Opera Books
THE OPERA
EDITED BY
ALBERT HILLERY BERGH
VOLUME IV.
1909
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Wallace.
William Vincent
Wallace was born at Waterford, Ireland, on July 1, 1814. He received his
early training at Dublin, where he was appointed violinist in the
theatre orchestra, and conducted subscription concerts. At eighteen he
had a severe illness which endangered his life, and at the advice of his
physicians he traveled extensively for many years. He first went to
Australia, where he was successful in concert work. From there to New
Zealand and Van Dieman’s Land, then to India, North, South and Central
America, and finally settled for a time in Mexico, where he became
conductor of the Italian Opera. Hevisited New York, and in 1846 returned
to Europe, where he wrote the romantic opera Maritana.
Matilda of Hungary,
brought out the following year, was a success; but it
was only after a long silence that Wallace returned to the stage in 1860
with Lurline, a work which was very well liked in London. In 1861
Wallace wrote The Amber Witch, produced in London, and this was
soon followed by Love’s Triumph and The Desert Flower.
Independently of his operatic works Wallace wrote a large
number of chamber pieces, such as nocturnes, waltzes and studies. His
style shows that he had an
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excellent musical education, and that he was bold and original. Wallace
died at Chateau do Bayou, France, on October 12, 1865. A short time
before his death he began in London the first act of an opera which he
was unable to finish.
Opera in three acts by
Wallace. Libretto by Fitzball.
Characters: Charles II, King of Spain; the Queen of Spain; Don José
de Santarem, his prime minister; Don Cæsar de Bazan; Marquis de
Montefiore; Lazarillo; Maritana, a gypsy; iMarchioness de Montefiore;
nobles, aiquazils, soldiers, gypsies, townspeople.
Place, Madrid. Time, the Seventeenth Century. First produced at
London in 1845.
King Charles II of Spain is charmed by the singing of a young gypsy,
whose charms have been pointed out to the King by his minister, Don José
de Santarem, an intriguer. Don Cæsar do Bazan, a reckless fellow who has
gambled away all his money, and who was once the friend of the minister,
is in the act of relating his misfortunes to him when they are
approached by Lazarillo, another unfortunate, who tells his story and
wins the sympathy and finally the friendship of the cavalier. This
situation leads to a duel. Dueling, however, is forbidden during Holy
Week, and Don Cæsar is led away to prison. Meanwhile Maritana, the
pretty gypsy, induced by promises of wealth and an introduction at
court, consents to marry Don José de Santarem.
Don Cæsar’s spirits are not at all cast down by his imprisonment,
and when Don José enters his cell, professing
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friendship for the reckless youth, Don Cæsar makes but one request, that
he may be permitted to die as a soldier should. Don José replies that he
will be permitted to live if he will submit to be secretly married. Don
Cæsar consents, and the marriage rites, with the bride (who is Maritana),
heavily veiled, are celebrated during a banquet.
Lazarillo, the grateful friend of Don Cæsar, obtains a pardon for
him from the King, but the parchment on which it is inscribed is hidden
by Don José. After the marriage the bridegroom is led out to be shot,
but Lazarillo has extracted the bullets from the guns. The soldiers do
their duty, leaving Don Cæsar for dead. When alone Don Cæsar rises from
the ground and hurries away to the palace of the Marquis de Montefiore,
where a fête is in progress. Don José has managed to have the Marquis
introduce Maritana as his niece at this fête. Don Cæsar demands his
bride, and the Marchioness, closely veiled, is presented to him. Hearing
Man-tans’s voice, how ever, Don Cæsar claims her as his rightful bride,
but she is spirited away.
Maritana is carried to the royal apartments, of which fact she is
ignorant. Don José introduces the King as her husband. At this moment
Don Cæsar comes upon them, and to cover his guilt the King declares that
he is Don Cæsar de Bazan, and asks the real Don Cæsar who he may be. “If
you are Cæsar de Bazan,” replies Don Cæsar, “I, then, am the King of
Spain.” At this moment the King is summoned by the Queen. The bride and
groom believe that the only way out of the difficulty is to appeal to
the Queen. While waiting for her in the garden Don Cæsar overhears Don
José tell the Queen
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that the King is to meet his mistress that night, whereupon Don Cæsar
kills Don José for his treachery. As a reward for his loyalty the King
gives him his bride, and also makes Don Cæsar governor of Granada. Upon
Don Cæsar’s request the governorship is changed to that of Valencia, a
province more remote from his creditors.
Last updated April 19, 2007