plunging into almost
complete obscurity. Five forms are crouched in a dark grotto, so
motionless that Ariana fears that they are dead. But at the sound of her
voice they tremble. She runs to them and covers their faces with kisses.
Then she utters little cries of joy to find that they are living and
that their lips are warm and fresh. She thinks they must be still
beautiful, but when the nurse brings a lighted lamp she discovers that
they are pale and emaciated, and that their hair is disheveled, their
clothing in rags.
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Ariana hovers about the poor things with expressions of tender pity.
They gaze at her beauty, and ask if she too has disobeyed. Ariana
bravely replies that she has obeyed higher laws than Blue-Beard’s. She
then asks the five wives to tell the story of their entombment They tell
of their occupations, which are to pray, to sing, to weep, and always to
watch. Ariana gently scolds them for their passivity. Are they not aware
that outside is the spring, the sunlight, the smiling sea, the dew on
the grass?
As she speaks a jet of water suddenly extinguishes the light. For a
moment she is disconcerted. Then she sees a faint radiance at the end of
the vault, and promises to lead them to it. Aided by the wives, Ariana
climbs the various barriers which interpose themselves, and finally she
brings them to a section of the wall which is bolted and barred. She
throws herself against it, but the others cry out in warning. Ariana
reproaches them, asking why they wish her to deliver them if they so
adore their darkness. At last the brave girl’s struggles are successful,
and the prison is opened to the light of day. The wives hide their
blinded, unaccustomed eyes. Finally they look out, and exclaim in
delight at the sight of the green country and a distant village. Ariana
rather scornfully advises them not to gaze until they grow apprehensive,
but to profit by their passing frenzy of excitement to scramble out of
their tomb. She finds a stairway, and although she does not know where
it leads calls to them to follow her. Half-reluctantly the wives lift
themselves up, and they all dance off together.
The third act takes us back to Blue-Beard’s castle,
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where, before the mirrors, the five wives are adorning themselves with
flowers and jewels. Ariana runs from one to the other, assisting them.
They whisper questions about Blue-Beard. Ariana counsels each one to
make the most of their special gift, telling them that they are going to
be free, and that they must make themselves beautiful. She tells them
that it is not strange that Blue-Beard did not love them, for he
possessed only their shadows.
Suddenly the nurse rushes in, fearful and haggard, with news that
Blue-Beard is coming under guard, and that all the villagers have
assembled to take him prisoner. Hastily mounting the stairway, the wives
gaze from the windows. The ogre issues from his coach. They see the
crowd seized him, and nearly faint with terror when he falls wounded and
is bound by the peasants. They entreat the peasants not to put him to
death. The mob enters the castle, and proudly lays at the feet of Ariana
the bound body of her cruel lord. They proffer further aid, but Ariana
tells them that it is not needed. The crowd disperses, leaving the five
wives on their knees examining the stricken Blue-Beard. Ariana gently
staunches his wounds, and the wives vie with each other to do him
service. Alladine, a wife who cannot speak the language of the others,
furtively kisses him.
When Blue-Beard has been cared for, Ariana cuts his fetters and
prepares to go. Feeling himself free, Blue-Beard rises and looks
attentively at each of the wives. Then, perceiving Ariana, he turns
toward her. She gives him her hand in leave-taking. Blue-Beard vainly
tries to detain her. She releases herself and
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goes towards the door, accompanied by her nurse. Then she turns, and,
pausing, asks all the wives to go with her. The sea and the forest call;
the moon and the stars shine along all the road, and dawn peering over
the azure vault shows all the world inundated with hope. Will they not
come with her?
But none, not even Alladine, who weeps for a moment in her arms,
can say yes. “Adieu—be happy!” says Ariana pityingly through her tears,
as she goes away. The five wives look intently at Blue-Beard, who raises
his head as the curtain falls.
Last updated March 14, 2007