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diff --git a/42918-0.txt b/42918-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..4fe4fd5 --- /dev/null +++ b/42918-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5967 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 42918 *** + + THE + STANDARD LIGHT OPERAS + THEIR PLOTS AND THEIR MUSIC + + + _A Handbook_ + + By GEORGE P. UPTON + AUTHOR OF "THE STANDARD OPERAS," ETC. + + CHICAGO + A. C. McCLURG & CO. + 1902 + + + Copyright + A. C. McClurg & Co. + 1902 + + Published September 13, 1902 + + + TO MY FRIEND + CHARLES C. CURTISS + + + + + PREFACE. + + +The present volume, "The Standard Light Operas," has been prepared not +only with the hope that it may supply a popular want in these days when +the light opera is so much in vogue, but also with the purpose of +completing the series which the author has already compiled, including +the opera, oratorio, cantata, and symphony. It has been somewhat +difficult to select from the "embarrassment of riches" in the material +offered by the profusion of operettas, musical comedies, and legitimate +light operas which have been produced during the last few years, and +which are still turned out with almost bewildering rapidity. Still more +difficult is it to determine accurately those among them which are +standard. A few of the lighter works which are contained in the original +edition of the "Standard Operas" have been recast, as they properly +belong in a work of this kind, and as they may answer the needs of those +who have not the former volume. The opera comique and the opera bouffe +are also represented by the best of their class, those whose text is +clearly objectionable being omitted. The entire list of the +characteristic and delightful operettas by the late Sir Alexander +Sullivan is included, and some of the musical comedies which have a +strong hold upon popular admiration. The operas have not been analyzed +with that closeness of detail which characterizes the "Standard Operas," +as they do not call for treatment of that kind, and in many cases the +leading numbers are only suggested. They are described rather than +criticised, and as they have been compiled solely for the use of the +general public they have been presented as untechnically as possible. +They are intended to heighten popular enjoyment rather than to supply +information for musicians, and as a _vade mecum_ for the opera-goer +rather than a reference for the musical student. + + G. P. U. + +Chicago, August, 1902. + + + + + CONTENTS + + + PAGE + ADAM + The Postilion of Lonjumeau 15 + AUBER + Fra Diavolo 19 + The Crown Diamonds 22 + AUDRAN + Olivette 26 + The Mascot 29 + BALFE + The Bohemian Girl 33 + The Rose of Castile 36 + BELLINI + La Sonnambula 40 + BENEDICT + The Lily of Killarney 43 + BOIELDIEU + La Dame Blanche 47 + CELLIER + Dorothy 50 + CHASSAIQUE + Falka 52 + DeKOVEN + Robin Hood 57 + Maid Marian 60 + Rob Roy 63 + The Fencing-Master 67 + DELIBES + Lakmé 70 + DONIZETTI + The Daughter of the Regiment 73 + Don Pasquale 76 + Linda 78 + The Elixir of Love 81 + EICHBERG + The Doctor of Alcantara 84 + FLOTOW + Martha 87 + Stradella 90 + GENÉE + Nanon 93 + GOUNOD + Mirella 97 + HUMPERDINCK + Hansel and Gretel 100 + JAKOBOWSKI + Erminie 103 + LECOCQ + Girofle-Girofla 106 + La Fille de Madame Angot 109 + LÖRTZING + Czar and Carpenter 113 + LUDERS + King Dodo 116 + The Prince of Pilsen 118 + MASSÉ + Paul and Virginia 121 + Queen Topaze 124 + The Marriage of Jeannette 126 + MILLÖCKER + The Beggar Student 128 + The Black Hussar 131 + NESSLER + The Trumpeter of Säkkingen 134 + NICOLAI + The Merry Wives of Windsor 138 + OFFENBACH + The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein 141 + La Belle Hélène 145 + Orpheus 148 + PLANQUETTE + The Chimes of Normandy 152 + RICCI + Crispino 155 + ROSSINI + The Barber of Seville 158 + SOLOMON + Billee Taylor 161 + SOUSA + El Capitan 164 + STRAUSS + The Merry War 167 + The Queen's Lace Handkerchief 169 + Queen Indigo 171 + Die Fledermaus (The Bat) 174 + STUART + Florodora 177 + SULLIVAN + Cox and Box 180 + Trial by Jury 182 + The Sorcerer 185 + H. M. S. Pinafore 188 + The Pirates of Penzance 193 + Patience 196 + Iolanthe 200 + Princess Ida 203 + The Mikado 206 + Ruddygore 209 + The Yeomen of the Guard 213 + The Gondoliers 216 + SUPPÉ + Fatinitza 220 + Boccaccio 224 + The Beautiful Galatea 227 + THOMAS + Mignon 230 + WALLACE + Maritana 233 + Lurline 236 + + + + + THE + STANDARD LIGHT OPERAS. + + + + + ADAM, ADOLPHE CHARLES. + + + + + The Postilion of Lonjumeau. + + + [Opéra comique, in three acts; text by De Leuven and Brunswick. First + produced at the Opéra Comique, Paris, October 13, 1836.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Chapelou, postilion. + Madeleine, mistress of the inn. + Marquis de Courcy, opera manager. + Bijou, village blacksmith. + Boudon, chorus leader. + + [Villagers, chorus singers, etc.] + + The scene of the opera is laid in Lonjumeau, a French village, and + Paris; time of Louis the Fifteenth. + +The sprightly opera "The Postilion of Lonjumeau" is characterized by +grace and elegance of treatment, fascinating rhythm, and odd contrasts in +effects. Its plot is very dramatic, and affords ample scope for humorous +action. The opening scene of the first act introduces us to the wedding +of Chapelou, the postilion, and Madeleine, mistress of the inn. During +the merriment which follows, the Marquis de Courcy, Superintendent of the +Paris Grand Opera, whose carriage has broken down, makes his appearance, +seeking the aid of a wheelwright. He hears Chapelou singing, and is so +pleased with his voice that he offers him a position in the opera. +Chapelou after some persuasion accepts, entreats Bijou, the village +blacksmith, to look after Madeleine, and goes off with the Marquis in +quest of artistic glory. Bijou informs Madeleine of Chapelou's baseness, +and the act closes with her denunciations of him, in which she is +enthusiastically assisted by the female members of the wedding-party. + +The second act opens in Paris. Madeleine has inherited a fortune from an +aunt, and makes her appearance in the gay city as a rich and noble lady, +under the assumed name of Madame de la Tour. The Marquis de Courcy, who +is in love with her, at her request brings Chapelou, who is now a famous +tenor known as St. Phar, Bijou, the Lonjumeau blacksmith, who is primo +basso under the name of Alcindor, and the operatic chorus to her château +for a rehearsal. St. Phar, not wishing to sing, pleads a cold, but when +he learns that he is in the apartments of Madame de la Tour he consents, +and the rehearsal goes off finely. Left alone with his hostess, he +proposes to her and is accepted, but as he is already married he arranges +that Boudon, the chorus leader, shall play the part of priest. The +Marquis, who overhears the conspiracy, informs Madame de la Tour, who +sends for a real priest and accompanies St. Phar to the altar, where they +are married for the second time. + +In the third act St. Phar, who fears that he will be hanged for +committing bigamy, finds a happy escape from his troubles. The Marquis, +furious because he has been rejected by Madame de la Tour in favor of an +opera singer, seeks revenge, but his plans are thwarted. A humorous scene +ensues, in which St. Phar is tormented by Alcindor and the wedding-party, +as well as by the Marquis, who is now reconciled. Finally, upon being +left alone in a darkened room with Madame de la Tour, she also aggravates +him by personating two characters, singing from different sides of the +apartment in the voice of the Madame and that of Madeleine. The +dénouement ensues when she appears to him as the veritable Madeleine of +Lonjumeau, whither the joyous pair return and are happy ever after. + +The principal music of the first act is a romanza for soprano, "Husband +ever Dear," leading into a dance chorus; the famous Postilion's Song with +whip-snapping accompaniment; and a balcony serenade by Madeleine. The +second act opens with a long and well-written aria for soprano, which is +followed by the rehearsal scene,--a clever bit of humorous musical +writing. In the course of this scene the tenor has a characteristic aria, +preceded by a clarinet obligato, and the basso also has one running down +to G, in which he describes with much gusto the immunities of a basso +with a "double G." A duet follows for soprano and tenor with a cadenza of +extraordinary length, the act closing with a finale in the conventional +Italian style. + +The third act opens with a long clarinet solo, the refrain of which is +heard in the close of the act. This is followed by a "Good Night" chorus +in mazurka time. The tenor then has an aria followed by a comic trio, +which in reality is a duet, as the soprano is personating two singers +with different voices. A duet and finale close the opera, the music of +which is of just the class to be popular, while the action is so +sustained in its humor as to make the bright little opera a favorite +wherever heard. + + + + + AUBER, DANIEL FRANÇOIS ESPRIT. + + + + + Fra Diavolo. + + + [Opéra comique, in three acts; text by Scribe. First produced at the + Opéra Comique, Paris, January 28, 1830; in English, at Drury Lane + Theatre, London, November 3, 1831; in Italian, at the Lyceum, London, + July 9, 1857.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Fra Diavolo, leader of the brigands. + Lord Allcash, English nobleman. + Lady Allcash, his wife. + Matteo, innkeeper. + Zerlina, Matteo's daughter. + Lorenzo, Zerlina's lover. + Beppo, } + Giacomo, } brigands. + + The scene is laid at the village of Terracina, Italy; time, last + century. + +The first act of this universally favorite opera opens with the hurried +arrival of Lord Allcash, a typical English tourist, and his wife, at the +inn of Terracina, kept by Matteo, whose daughter, Zerlina, is loved by +Lorenzo, a young soldier. The latter is about to start for the capture of +Fra Diavolo, the leader of the bandits, when the action of the opera +begins. The English tourists have been robbed on their journey by the +band of this same Fra Diavolo, who has followed them in the disguise of a +marquis and has been very attentive to the susceptible Lady Allcash. Lord +Allcash has a quarrel with his wife on this account in a humorous duet, +"I don't object." Fra Diavolo learns that the travellers have saved the +most of their valuables, and lays his own plans to secure them. In an +interview with Zerlina, she, mistaking him for the Marquis, sings him the +story of Fra Diavolo in a romanza, "On Yonder Rock Reclining," which has +become a favorite the world over. To further his schemes he makes love to +Lady Allcash in a graceful barcarole, "The Gondolier, Fond Passion's +Slave." In the finale of the act Lorenzo and his carbineers return, and +not finding Fra Diavolo at the inn, where they had hoped to surprise him, +resume their search, leaving him to perfect his plans for the robbery. + +In the opening scene of the second act Zerlina is in her chamber, +preparing to retire. Before doing so, she lights Lord and Lady Allcash to +their room. During her absence Fra Diavolo and his companions, Beppo and +Giacomo, conceal themselves in her closet, Fra Diavolo having previously +given them the signal that the coast was clear by singing a serenade, +"Young Agnes," in violation of every rule of dramatic consistency. +Zerlina returns, and after singing a simple but charming prayer, "Oh! +Holy Virgin," retires to rest. In attempting to cross the room they +partially awake her. One of the bandits rushes to the bed to stab her, +but desists from his purpose as he hears her murmuring her prayer. Then +follows a trio by the robbers, sung pianissimo, which is very dramatic in +its effect. At this point the carbineers return again, and the house at +once is in an uproar. Lord and Lady Allcash rush in to find out the +cause, followed by Lorenzo, who came to greet Zerlina. A sudden noise in +the closet disturbs them. Fra Diavolo, knowing that he will be +discovered, steps out into the room, and declares he is there to keep an +appointment with Zerlina, whereupon Lorenzo challenges him. He accepts +the challenge and coolly walks out of the room. One of his comrades is +captured, but to secure his liberty agrees to betray his chief. + +The opening of the third act finds Fra Diavolo once more among his native +mountains. He gives expression to his exultation in a dashing, vigorous +song, "Proudly and wide my Standard flies," followed by the pretty rondo, +"Then since Life glides so fast away." As he joyously contemplates a +speedy meeting with Lord and Lady Allcash and the securing of their +valuables, villagers arrayed in festival attire in honor of the +approaching nuptials of Lorenzo and Zerlina enter, singing a bright +pastoral chorus, "Oh, Holy Virgin, bright and fair." The finale of the +act is occupied with the development of the scheme between Lorenzo, +Beppo, and Giacomo to ensnare Fra Diavolo, and the final tragedy in which +he meets his death at the hands of the carbineers, but not before he has +declared Zerlina's innocence. The text of the opera is full of vivacity +and humor, and the music so bright and melodious and yet artistically +scored that it made Auber's reputation at the Opéra Comique. + + + + + The Crown Diamonds. + + + [Opéra comique, in three acts; text by Scribe and St. George. First + produced in Paris in 1841; in English, at the Princess Theatre, London, + May 2, 1844.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Count de Campo Mayor, Minister of Police. + Don Henrique, nephew of the Count. + Don Sebastian, friend of Don Henrique. + Rebelledo, chief coiner. + Catarina, leader of the coiners. + Diana, cousin of Don Henrique. + + The scene is laid in Portugal; time, 1777. + +The story of "The Crown Diamonds," one of the most melodious of Auber's +works, is as follows: Don Henrique, nephew of the Count de Campo Mayor, +Minister of Police at Coimbra, on his way to participate in the +coronation ceremonies and at the same time to sign a marriage contract +with his cousin Diana, daughter of the Minister of Police, is overtaken +by a storm in the mountains and seeks shelter in a ruined castle near the +monastery of St. Huberto. While there he espies Rebelledo, the chief +coiner, and two of his comrades examining the contents of his trunk. The +latter, discovering him in turn and thinking him a spy, rush upon him, +but he is saved by Catarina, the leader of the gang, who returns him his +trunk and allows him to depart upon condition that he shall not mention +what he has seen for a year. He consents, but before he leaves, the gang +is surrounded by soldiers led by Don Sebastian, a friend of Don Henrique. +They make their escape, however, disguised as monks, while Rebelledo and +Catarina disappear through an underground passage, carrying with them a +mysterious casket of jewels. + +The second act opens in the Château de Coimbra, and discloses Don +Henrique in love with the mysterious Catarina and Diana with Don +Sebastian. As Diana and Don Henrique are singing together, Don Sebastian +announces that an accident has happened to a carriage and that its +occupants desire shelter. Catarina and Rebelledo enter and accept the +proffered hospitality. When Diana begins to read the account of a robbery +containing a description of Rebelledo and his companions, that worthy +vanishes, but Catarina remains in spite of Don Henrique's warning that +she is in the house of the Minister of Police. He declares his love for +her, and begs her to fly with him; she refuses, but gives him a ring as a +souvenir. At this point the Count enters, and announces that the crown +jewels have been stolen and Don Henrique's ring is recognized as one of +them. Catarina is saved by Diana, who promises Don Henrique she will send +her away in the Count's carriage if he will refuse to sign the marriage +contract. He consents, and Catarina makes her escape. + +The last act opens in the anteroom of the royal palace at Lisbon, where +the Count, Don Henrique, and Don Sebastian are present, and Diana awaits +an audience with the Queen. While they converse, Rebelledo enters, +announced as the Count Fuentes, and an usher brings him word that the +Queen will have private audience with him. While awaiting her, Rebelledo +in a monologue explains that the real crown jewels have been pledged for +the national debt, and that he has been employed to make duplicates of +them to be worn on state occasions until the genuine ones can be +redeemed. The Queen enters, declares she is satisfied with the work, and +makes Rebelledo Minister of Secret Police. Count de Campo Mayor then +announces to her the decision of the Council that she shall marry the +Prince of Spain. She declares she will make her own choice, and when the +Count remonstrates she threatens to confiscate his property for allowing +the crown jewels to be stolen, and orders him to arrest his daughter and +nephew for giving shelter to the thieves. Diana, suddenly entering, fails +to recognize her as Catarina, and implores pardon for her connivance in +the escape. Then Don Henrique still further complicates the situation. He +recognizes Catarina, and declares to Diana he will seize her and fly to +some distant land. His purpose is thwarted by his arrest for treason upon +the Queen's order. He rushes forward to implore mercy for Catarina, when +the Queen reveals herself and announces that she has chosen Don Henrique +for her husband and their King. + +The principal musical numbers of the opera are Rebelledo's rollicking +muleteer's song, "O'er Mountain steep, through Valley roaming," the +rondo, "The Young Pedrillo," with chorus accompaniment, and the +lugubrious chorus of the pseudo monks, "Unto the Hermit of the Chapel," +in the first act; the nocturne, "The Brigand," closing in gay bolero +time, "In the Deep Ravine of the Forest," Catarina's bravura aria, "Love! +at once I break thy Fetters," the duet, "If I could but Courage feel," +and the beautiful ballade, "Oh! whisper what thou feelest," in the second +act; the usually interpolated air, "When Doubt the Tortured Frame is +rending," originally written for Louisa Pyne, who really made the first +success for the opera, and the charming cavatina, "Love, dwell with me," +sung by the Queen in the last act. + + + + + AUDRAN, EDMUND. + + + + + Olivette. + + + [Comic opera, in three acts; text by Chivat and Duru. First produced at + the Bouffes Parisiens, Paris, November 13, 1879; first American + production, New York, January 7, 1881.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Captain de Mérimac, of the Man of War "Cormorant." + Valentine, his nephew, officer of the Rousillon Guards. + Duc des Ifs, cousin of the Countess. + Coquelicot, his foster brother. + Marvejol, Seneschal to the Countess. + Olivette, daughter of the Seneschal. + Bathilde, Countess of Rousillon. + Veloutine, the Seneschal's housekeeper. + Moustique, Captain's boy on board the "Cormorant." + + [Nobles of the Court of Rousillon, the watch of Perpignan, citizens, + gossips, wedding-guests, sailors, etc.] + + The scene is laid at Perpignan on the Mediterranean Sea; time of Louis + the Fourteenth. + +Following the English version of the opera, at the opening of the first +act the villagers of Perpignan are greatly excited over the approaching +marriage of Olivette, the Seneschal's daughter, and De Mérimac, an old +sea-captain. Olivette, however, just out of a convent, is in love with +Valentine, a young officer and the Captain's nephew. In the mean time the +Countess of Rousillon is also in love with Valentine and has come to +Perpignan to see him. She is at the house of the Seneschal, and is +surprised there by Valentine, who has climbed her balcony expecting to +find Olivette. The old Captain, who is making slow progress with his +suit, writes to the Countess demanding Olivette's hand. Valentine seizes +his opportunity, passes himself off as the Captain, and marries Olivette +at the request of the Countess herself. + +The second act opens with a ball which the Countess gives in honor of the +wedding, at which Valentine is forced to personate both himself and the +Captain. The latter appears upon the scene, and is heartily congratulated +as the bridegroom. When Valentine also appears as the old man, De Mérimac +resolves he will have the bride whom Valentine has secured by the use of +his name. By a little craft Olivette rids herself of her elderly suitor +only to encounter fresh trouble, for the Countess declares she will marry +the soldier. A plot is formed, the result of which is an order sending +the Countess out of the kingdom. + +The opening of the last act shows that the plot is partially successful. +The Countess is a prisoner on board De Mérimac's vessel, and Olivette and +Valentine, who are disguised as sailors, seek a vessel to take them away; +but Valentine is recognized and seized, Olivette contrives to free the +Countess, and passes herself off for her, Olivette's maid, Veloutine, +pretending to be her mistress. This introduces a new complication, for +the near-sighted Duke des Ifs courts the maid, supposing her to be +Olivette, and boasts of it to Valentine in the hearing of De Mérimac. +Both uncle and nephew then renounce Olivette until the Countess returns +and an explanation is made. In the dénouement Valentine is united to +Olivette and the Countess to the Duke, while the old Captain is advised +to follow the example of the Venetian Doges and "marry the sea," which he +promptly hastens to do, and follows his bride ever after. + +The music of "Olivette" is light and sprightly throughout, the most +taking numbers being the marine madrigal, a song with chorus, "The Yacht +and the Brig"; the pretty waltz song, "O Heart, wherefore so light," sung +by the Countess; Olivette's tyrolienne song, "The Convent slept"; +Valentine's serenade, "In Quaint and in Mystic Word," and Olivette's +characteristic sob song, "Oh! my Father," in the first act: Olivette's +serio-comic song, "The Matron of an Hour"; the Countess' song, "When +Lovers around Woman throng"; another humorous song for Olivette, "I do +think Fate, upon my Life"; a charming duet for Olivette and the Countess, +"Like Carrier Dove, I'll swift be flying," with the refrain, "I love my +Love so well," and the jolly farandole, "The Vintage over, then Maid and +Lover," sung and danced by Olivette, Countess, and chorus, in the second +act: the romanza "Nearest and dearest," an effective number for the +Countess, and three delicious bits of nonsense,--"Give Milk to Babes, to +Peasants Beer," styled in the score a Grog-orian chant, the ridiculous +legend "The Torpedo and the Whale," and the dashing bolero, "Where Balmy +Garlic scents the Air," in the last act. + + + + + The Mascot. + + + [Comic opera, in three acts; text by Chivat and Duru. First produced at + the Bouffes Parisiens, Paris, December 29, 1880; first American + production, Gaiety Theatre, Boston, April 12, 1881.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Bettina, the Mascot. + Fiametta, daughter of Prince Lorenzo. + Pippo, a shepherd. + Lorenzo, prince of Piombino. + Rocco, a farmer. + Frederic, prince of Pisa. + Parafante, sergeant. + Matheo, innkeeper. + + [Peasants, lords and ladies of court, soldiers, etc.] + + The scene is laid in Piombino, Italy; time, the fifteenth century. + +The story of "The Mascot" is charmingly romantic, and much more +consistent and coherent than the usual plots of the comic operas. The +first act opens with a vintage festival. The peasants are all rejoicing +except Rocco, the farmer, who has had bad luck. Pippo, his shepherd, whom +he had sent to his brother for help, returns with a basket of eggs and a +letter in which he informs Rocco that he has also sent him Bettina, his +turkey-keeper, who will bring him prosperity, as she is a mascot. Pippo, +who is in love with Bettina, waxes eloquent over her charms, but when she +comes she is coldly received by Rocco and ordered to go back. As she is +preparing to leave, Prince Lorenzo, his daughter Fiametta, Prince +Frederic, and others of a hunting-party arrive and stop for refreshment. +Prince Lorenzo, who is one of the unlucky kind, learns by chance of +Bettina's gift, and determines to take her to his court; but Rocco +objects. The Prince, however, gains his consent by promising to make him +Lord Chamberlain. The party sets off homeward with Rocco in good spirits +and Bettina sad, while poor Pippo is left behind disconsolate. + +The second act opens in the palace at Piombino, where a festival is to be +given in honor of the marriage of Fiametta to Prince Frederic of Pisa. +Among the attractions of the fête is an entertainment by a troupe of +actors and dancers, the most prominent of whom is Saltarello, in reality +Pippo in disguise. The lovers discover each other and plan an escape; but +Rocco, who has recognized Pippo, frustrates their scheme by disclosing +his identity to the Prince, who orders his arrest. The situation is still +further complicated by the fickle Fiametta, who has fallen in love with +Pippo and tells him that Bettina is false and is about to marry Prince +Lorenzo. At last Pippo and Bettina have a chance to meet, and they make +their escape by leaping through a window into the river. + +The last act opens in the hall of an inn in Pisa. There has been a war +between the two princes, and Frederic has defeated Lorenzo. Pippo has +been a captain in the Pisan army, and Bettina, disguised as a trooper, +has fought by his side. They reveal their real names to Frederic, and +declare their intention of marriage. During preparations for the wedding +Prince Lorenzo, Fiametta, and Rocco, who are travelling about the country +as minstrels to make their living, owing to the misfortunes of war, meet +the bridal party at the inn. After mutual explanations Fiametta returns +to her old lover Frederic, and Pippo and Bettina are married. The Mascot +brings good luck to them all at last. + +The most interesting numbers in the opera are the drinking-song, "All +morose Thoughts now are flying"; the legend of the Mascots, "One Day the +Arch Fiend drunk with Pride," sung by Pippo and chorus; Bettina's song, +"Don't come too near, I tell you"; the quaint duet for Bettina and Pippo, +"When I behold your Manly Form"; the charming coaching-chorus, "Come, let +us now be off as quick as a Bird," sung by Bettina and chorus in the +first act; the chorus and air of Saltarello, "Hail, Princesses and +Lords"; the pretty duet, "Know'st thou those Robes," for Bettina and +Pippo, and the concerted finale of the second act; the stirring rataplan, +"Marking Time with Cadence so Steady," the entrance of the refugees +preluding the grotesque "Orang-Outang Song," sung by Fiametta and chorus, +and the graceful arietta following the entrance of the wedding-party in +the last act. + + + + + BALFE, MICHAEL WILLIAM. + + + + + The Bohemian Girl. + + + [Grand opera, in three acts; text by Bunn. First produced at Drury Lane + Theatre, London, November 27, 1843.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Arline, daughter of Count Arnheim. + Thaddeus, a Polish exile. + Gypsy Queen. + Devilshoof, Gypsy leader. + Count Arnheim, Governor of Presburg. + Florestein, nephew of the Count. + + [Retainers, hunters, soldiers, gypsies, etc.] + + The scene is laid at Presburg, Hungary; time, last century. + +"The Bohemian Girl," usually designated as grand opera, strictly +speaking, is a ballad opera, and is one of the few English works of its +class which has made a success upon the Continent and in the United +States. The first act opens with the rescue of Arline, daughter of Count +Arnheim, from the attack of a stag by Thaddeus, a Polish fugitive, who +has joined a gypsy band to save himself from arrest. In return for his +timely aid, the Count invites him to a banquet, where he gets into +trouble by refusing to drink the health of the Emperor. Devilshoof, the +leader of the band, saves him from the angry soldiers, but in turn is +himself seized. The Count allows Thaddeus to go, and Devilshoof +subsequently escapes, carrying Arline with him. + +Twelve years elapse between the first and second acts. The Count has +received no tidings from Arline and has given her up as lost. The second +act opens in the gypsy camp in the suburbs of Presburg, and discloses +Arline asleep with Thaddeus watching over her. The gypsies themselves +depart in quest of plunder, headed by Devilshoof, and happen upon +Florestein, the Count's nephew, returning in a drunken condition from a +revel. They speedily relieve him of his valuables. After their departure +Arline awakes, and Thaddeus tells her how she received the scar upon her +arm and of her rescue from the stag, at the same time declaring his love +for her. Arline confesses her love for him, and the two are united +according to the laws of the tribe by the Gypsy Queen, who is also in +love with Thaddeus, and vows vengeance upon the pair. The scene now +changes to a street in the city. A fair is in progress, and the gypsies +resort to it with Arline at their head. As they mingle among the people, +Florestein attempts to insult Arline, and an altercation ensues between +them, ending in his repulse. He seeks revenge by having her arrested for +stealing a medallion which belonged to him and which the Gypsy Queen, +knowing it to be his, had maliciously given to her. Arline is brought +before the Count for trial, during which he asks her about the scar on +her arm. She replies by relating the story Thaddeus had told her, and +this leads to his discovery of his daughter. + +The last act finds Arline restored to her old position but still +retaining her love for Thaddeus. With Devilshoof's help he secures a +meeting with her. The Gypsy Queen gives information to the Count, and +Thaddeus is ordered to leave. Arline implores her father to relent, and +threatens to go with her lover. The situation happily resolves itself +when Thaddeus proves that he is of noble descent. The Count thereupon +yields and gives his daughter to him. The baffled and furious Gypsy Queen +induces one of the tribe to fire at Thaddeus, but by a timely movement of +Devilshoof the bullet pierces the heart of the Queen. + +The principal musical numbers of the first act are the Count's solo, "A +Soldier's Life"; the pathetic song, "'T is sad to leave your Fatherland"; +the gypsy chorus, "In the Gypsy's Life you may read," and the prayer in +the finale, "Thou who in Might supreme." The second act contains some of +the most melodious and effective numbers in the work, including the +quaint little chorus, "Silence, Silence, the Lady Moon"; the joyous song, +"I dreamed I dwelt in Marble Halls," which is a universal favorite; the +musical dialogue and ensemble, "The Secret of her Birth"; the gypsy's +song, "Come with the Gypsy Bride"; the beautiful unaccompanied quartette, +"From the Valleys and Hills," and the impressive reverie by the Count, +"The Heart bowed down." The last act has two delightful numbers,--the +tender and impassioned song, "When other Lips and other Hearts," and the +stirring martial song, "When the Fair Land of Poland," in which Thaddeus +avows his noble descent and boasts the deeds of his ancestry in battle. + + + + + The Rose of Castile. + + + [Comic opera, in three acts; text by Harris and Falconer. First + produced at the Lyceum Theatre, London, October 29, 1857.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Elvira, Queen of Leon and "Rose of Castile." + Manuel, Don Sebastian, the Infant, in disguise of muleteer. + Carmen, attendant of the Queen. + Don Pedro, } + Don Sallust, } + Don Florio } conspirators. + + The scene is laid in Spain; time, last century. + +At the opening of the opera, Elvira, Queen of Leon, has just ascended the +throne, and her hand has been demanded by the King of Castile for his +brother, Don Sebastian, the Infant. The latter, with the design of +satisfying his curiosity about her, is on the eve of entering Castile +disguised as a muleteer. Elvira hears of this, and adopts the same +expedient, by starting with Carmen, one of her attendants, disguised as +peasants to intercept him. In the opening of the first act the two appear +at an inn where the peasants are dancing. The innkeeper is rude to them, +but Don Sebastian, disguised as Manuel the muleteer, protects them, and +offers his services as escort, which the Queen willingly accepts, for she +has recognized him and he has fulfilled the motive of the story by +falling in love with her. At this point Don Pedro, who has designs upon +the throne, with his fellow-conspirators Don Sallust and Don Florio, +enter. Observing Elvira's likeness to the Queen, they persuade her to +personate Her Majesty, which, after feigned reluctance, she consents to +do. She also accepts their services as escorts, and all the more +unhesitatingly because she knows Manuel will follow her. + +The second act opens in the throne-room of the palace. Don Pedro enters, +somewhat dejected by the uncertainty of his schemes. The Queen, who has +eluded the surveillance of the conspirators, also appears and grants an +audience to Manuel, in which he informs her of the meeting with the +peasant girl and boy and declares his belief they were the Queen and +Carmen. He also informs her of the conspirators' plot to imprison her, +which she thwarts by inducing a silly old Duchess to personate the Queen +for one day and, closely veiled, ride to the palace in the royal +carriage. Her scheme succeeds admirably. The Duchess is seized and +conveyed to a convent. In the next scene Don Pedro and Don Florio are +mourning over the loss of their peasant girl, when she appears. Their +mourning turns to desperate perplexity when the Queen reveals herself and +announces her intention of marrying the muleteer. + +In the last act Carmen and Don Florio agree to marry. Then the Queen and +her ladies enter, and a message is delivered her from Don Sebastian +announcing his marriage. Enraged at the discovery that the muleteer is +not Don Sebastian, the Queen upbraids him and yet declares she will be +true to him. This pleases Don Pedro, as he believes he can force her to +abdicate if she marries a muleteer; but in the last scene Manuel mounts +the throne, and announces he is King of Castile, Elvira expresses her +delight, and all ends happily. + +The story of the opera is exceedingly involved, but the music is well +sustained and ranks with the best that Balfe has written. The principal +numbers of the first act are the lively chorus, "List to the Gay +Castanet"; the vocal scherzo by Elvira, "Yes, I'll obey you"; Manuel's +rollicking song, "I am a Simple Muleteer"; the buffo trio, which ends in +a spirited bacchanal, "Wine, Wine, the Magician thou art"; and Elvira's +pleasing rondo, "Oh! were I the Queen of Spain." The second act contains +the expressive conspirators' chorus, "The Queen in the Palace"; the +beautiful ballad, "Though Fortune darkly o'er me frowns," sung by Don +Pedro; the ballad, "The Convent Cell," sung by Elvira, which is one of +Balfe's happiest inspirations; the buffo trio, "I'm not the Queen, ha, +ha"; and Elvira's characteristic scena, "I'm but a Simple Peasant Maid." +The leading numbers of the last act are the bravura air, "Oh! Joyous, +Happy Day," which was intended by the composer to show the vocal ability +of Eliza Pyne, who first appeared in the role of Elvira; Manuel's fine +ballad, "'Twas Rank and Fame that tempted thee"; Don Pedro's martial +song, "Hark, hark, methinks I hear"; the stirring song by Manuel, when he +mounts the throne, which recalls "The Fair Land of Poland" in "The +Bohemian Girl"; and Elvira's second bravura air, "Oh! no, by Fortune +blessed." + + + + + BELLINI, VINCENZO. + + + + + La Sonnambula. + + + [Grand opera, in two acts; text by Romani. Produced for the first time + in Milan, March 6, 1831; in London, at the King's Theatre, July 28, + 1831; in Paris, October 28, 1831; in New York, May 14, 1842.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Amina, ward of the miller's wife. + Elvino, a landholder. + Rodolfo, lord of the village. + Lisa, innkeeper. + Alessio, a peasant, lover of Lisa. + Teresa, mistress of the mill. + + The scene is laid in Switzerland; time, last century. + +The first act of the opera opens with the preparations for the marriage +of Amina and Elvino. Lisa, the mistress of the inn, is also in love with +Elvino and jealous of Amina. On the day before the wedding, Rodolfo, the +young lord of the village, arrives to look after his estates, and puts up +at the inn, where he meets Amina. He pays her many pretty compliments, +much to the dissatisfaction of Elvino, who is inclined to quarrel with +him. After Rodolfo retires to his chamber, Amina, who is addicted to +sleep-walking, enters the room and throws herself upon the bed as if it +were her own. She is seen not only by Rodolfo, but also by Lisa, who has +been vainly seeking to captivate him. To escape the embarrassment of the +situation, Rodolfo quietly goes out; but the malicious Lisa hastens to +inform Elvino of what Amina has done, at the same time thoughtlessly +leaving her handkerchief in Rodolfo's room. Elvino rushes to the spot +with other villagers, finds Amina as Lisa had described, denounces her, +and offers himself to the latter. + +In the last act Amina is seen stepping from the window of the mill in her +sleep. She crosses a frail bridge above the mill wheel, descends in +safety, and walks into Elvino's arms amid the jubilant songs of the +villagers. Elvino at last is convinced of her innocence, while the +discovery of Lisa's handkerchief in Rodolfo's room proclaims her the +faithless one. + +The little pastoral story is of the simplest kind, but it is set to music +as melodious as ever has come from an Italian composer, and the rôle of +the heroine has engaged the services of nearly all the great artists of +the nineteenth century from Malibran to Patti. Its most striking melodies +are the aria "Sovra il sen" ("On my Heart your Hand do place"), in the +third scene of the first act, where Amina declares her happiness; the +aria for baritone in the sixth scene, "Vi ravviso" ("I recognize you, +Pleasant Spot"), sung by Rodolfo; the playful duet, "Mai piu dubbi" +("Away with Doubts"), in which Amina chides her lover for his jealousy; +the humorous and characteristic chorus of the villagers in the tenth +scene, "Osservate, l'uscio è aperto" ("Observe, the Door is open"), as +they tiptoe into the chamber; the duet in the next scene, "O mio dolor" +("Oh, my Sorrow"), in which Amina asserts her innocence; the aria for +tenor in the third scene of the second act, "Tutto e sciolto" ("Every Tie +is broken"), in which Elvino bemoans his hard lot; and that joyous +outburst of birdlike melody, "Ah! non giunge" ("Human Thought cannot +conceive"), which closes the opera. + + + + + BENEDICT, SIR JULIUS. + + + + + The Lily of Killarney. + + + [Romantic opera, in three acts; text by Oxenford and Boucicault. First + produced at Covent Garden Theatre, London, February 8, 1862.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Anne Chute, the heiress. + Mrs. Cregan, of the hall at Tore Cregan. + Father Tom, the priest. + Eily O'Connor, the Colleen Bawn. + Hardress Cregan, son of Mrs. Cregan. + Sheelah. + Danny Mann, the boatman. + Myles na Coppaleen. + Corrigan, "the middle-man." + + The scene is laid at Killarney, Ireland; time, last century. + +The opera "The Lily of Killarney" is the musical setting of the drama, +"The Colleen Bawn." The plot is essentially similar, and the characters +are identical. The first act opens with the festivities of Hardress +Cregan's friends at the hall at Tore Cregan. During their temporary +absence to witness a horse-race, Corrigan, "the middle-man," calls upon +Mrs. Cregan and suggests to her the marriage of her son to the heiress, +Anne Chute, as the only chance of securing the payment of a mortgage he +holds upon the place. Failing in this, he expresses his own willingness +to accept Mrs. Cregan's hand, but the hint meets with no favor. At this +point Danny Mann, Hardress' boatman, is heard singing, and Corrigan +informs Mrs. Cregan he is about to take her son to see Eily, the Colleen +Bawn, Anne Chute's peasant rival. Danny and Hardress set off on their +errand, leaving Mrs. Cregan disconsolate and Corrigan exultant. In the +second scene Corrigan and Myles na Coppaleen, the peasant lover of the +Colleen Bawn, have an interview in which Corrigan tells him she is the +mistress of Hardress. The next scene introduces us to Eily's cottage, +where Father Tom is seeking to induce her to persuade Hardress to make +public announcement of his marriage to her. When Hardress appears he asks +her to give up the marriage certificate and conceal their union; but +Myles prevents this, and Father Tom makes Eily promise she will never +surrender it. + +In the second act Hardress is paying court to Anne Chute, but is haunted +by remorse over his desertion of Eily. Danny Mann suggests putting her on +board a vessel and shipping her to America, but Hardress rejects the +scheme. Danny then agrees that Eily shall disappear if he will send his +glove, a token secretly understood between them. This also he rejects. +Meanwhile Corrigan is pressing his alternative upon Mrs. Cregan, but is +interrupted by Hardress, who threatens to kill him if he does not desist. +Corrigan retires uttering threats of revenge. Danny Mann then intimates +to Mrs. Cregan that if she will induce Hardress to send the glove, he can +bring happiness to the family again. She secures the glove and gives it +to Danny, who promptly takes it to Eily with the message that her husband +has sent for her. Eily, in spite of Myles' warnings, gets into Danny's +boat and trusts herself to him. Danny rows out to a water cave, and +ordering her to step upon a rock demands the certificate. She refuses to +give it up, and Danny pushes her into the water. Myles, who uses the cave +for secret purposes, mistakes Danny for another and shoots him, and then, +espying Eily, plunges in and saves her. + +The dénouement of the story is quickly told in the last act. Hardress is +arrested for murder, but Danny, who was fatally wounded, makes a dying +confession of his scheme against the life of the Colleen Bawn. Corrigan +brings soldiers to the house of Anne Chute at the moment of Hardress' +marriage with her, but is thwarted in his revenge when Myles produces +Eily Cregan, Hardress' lawful wife. Mrs. Cregan also confesses her part +in the plot, and absolves her son from intentional guilt. Everything +being cleared up, Eily rushes into Hardress' arms, and the chorus +declares + + "A cloudless day at last will dawn + Upon the hapless Colleen Bawn." + +The music is very elaborate for light-opera purposes, and is written +broadly and effectively, especially for the orchestra. Many Irish +melodies sprinkled through the work relieve its heaviness. The principal +numbers are the serenade and duet, "The Moon has raised her Lamp above"; +Myles' song, "It is a Charming Girl I love"; Eily's song, "In my Wild +Mountain Valley he sought me," and the well-known original Irish melody, +"The Cruiskeen Lawn," also sung by Eily; the "Tally-ho" chorus, +introducing the second act; Danny Mann's recitative and airs, "The +Colleen Bawn" and "Duty? Yes, I'll do my duty"; the dramatic finale to +the second act; Myles' serenade in the third act, "Your Slumbers, och! +Soft as your Glance may be"; Hardress' beautiful song, "Eily Mavourneen, +I see thee before me"; and the fine concerted trio which closes the act. + + + + + BOIELDIEU, FRANÇOIS ADRIEN. + + + + + La Dame Blanche. + + + [Opéra comique, in three acts; text by Scribe. First produced at the + Opéra Comique, Paris, December 10, 1825; first time in English under + the title of "The White Maid" at Covent Garden, London, January 2, + 1827.] + + PERSONAGES. + + George Brown, or Julius of Avenel. + Gaveston, late steward of the Avenel estate. + MacIrton, an auctioneer. + Dikson, an honest farmer. + Anna, adopted child of the Lady of Avenel. + Jenny, wife of Dikson. + Margaret, servant of the late Lady of Avenel. + + [Mountaineers, peasants, etc.] + + The scene is laid in Scotland; time of the Stuarts. + +The story of this favorite opera, adapted from Walter Scott's novels "The +Monastery" and "Guy Mannering," runs as follows. The Laird of Avenel, a +Stuart partisan, upon the eve of going into exile after the battle of +Culloden, entrusts his estate and a considerable treasure concealed in a +statue, called "the White Lady," to Gaveston, his steward. The traditions +affirmed that the White Lady was the protectress of the Avenels, and the +villagers declared they had seen her in the neighborhood. Gaveston, +however, who puts no faith in the legend, announces the sale of the +castle, hoping that the superstition may keep others from bidding and +that he may get it for a low price. The steward decides to sell, because +he has heard the Laird is dead and knows there is no heir. + +Anna, an orphan, who had been befriended by the Laird, determines to +frustrate the designs of Gaveston, and appears in the village disguised +as the White Lady. She writes to Dikson, a farmer who is indebted to her, +to meet her at midnight in the castle of Avenel. His superstitious fears +lead him to decline the invitation, but George Brown, a young British +soldier on furlough, who is sharing the farmer's hospitality, volunteers +in his stead. He encounters the White Lady at the castle, and is informed +by her that he will speedily meet a young lady who has saved his life by +her careful nursing, Anna recognizing him as her recent patient. When the +day of sale comes, George and Anna are present, and the former buys the +castle in obedience to Anna's instructions, though he has not a shilling +to his name. When the time for payment comes, Anna produces the treasure +which had been concealed in the statue, and still in the disguise of the +White Lady reveals to him the secret of his birth during the exile of his +parents, and informs him he is Julius of Avenel. Gaveston approaches the +spectre, and tears off her veil, revealing Anna. Moved by the zeal and +fidelity of his father's ward, George offers her his hand, which after +some maidenly scruples she accepts. + +In the first act the principal numbers are the opening song of George, +"Ah! what Pleasure a Soldier to be"; the characteristic ballad of the +White Lady with choral responses, "Where yon Trees your Eye discovers"; +and the graceful trio in the finale, "Heavens! what do I hear." The +second act opens with a plaintive romanza, "Poor Margaret, spin away," +sung by Margaret, Anna's old nurse, at her spinning-wheel, as she thinks +of the absent Laird, followed in the fifth scene by a beautiful cavatina +for tenor, "Come, O Gentle Lady." In the seventh scene there is a +charming duet, "From these Halls," and the act closes with an ensemble +for seven voices and chorus which is extremely effective. The third act +opens with a sentimental air for Anna, "With what Delight I behold," +followed in the third scene by a stirring chorus of mountaineers, "Hail +to our Gallant, our New-made Lord," and leading up to "The Lay ever sung +by the Clan of Avenel"--set to the familiar melody of "Robin Adair." +Though somewhat old-fashioned, the opera still retains its freshness, and +its refined sentiment finds charming musical expression. + + + + + CELLIER, ALFRED. + + + + + Dorothy. + + + [Comic opera, in three acts; text by Stephenson. First produced at the + Gaiety Theatre, London, September 25, 1886.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Dorothy Bantam, Squire Bantam's daughter. + Lydia Hawthorne, her cousin. + Priscilla Privett, a widow. + Phyllis, Tuppet's daughter. + Geoffrey Wilder, Bantam's nephew. + Harry Sherwood, Wilder's chum. + Squire Bantam, of Chanticleer Hall. + Lurcher, a sheriff's officer. + Tuppet, the village landlord. + Tom Grass, in love with Phyllis. + + [Farm hands, hop-pickers, and ballet.] + + The scene is laid in Kent, England; time, a hundred years ago. + +The story of "Dorothy" is a simple one, but affords much scope for humor. +The first act opens in a hop-field, introducing a chorus and dance of the +hop-pickers. Afterward appears Dorothy, daughter of a wealthy squire, who +is masquerading in a peasant's dress, and while serving the landlord's +customers falls in love with a gentleman whose horse has lost a shoe. Her +cousin, Lydia Hawthorne, who is with her in disguise, also falls in love +with a customer. Each girl gives her lover a ring, and each lover vows he +will never part with it; but that same evening at a ball the faithless +swains give the rings to two fine ladies, who are none other than Dorothy +and Lydia as their proper selves. After they have parted, the two lovers, +Wilder and Sherwood, play the part of burglars and rob Squire Bantam. +Dorothy, disguised in male attire, then challenges her lover, who, though +he accepts, displays arrant cowardice, which leads up to the inevitable +explanations. Incidentally there is much fun growing out of the efforts +of Lurcher, the sheriff's officer, who has followed Wilder and Sherwood +down from London to collect a bill against the former. In the end Wilder +and Sherwood are united to Dorothy and Lydia amid great rejoicing at +Chanticleer Hall. + +The principal numbers are the ballad, "With such a Dainty Dame"; the song +of "The Sheriff's Man" by Lurcher, Wilder, and Sherwood; the quartette +"You swear to be Good," and the jolly chorus "Under the Pump," in the +first act; the introduction and country dance, the bass song by Bantam, +"Contentment I give you," and the ballad, "I stand at your Threshold," +sung by Sherwood, in the second act; and the chorus of old women, +"Dancing is not what it used to be," Phyllis' ballad, "The Time has come +when I must yield" and the septette and chorus, "What Joy untold," +leading up to the elaborate finale of the last act. + + + + + CHASSAIQUE, F. + + + + + Falka. + + + [Comic opera, in three acts; text by Letterier and Vanloo.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Kolbach, military governor of Montgratz. + Tancred, his nephew. + Arthur, student, son of a rich Hungarian farmer. + Lay Brother Pelican, doorkeeper of the convent. + Konrad, captain of the governor's pages. + Tekeli, sergeant of the patrol. + Boboky, gypsy scout. + Boleslas, chief of the gypsies. + The Seneschal, Kolbach's steward. + Falka, niece of Kolbach, at the convent school. + Edwige, sister of Boleslas. + Alexina de Kelkirsch, a young heiress. + Minna, her maid. + Janotha, landlady of the inn. + + [Military pages, soldiers of the watch, maids of honor, peasants, + Bohemians, etc.] + + The scene is laid in Hungary; time, the middle of the eighteenth + century. + +The first act of "Falka" opens with the announcement that Kolbach, the +military governor of Hungary, has been promised a patent of nobility by +the Emperor upon the condition that he can establish the succession with +a male heir, either direct or collateral. He is childless himself, but he +has a niece, Falka, who is in a convent, and a nephew, Tancred, who is +usher in a village school. The brother of Kolbach is dead. His hopes for +the heir rest upon Tancred, whom he has never seen. He summons him to +take a place in his house as the heir presumptive. On his way, Tancred is +captured by a band of gypsies, led by Boleslas, but is released by +Edwige, Boleslas' sister, on condition that he marries her. All this has +happened in the night, and Edwige has not even seen Tancred's face. The +latter, when he learns who Edwige is, flies, and is pursued to the city +where Kolbach lives by Boleslas and Edwige. From a pocket-book he has +dropped they discover he is the nephew of the governor, and plot to +identify him at the meeting, but Tancred, overhearing them, decides to +baffle them by not appearing, and writes to his uncle that he is detained +by illness. In the mean time Falka, the niece, has eloped with a young +man named Arthur. Closely pursued by Brother Pelican, the convent +doorkeeper, the fugitives arrive at the inn where Kolbach and Tancred +were to have met. To foil Brother Pelican, Falka arrays herself in a suit +of Arthur's, and then boldly decides to personate her brother. Kolbach is +easily deceived, but new complications ensue. Brother Pelican, finding +Falka's convent dress, suspects she has disguised herself as a boy and +arrests Arthur for her. Boleslas and Edwige, witnessing the meeting of +Falka and Kolbach, are certain Falka is the missing Tancred. For Falka's +sake Arthur is silent, and the cortège sets out for the castle where the +heir presumptive is to be engaged, by the Emperor's order, to the rich +young Alexina de Kelkirsch. + +In the second act Brother Pelican takes Arthur to the convent in Falka's +dress, and Falka remains in a soldier's uniform to win the consent of her +uncle to their union. Her plans are now disturbed by the arrival of +Tancred, disguised as a footman, to watch his own interests and thwart +the schemes of the young soldier, who he little dreams is his own sister. +He is afraid to reveal himself because he knows Boleslas is on his track. +He contrives that Falka shall be accused of broken vows before Kolbach, +and she is challenged by Boleslas, but escapes by revealing her sex to +Edwige. Arthur, who has been brought back from the convent, confesses the +interchange of dresses with Falka, whereupon Kolbach orders them both out +of his presence. Tancred displays unusual satisfaction, and thus +discloses his identity to Edwige. Thus the act closes with Kolbach's +discovery that Tancred is betrothed to a gypsy and that the pseudo +Tancred is his niece Falka. + +In the last act Kolbach reluctantly prepares for the marriage of Tancred +to Alexina, as the Emperor desires. Falka is shut up in a tower, whence +she is to be sent back to the convent. At this point Boleslas appears +with Edwige. An interview between the two brides leads to the +substitution of Edwige for Alexina, and Tancred marries the gypsy. Falka +escapes from the tower, but is caught and brought before her uncle, who +at last pardons her various follies, all the more willingly because he +has received a despatch from the Emperor that he may adopt her as his +heiress, the succession having been settled in the female line. + +The principal numbers in the first act are the stirring air and refrain, +"I'm the Captain," sung by Edwige, Tancred, and Boleslas, preluded by a +short march movement; a taking little nocturne, "There was no Ray of +Light," sung by Edwige; a rondo duet, "For your Indulgence"; and the long +and elaborate finale, which closes with an octette and full chorus. + +The second act opens with a charming chorus, "Tap, tap," sung by the +maids of honor, followed by couplets, "Perhaps you will excuse." Falka +has a pretty air, "Yon Life it seems," followed by the exit chorus, "Ah! +is she not a Beauty?" This in turn is followed by a characteristic +Bohemian chorus, "Tra-la-la," with a gypsy air, "Cradled upon the +Heather," coming in as a kind of vocal intermezzo. After a long ensemble, +"It was Tancred," a trio, "Oh Joy! oh Rapture!" is sung, in the course of +which there is an ingenious passage burlesquing Italian opera, followed +by a quintette, "His Aspect's not so overpowering," and leading up to an +elaborately concerted finale. + +The last act, though short, contains many brilliant numbers; among them +the bridal chorus, "Rampart and Bastian Gray," followed by a lively +Hungarian rondo and dance, "Catchee, catchee"; a romanza "At Eventide," +which literally passes "from grave to gay, from lively to severe," as it +begins with an andante agitato, changing to an andante religioso, and +ending with a waltz tempo, and repeating with the same abrupt changes; a +charming duo Berceuse, "Slumber, O Sentinel"; and the bell chorus, "There +the Bells go," preceding a short finale. + + + + + DEKOVEN, REGINALD. + + + + + Robin Hood. + + + [Comic opera, in three acts; text by Harry B. Smith. First produced in + Chicago, June 9, 1890.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Robert of Huntington, afterward Robin Hood. + Sheriff of Nottingham. + Sir Guy of Gisborne, his ward. + Little John, } + Will Scarlet, } + Friar Tuck, } + Allan a Dale, } outlaws. + Lady Marian Fitzwalker, afterwards Maid Marian. + Dame Durden, a widow. + Annabel, her daughter. + + [Villagers, milkmaids, outlaws, King's foresters, archers, pedlers, + etc.] + + The scene is laid in England; time of Richard the First. + +The first act of "Robin Hood" opens in the market-place of Nottingham, +where the villagers are holding a fair and at the same time celebrating +May Day with a blithe chorus, for Robin Hood's name is often associated +with that day. The three outlaws Allan a Dale, Little John, and Will +Scarlet, enter, and sing most lustily the praises of their free life in +Sherwood Forest, the villagers joining in chorus. The tantara changes to +a graceful and yet hilarious dance chorus, "A Morris Dance must you +entrance," sung fortissimo. The second number is a characteristic and +lively song by Friar Tuck, in which he offers at auction venison, ale, +and homespun, followed by No. 3, a humorous pastoral, the milkmaid's song +with chorus, "When Chanticleer crowing." This leads up to the entrance of +Robin Hood in a spirited chorus, "Come the Bowmen in Lincoln Green," in +which the free life of the forest is still further extolled. Another and +still more spirited scene introduces Maid Marian, which is followed by an +expressive and graceful duet for Maid Marian and Robin Hood, "Though it +was within this Hour we met," closing in waltz time. This is followed by +the Sheriff's buffo song with chorus, "I am the Merry Sheriff of +Nottingham," and this in turn by a trio introduced by the Sheriff, "When +a Peer makes Love to a Damsel Fair," which, after the entrance of Sir Guy +and his luckless wooing, closes in a gay waltz movement, "Sweetheart, my +own Sweetheart." In the finale Robin Hood demands that the Sheriff shall +proclaim him Earl. The Sheriff declares that by his father's will he has +been disinherited, and that he has the documents to show that before +Robin Hood's birth his father was secretly married to a young peasant +girl, who died when the Earl's first child was born. He further declares +that he reared the child, and that he is Sir Guy, the rightful heir of +Huntington. Maid Marian declares she will suppress the King's command and +not accept Sir Guy's hand, and Robin Hood vows justice shall be done when +the King returns from the Crusades. + +The second act opens with a brisk hunting-chorus, "Oh! cheerily soundeth +the Hunter's Horn," sung by Allan a Dale, Little John, Scarlet, and the +male chorus, in the course of which Scarlet tells the story of the tailor +and the crow, set to a humming accompaniment. This is followed by Little +John's unctuous apostrophe to the nut-brown ale, "And it's will ye quaff +with me, my Lads." The next number is a tinkers' song, "'Tis Merry +Journeymen we are," with characteristic accompaniment, followed by an +elaborate sextette, "Oh, see the Lambkins play." Maid Marian sings a +joyous forest song, "In Greenwood Fair," followed by Robin Hood's +serenade, "A Troubadour sang to his Love," and a quartette in which Maid +Marian declares her love for Robin Hood and Allan a Dale vows revenge. In +the finale, opening in waltz time, the Sheriff is placed in the stocks by +the outlaws, who jeer at him while Dame Durden flouts him, but he is +finally rescued by Sir Guy and his archers. The outlaws in turn find +themselves in trouble, and Maid Marian and Robin Hood are in despair. + +The last act opens with a vigorous armorers' song, "Let Hammer on Anvil +ring," followed by a pretty romance, "The Legend of the Chimes," with a +ding-dong accompaniment. A graceful duet follows, "There will come a +Time," in which Robin Hood and Maid Marian plight their troth. In strong +contrast with this, Annabel, Dame Durden, Sir Guy, the Sheriff, and Friar +Tuck indulge in a vivacious quintette, "When Life seems made of Pains and +Pangs, I sing my Too-ral-loo-ral-loo." A jolly country dance and chorus, +"Happy Day, Happy Day," introduce the finale, in which Maid Marian is +saved by the timely arrival of Robin Hood at the church door with the +King's pardon, leaving him free to marry. + + + + + Maid Marian. + + + [Comic opera, in three acts; text by Harry B. Smith. First produced at + Chestnut Street Opera House, Philadelphia, Pa., November 4, 1901.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Sheriff of Nottingham. + Little John. + Robin Hood. + Will Scarlet. + Friar Tuck. + Allan a Dale. + Guy of Gisborne. + Dame Durden. + Giles, } + Geoffrey, } gamekeepers. + Yussuf, a slave merchant. + Sir H. Vere de Vere, } + Sir Hugh Montford, } Knights of St. George. + Amina, a snake-charmer. + Lady Vivian. + Maid Marian. + + [Huntsmen, men at arms, Saracen warriors, mummers, Crusaders, etc.] + + The scene is laid in England and Palestine; time of Richard the First. + +The story of "Maid Marian" introduces most of the familiar characters in +"Robin Hood" and some new ones, and the scene alternates between Sherwood +Forest and Palestine. It is intended as a sequel to the latter opera. The +plot begins at the point where Maid Marian and Robin Hood were betrothed. +Robin has joined the Crusaders and left Marian on the eve of the wedding. +He also leaves a letter for Marian in Little John's charge, directing her +in case of trouble to apply to him for help. This letter is stolen by the +Sheriff of Nottingham, who substitutes for it a forged missive calculated +to make her believe that Robin is false. The first act closes with the +arrival of Little John and the forest outlaws, who leave for the holy +war. Marian joins them to seek for Robin. + +The second act opens in the camp of the Crusaders, near the city of Acre. +Maid Marian has been captured by the Saracens and sold into slavery, but +is rescued by Robin Hood. Then the Sheriff of Nottingham and Guy of +Gisborne, the latter still intent upon marrying Marian, appear in the +disguise of merchants and betray the camp into the hands of the Saracens. +Dame Durden's encounter with the Sheriff and Friar Tuck's antics as an +odalisque add merriment to the story. + +In the last act all the principals are back in England and the scene +opens with a Christmas revel in Huntington Castle. Robin thwarts all the +schemes of the Sheriff, comes into his rights, and is reunited to Maid +Marian. + +While the story lacks in interest as compared with that of "Robin Hood," +the music gains in dramatic power and seriousness of purpose, and at the +same time is full of life and vivacity. The overture is notable for being +in genuine concert form,--the first instance of the kind in comic opera +for many years past,--and thus naturally sets the pace, as it were, for +the opera, and gives the clew to its musical contents. The most +noticeable numbers in the first act are the Cellarer's Toast, "The Cellar +is dark and the Cellar is deep," a rollicking song for Scarlet, Friar +Tuck, and chorus; the charmingly melodious "Song of the Falcon," "Let one +who will go hunt the Deer," for Maid Marian; the Sheriff's song, "I am +the Sheriff Mild and Good," which is always popular; and a delightful +madrigal, the quintette "Love may come and Love may go." The second act +contains many pleasing and characteristic songs, among them "The Monk and +the Magpie," sung by Scarlet and chorus; the "Song of the Outlaw," a +spirited ballad by Robin Hood; the Sheriff's serenade, a popular tune, +"When a Man is in Love"; "The Snake Charmer's Song," by Maid Marian; and +the vigorous "Song of the Crusader" by Robin; but the two most effective +numbers are a graceful song, "Tell me again, Sweetheart," sung by Allan a +Dale, and the duet in waltz manner, "True Love is not for a Day," by +Robin and Marian. The third act is largely choral, the introductory +Christmas carolling and dance rhythms being especially effective, but it +contains one of the best solo numbers in the work, the dainty song with +chorus, "Under the Mistletoe Bough." The music throughout is dramatic, +strong, and well written. While the opera has not been as popular as its +predecessor, yet the music is of a higher order, and occasionally +approaches grand opera in its breadth and earnestness. + + + + + Rob Roy. + + + [Romantic comic opera, in three acts; text by Harry B. Smith. First + produced at the Herald Square Theatre, New York, October 29, 1894.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Rob Roy MacGregor, Highland chief. + Janet, daughter of the Mayor. + Prince Charles Edward Stuart, the young Pretender. + Flora MacDonald, partisan of the Pretender. + Dugald MacWheeble, Mayor of Perth. + Lochiel, otherwise Donald Cameron. + Capt. Ralph Sheridan, of the Grenadiers. + Sandy MacSherry, town-crier. + Tammas MacSorlie, the Mayor's henchman. + Lieut. Cornwallis, of the Grenadiers. + Lieut. Clinton. + Angus MacAllister. + Duncan Campbell. + Stuart MacPherson. + Donald MacAlpine. + Nellie, barmaid of "The Crown and Thistle." + + [Highlanders, Lowlanders, townsmen, watchmen, drummer-boys, English + Grenadiers, etc.] + + The scene is laid in Scotland; time of George the Second. + +The first act of "Rob Roy" opens in Perth, where Lochiel and his +Highlanders have stolen a considerable sum of money in the keeping of the +Provost, with which they propose to aid Prince Charles Stuart in his +designs upon the English throne. Flora MacDonald, a zealous partisan of +the young Pretender, appears upon the scene, and induces the Provost to +consent to a gathering of the clans in Perth. Hearing of a Scotch +victory, he compels his daughter Janet to marry Sandy MacSherry, the +town-crier, who claims relationship with the Stuarts. In the mean time +English grenadiers enter Perth, and their captain, Ralph Sheridan, falls +in love with Janet. The Provost, who is always on the side that is +uppermost, forces his daughter to declare herself the Captain's wife and +then accuses Sandy of stealing the missing money. Janet obeys him, but +immediately afterwards Rob Roy captures the town, and the Provost, to get +rid of his new English son-in-law, causes his arrest. It now appears that +the crafty Janet when she went through the Scotch form of marriage with +Sandy and the Captain was already secretly married to Rob Roy. To escape +her two nominal husbands she proposes to go with Rob Roy's Highlanders as +his orderly. The act closes with the gathering of the clans and the +elevation of the standard. + +The second act opens with the defeat of the Scotch at Culloden. A reward +is offered for the Prince, who is in hiding among the MacGregors in their +mountain stronghold. The Provost and his henchmen appear as strolling +balladmongers, still in Highland dress, and not having heard of the +Scotch defeat. When Sandy MacSherry arrives with the news of the English +victory, the Provost gets into English uniform at once, and determines to +secure the reward offered for the Prince. At last the Prince is found by +the English, but when they are about to take him away, Flora MacDonald +appears in the Prince's costume, declares him her servant, and is led +away by the soldiers in spite of the efforts of Rob Roy and the Prince to +rescue her. + +The third act opens near Stirling Castle, where Flora is confined under +sentence of death on the morrow. Lochiel aids her to escape, and she goes +to the MacGregors' cave, where the Prince is to join her. Meanwhile, her +cell being empty, Lochiel, who has taken the turnkey's place, puts Sandy +in it. The Provost, who is now an English corporal, supposing that Flora +is still in the castle, brings her a disguise costume in which Sandy +manages to effect his escape. Flora is found in the cave and brought back +to the camp, but is saved from being shot by the timely arrival of the +Prince, who gives himself up. As he is about to be executed, the +Lowlanders around him throw off their coats and stand revealed as armed +Highlanders. They keep the English soldiers at bay while the Prince and +Flora are seen sailing away for France. + +In the first act, after a long choral scene and ensemble, Flora makes her +entrance with the spirited song, "Away in the Morning Early," which is +followed by a sentimental duet with the Prince, "Thou, Dear Heart." The +town-crier next has a characteristic song with a ding-dong accompaniment. +After a grenadier song and chorus by Captain Sheridan and his soldiers, +there is a vigorous Highland chorus and song by Rob Roy, "The White and +the Red, huzzah." The remaining prominent numbers in this act are a +pretty duet for Rob Roy and Janet, "There he is and nae one wi' him"; a +charming Scotch ballad, "My Hame is where the Heather blooms," and a +humorous song by the Provost, "My Hairt is in the Highlands." + +The principal numbers in the second act are Janet's joyous song, "There +was a Merry Miller of the Lowland"; the spirited martial lay of the +Cavalier, "With their trappings all a-jingle"; the jolly song of the +balladmongers, "From Place to Place I fare, Lads"; Rob Roy's song, "Come, +Lairds of the Highlands"; and the effective romanza, "Dearest Heart of my +Heart," sung by Flora. + +The third act opens with a vigorous rataplan chorus followed by a +charming chansonette and duet, "Who can tell me where she dwells," sung +by the Prince and Flora. The remaining numbers are a short but +exceedingly effective bass song, "In the Donjon Deep"; the Provost's +serenade, "The Land of Romances," followed by a dance, and a pretty +little rustic song, "There's a Lass, some think her Bonny," for Rob Roy, +Janet, and chorus, leading up to a vigorous choral finale. + + + + + The Fencing-Master. + + + [Comic opera, in three acts; text by Harry B. Smith. First produced at + the New York Casino, November 14, 1892.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Francesca, Torquato's daughter, brought up as a boy. + Torquato, fencing-master of the Milanese court. + Pasquino, private astrologer to the Duke. + Galeazzo Visconti, Duke of Milan. + Count Guido Malespine. + Filippa, the Duke's ward. + Marchesa di Goldoni. + Theresa, daughter of a Milanese money-lender. + Pietro, an innkeeper. + Michaele Steno, Doge of Venice. + Rinaldo, Captain of the Doge's Guards. + Fortunio, rightful heir to the ducal throne. + + [Students in Torquato's Academy.] + + The scene is laid in Milan and Venice; time, the first quarter of the + fifteenth century. + +The heroine of this opera is Francesca, daughter of a fencing-master, who +has brought her up as a boy and taught her fencing among other +accomplishments. She is in love with Fortunio, rightful heir to the +throne of Milan, who believes her to be a boy. Fortunio in turn is in +love with the Countess Filippa, and the Marchesa di Goldoni, a young +widow, is in love with Francesca. The bankrupt and usurping Duke of Milan +and his private astrologer, of whom he has purchased so many horoscopes +as to deplete his exchequer, furnish the comedy element of the opera. The +Duke has mortgaged one room after another in his palace to money-lenders, +and has also employed a regularly organized stock company of Venetian +bravos to remove Fortunio. The first act closes with the departure of +Fortunio and Francesca to Venice on political business. + +The second act opens in Venice. Filippa has been sent there to be +married, but Fortunio plans an elopement with her and entrusts the secret +to Francesca. The jealous Francesca betrays the plan to Guido, his rival, +who abducts Filippa. When Fortunio discovers what Francesca has done, he +challenges the supposed young man, whose identity is revealed after he +has wounded her. Fortunio is arrested by the Duke and is about to be +taken to prison, when Francesca declares herself as the real traitor and +is imprisoned in his stead. + +In the last act Francesca escapes through the connivance of the Marchesa, +who still believes her to be a man. At a fête Filippa is expected to name +her future husband. Fortunio has made an appointment with her, but meets +Francesca disguised as the Countess, in a mask and domino like hers. She +learns from Fortunio that he really loves her and not Filippa. The opera +closes with the downfall of the usurping Duke and his astrologer and the +restoration of Fortunio to his rights. + +The music has the Italian color, the first act containing a graceful +tarantella and chorus, "Under thy Window I wait"; a duet, gavotte, and +chorus, "Oh, listen, and in Verse I will relate," sung by Theresa and +Pasquino; a lively song, "The Life of a Rover," by Fortunio; a charming +habanera and quintette, "True Love is a Gem so Fair and Rare"; and a +waltz quintette, "Lady Fair, I must decline." The second act opens with a +barcarole, "Over the Moonlit Waves we glide," and contains also a +graceful maranesca, "Oh, come, my Love, the Stars are bright"; a humorous +serenade for the Duke, "Singing a Serenade is no Light Task"; a +sentimental romanza for Francesca, "The Nightingale and the Rose"; and a +brilliant finale in which the music accompanies the historic ceremony of +the marriage with the Adriatic. The principal numbers of the third act +are a graceful carnival scene with chorus opening the act; the serenade +for the Marchesa and cavaliers, "Wild Bird that singeth"; a +will-o'-the-wisp song by Francesca, "Traveller wandering wearily"; and a +melodious duet for Francesca and Fortunio, "Dwells an Image in my Heart," +leading up to a short finale. + + + + + DELIBES, LEO. + + + + + Lakmé. + + + [Romantic opera, in three acts; text by Goudinet and Gille. First + produced at the Opéra Comique, Paris, April 14, 1883; in New York, + March 1, 1886.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Lakmé, daughter of Nilakantha. + Nilakantha, a Brahmin priest. + Gerald, an English officer, lover of Lakmé. + Frederick, an English officer. + Mallika, slave of Lakmé. + Hadji, slave of Lakmé. + Ellen, } + Rose, } daughters of the Viceroy. + Mrs. Benson, their governess. + + [Hindoos, Chinamen, fruit-venders, sailors, etc.] + + The scene is laid in India; time, last century. + +The opera of "Lakmé" opens in the sacred grounds of Nilakantha, a Brahmin +priest who has an aversion to all foreigners, where Gerald and Frederick, +two young English officers, with ladies are strolling about. They +gradually retire with the exception of Gerald, who is curious to see the +owner of some jewels left upon a shrine. Lakmé, the daughter of +Nilakantha, returns for them, espies Gerald, and there is a case of love +at first sight. The priest however interrupts their demonstrations, and +Gerald escapes his vengeance in a convenient thunder-storm. In the second +act Lakmé and Nilakantha appear in the market-place in the guise of +penitents. He forces his daughter to sing, hoping that her voice will +induce her lover to disclose himself. The scheme succeeds, and +Nilakantha, stealing upon Gerald, stabs him in the back and makes good +his escape. The third act opens in a jungle where Lakmé is nursing Gerald +with the hope of retaining his love. She eventually saves his life, but +while she is absent to obtain some water which, according to the Indian +legend, will make love eternal, Frederick finds him and urges him to +return to his regiment. Duty is more powerful than passion, and he +consents. When Lakmé finds that he is going, she takes poison and dies in +Gerald's arms. + +The first act opens with a chorus of Hindoos, oriental in its coloring, +followed by a duet between Lakmé and her father, the scene closing with a +sacred chant. A beautiful duet for Lakmé and her slave follows, "Neath +yon Dome where Jasmines with the Roses are blooming." As Lakmé appears at +the shrine, she sings a restless love song, "Why love I thus to stray?" +followed by Gerald's ardent response, "The God of Truth so Glowing." + +The first number of importance in the second act is the pathetic aria of +Nilakantha, addressed to his daughter, "Lakmé, thy Soft Looks are +over-clouded." Then follows Lakmé's bell song, "Where strays the Hindoo +Maiden," a brilliant and gracefully embellished aria with tinkling +accompaniment which will always be popular. The remaining principal +numbers are an impassioned song by Gerald, "Ah! then 'tis Slumbering +Love," followed by the mysterious response from Lakmé, "In the Forest +near at Hand." + +The music of the third act is tinged with sadness throughout, as the +action hastens to the tragic dénouement. Its principal numbers are the +low murmuring song by Lakmé, "'Neath the Dome of Moon and Star," as she +watches her sleeping lover; Gerald's song, "Tho' Speechless I, my Heart +remembers," followed by a pretty three-part chorus in the distance; and +Lakmé's last dying songs, "To me the Fairest Dream thou'st given," and +"Farewell, the Dream is over." + + + + + DONIZETTI, GAETANO. + + + + + The Daughter of the Regiment. + + + [Opéra comique, in two acts; text by Bayard and St. Georges. First + produced at the Opéra Comique, Paris, February 11, 1840.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Sulpice, an old sergeant. + Tony, a Tyrolean peasant in love with Marie. + Hortensius, secretary of the Marchioness. + Marie, the adopted Daughter of the Regiment. + Marchioness de Berkenfeld. + Duchesse de Crackenthorpe. + + [Villagers, soldiers, gentlemen, guests.] + + The scene is laid in the Tyrol; time, about twelve years after the + Battle of Marengo. + +At the opening of the opera Marie, the heroine, and vivandière in +Napoleon's Twenty-first Regiment, has been saved from falling over a +precipice by Tony, a Tyrolean peasant, and is ever after the object of +his special admiration and, shortly, of his love. She tells the story of +her life, from which it appears that she was adopted as the Daughter of +the Regiment because she was picked up on the field of battle by Sergeant +Sulpice, who found upon her person a letter written by her father to the +Marchioness de Berkenfeld. Tony's reward for his rescue of Marie is his +arrest as a spy, but not before he has declared his love for her. He +easily clears up his record, and the soldiers decide he may have Marie's +hand if he will join them. He gives joyous assent to this proposition, +but his hopes are suddenly dashed to the ground when the Marchioness de +Berkenfeld appears. Sergeant Sulpice delivers the letter to her, after +reading which she claims Marie as her niece, and carries her off amidst +smothered imprecations by the soldiers and especially by Tony upon the +Marchioness. + +In the second act Marie is found in her new home at the castle of +Berkenfeld, and the old sergeant is with her, while she is rehearsing a +romance which she is to sing to a grand company. She and Sulpice suddenly +break out into a rollicking rataplan, and go through military evolutions +to the horror of the Marchioness. While the latter is expostulating with +them, martial music announces the approach of the gallant Twenty-first, +with Tony at their head, for he is now a colonel. He makes another appeal +for Marie's hand, and the appeal is seconded by the soldiers, but the +Marchioness refuses the favor. Tony then proposes an elopement, to which +Marie consents. To thwart this scheme, the Marchioness announces that +early in life she had been secretly married to an army officer of low +rank and that he was Marie's father. Unable to disobey her mother's +wishes, Marie gives up Tony and falls into a melancholy mood. Her sad +plight rouses old associations in the mind of the Marchioness, and she at +last gives her consent to the union. + +The music of the first act is very brilliant, and includes among its best +numbers Marie's opening song, "The Camp was my Birthplace"; the duet with +Sulpice, known the world over as "The Rataplan," stirring and martial in +its character and accompanied by the rattling of drums and the sonorous +strains of the brasses; the spirited "Salute to France"; Marie's song of +the regiment, "All Men confess it"; her pretty duet with Tony, "No longer +can I doubt it"; and her touching adieu to the regiment, "Farewell, a +Long Farewell." + +In the second act the principal numbers are the "Rataplan" (repeated); +Marie's aria, "By the Glitter of Greatness and Riches"; the soldiers' +spirited choral appeal, "We have come our Child to free"; Tony's romance, +"That I might live in her Dear Sight"; and the effective trio, "Once +again, what Delight," leading to the exultant finale. The music of the +opera is light, but exceedingly brilliant, and the leading rôles have +always been esteemed by great artists. That of Marie was a favorite one +with Jenny Lind, Patti, Sontag, and Albani. + + + + + Don Pasquale. + + + [Opera buffa, in three acts; text and music by Donizetti. First + produced at the Theatre des Italiens, Paris, January 4, 1843.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Don Pasquale, an obstinate but kind-hearted bachelor. + Dr. Malatesta, his friend and physician. + Ernesto, Don Pasquale's nephew. + Norina, a young widow. + Notary. + + [Valets, chambermaids, majordomo, dressmaker, etc.] + + The scene is laid in Rome; time, last century. + +The opening of the first act of "Don Pasquale" discloses the Don enraged +with Ernesto, his nephew, because he will not marry to suit him. Dr. +Malatesta, a mutual friend, comes to the help of Ernesto, to whom he is +greatly attached, and contrives a scheme to further his interests. He +urges the Don to marry a lady, pretending she is his (the doctor's) +sister, in reality Norina, with whom Ernesto is in love. Norina is let +into the secret, her part being to consent to the marriage contract and +then so torment Don Pasquale that he will be glad to get rid of her and +even consent to her marriage with Ernesto. + +In the second act Ernesto is found bewailing his fate. The Don enters, +showily arrayed for his wedding. Norina appears with the doctor, and +shyly and reluctantly signs the wedding-contract. As soon as she has +signed it, however, she drops all modesty. The bewildered Ernesto is kept +quiet by signs from the doctor. Norina first refuses all the Don's +demonstrations, and then declares Ernesto shall be her escort. She +summons the servants, and lays out a scheme of housekeeping upon such an +extravagant scale that Don Pasquale declares he will not pay the bills. +She says he shall, as she is now master of the house. + +In the third act Norina continues her annoying antics. She employs the +most expensive milliners and modistes. At length, when he finds that she +is going to the theatre, he forbids it. A quarrel follows. She boxes his +ears, and as she flounces out of the room she purposely drops a letter, +the contents of which add jealousy to his other troubles. At this +juncture Dr. Malatesta comes in and condoles with him. Nothing will +satisfy Don Pasquale, however, except her leaving the house, and finally +he orders her to go, at the same time taxing her with having a lover +concealed on the premises. The doctor pleads with him to let his nephew +marry Norina. When he finds she is really the doctor's sister, he is only +too glad to get out of his troubles by consenting to the marriage of the +young couple and blessing them. + +The principal numbers in the first act are the duet for Ernesto and Don +Pasquale; the scena for Norina, "And in that Look she gave"; and the +charming duet for Norina and the doctor, "What Sport we'll have," closing +the act. The second act opens with the lugubrious aria, "Oh! how at one +Fell Blow," in which Ernesto bewails his sad condition, and also contains +a charming quartette. The gem of the opera is the serenade in the last +act, "How Soft the Air -- in April Night so Fair," better known perhaps +by its Italian title, "Com 'e gentil," which was inserted by Donizetti +after the first performance to strengthen the work and make it more +popular. The serenade has been heard the world over and is a favorite +concert number still. The charm of "Don Pasquale" lies in its humorous +situations and the bright, melodious music which illustrates them. For +brilliant gayety it stands in the front rank of comic operas. + + + + + Linda. + + + [Grand opera, in three acts; text by Rossi. First produced at the + Kärnthnerthor Theatre, Vienna, May 19, 1842.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Linda, daughter of Antonio. + Pierotto, a villager. + Antonio, a farmer. + Madalina, his wife. + Marquis of Boisfleury. + Carlo, the Marquis' son. + Prefect. + + [Villagers, Savoyards, etc.] + + The scene is laid in Switzerland; time, last century. + +The first act of "Linda de Chamouni" opens in the valley of that name, +and discloses the home of Antonio Lonstolat, a farmer, and his old wife, +Madalina, whose only daughter, Linda, is in love with Carlo, a young +painter who has recently come into the valley. Misfortunes have overtaken +the old couple, and they are in danger of losing their farm, which is +owned by the Marchioness de Sirval. Their anxiety is temporarily relieved +when the Marquis of Boisfleury visits them and assures them he will save +the farm, his real purpose being to effect the ruin of Linda by +ingratiating himself with her parents. The Prefect of the village, +however, is aware of his designs, and induces them to let Linda accompany +a party of villagers to Paris, promising at the same time to place her +with his brother, who is supposed to be living in that city. She soon +leaves under the protection of Pierotto, the Savoyard. + +The second act discloses them on the way to Paris, but Linda +unfortunately loses her companion. Upon reaching Paris she finds that the +Prefect's brother is dead. Meanwhile Carlo, who has followed her, +arrives, and reveals to her that he is the Viscount Sirval, son of the +Marchioness, and nephew of the Marquis. He renews his offer of marriage, +and places her in a handsome apartment. In these questionable +surroundings Pierotto discovers her. Her father, who has had to give up +the farm, also finds her, and, distrusting her innocence amid such +luxury, curses her. The Marchioness meanwhile, who has learned of her +son's attachment, threatens to imprison Linda if he does not marry the +lady she has selected for him. He gives his feigned consent, and Linda, +thinking he has deserted her, goes insane. + +In the last act Pierotto takes her back to her native village. Carlo +arrives there in search of her, and finding her with Pierotto sings to +her, hoping she will recognize his voice and that her reason may return. +The song has the desired effect. Subsequently the Marchioness relents, +gives her consent to their union, and all ends happily. + +The music of "Linda" is of that serious and dignified kind which +justifies its inclusion in the list of grand operas. In the first act the +opening aria of Antonio, "We were both in this Valley nurtured," is a +touching expression of the sorrow of the aged couple. Linda's farewell, +"Oh, Stars that guide my Fervent Love," familiar on the concert stage by +its Italian title, "O, luce di quest' anima," is an aria of strong +dramatic power, and has always been a popular favorite. In this act also +are Pierotto's pathetic ballad, "Once a Better Fortune seeking," and the +passionate duet for Linda and Carlo, "Oh that the Blessed Day were come." +The principal numbers in the second act are the brilliant duet for Linda +and Pierotto, "Oh, Linda, at thy Happy Fate," which is highly +embellished, and the aria for Linda, "Ah! go, my Love." The last act +contains a mournful aria by Carlo, "If from Heaven the Bolts should reach +me"; his charming song in which he appeals to Linda, "Hear the voice +that, softly singing"; and the rapturous duet for Linda and Carlo, "Ah! +the Vision of thy Sorrow fades," which closes the opera. + + + + + The Elixir of Love. + + + [Opera buffa, in two acts; text by Romani. First produced in Milan in + 1832; in English at Drury Lane Theatre, London, in 1839.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Nemorino, a young husbandman. + Sergeant Belcore. + Dr. Dulcamara, a travelling quack. + Landlord. + Notary. + Pietro, peasant. + Adina, a country girl. + Gianetta, } + Floretta, } her companions. + + [Farmers, peasants, soldiers, villagers, etc.] + + The scene is laid in an Italian village; time, last century. + +Few more graceful little operas have been written than "The Elixir of +Love." Its heroine, Adina, a capricious country girl, is loved by +Nemorino, a farmer, whose uncle lies at the point of death, also by +Belcore, a sergeant, whose troops are billeted upon the neighboring +village. Adina has both her lovers in suspense when Dr. Dulcamara, a +quack, arrives in the village to sell his nostrums. Nemorino applies to +him for a bottle of the Elixir of Love, and receives from him a bottle of +ordinary wine with the assurance that if he drinks of it he can command +the love of any one on the morrow. To make sure of its agreeable +properties, he drinks the whole of it with the result that he accosts +Adina in a half-tipsy condition, and so disgusts her that she promises to +marry the sergeant in a week. In the mean time an order comes for the +departure of the troops, and the sergeant presses her to marry him that +day. + +Adina gives her consent, and the second act opens with the assembling of +the villagers to witness the signing of the marriage contract. While the +principals and notary retire for the signing, Nemorino enters, and +finding Dr. Dulcamara begs of him some charm that will make Adina love +him; but as he has no money the quack refuses to assist him. Nemorino is +in despair, but at this juncture the sergeant enters out of humor, as the +capricious Adina has refused to sign until evening. Finding that Nemorino +needs money, he urges him to enlist, and for the sake of the bonus of +twenty crowns he consents. Nemorino hastens with the money to the quack, +and obtains a second bottle of elixir which is much more powerful than +the first. The girls of the village somehow have discovered that +Nemorino's uncle has died and left him a handsome property, of which good +fortune, however, Nemorino is ignorant. They use all their charms to +attract his favor. Nemorino attributes his sudden popularity to the +elixir, and even the quack himself is surprised at the remarkable change +in his customer. Nemorino now pays Adina off in kind by making her +jealous. Dr. Dulcamara comes to her assistance, seeing an opportunity for +the sale of more elixir. He explains its properties to her, tells her of +Nemorino's attachment, and advises her to try some of it. Struck with his +devotion, she announces another change of mind to the sergeant, and +bestows her hand upon the faithful Nemorino. + +The opera abounds with bright and gay musical numbers, the most +attractive of which are the long and characteristic buffo song, "Give Ear +now, ye Rustic Ones," in which Dr. Dulcamara describes his various +nostrums to the villagers; the charmingly humorous duet, "Much obliged," +for Nemorino and Dr. Dulcamara; and the ensemble, "The Wine-cup full +teeming," in which the half-tipsy Nemorino appears in the finale of the +first act. The prominent numbers of the second act are the beautiful +duet, "What Affection and oh, how cruel," for Adina and Dr. Dulcamara; +the beautiful romanza for Nemorino, "In her Dark Eye embathed there +stood" ("Una furtiva lacrima"), which is of world-wide popularity; and +Adina's gracefully melodious aria, "So much Joy is more than my Heart can +contain." + + + + + EICHBERG, JULIUS. + + + + + The Doctor of Alcantara. + + + [Comic operetta, in two acts; text by Wolfe. First produced at the + Museum, Boston, Mass., April 7, 1862.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Dr. Paracelsus. + Señor Balthazar. + Carlos, his son. + Perez, } + Sancho, } porters. + Don Pomposo, alguazil. + Donna Lucrezia, wife of Dr. Paracelsus. + Isabella, her daughter. + Inez, her maid. + + [Serenaders, citizens, etc.] + + The scene is laid in Alcantara, Spain; time, last century. + +The first act of this operetta opens with a dainty serenade by Carlos, +son of Señor Balthazar, to Señorita Isabella, daughter of Dr. Paracelsus, +with whom he is in love. Isabella, who is intended for another by her +mother, Donna Lucrezia, prefers this unknown serenader. As the song +closes, Isabella, Lucrezia, and even the maid Inez claim it as a +compliment, and quarrel over it in an effective buffo trio, "You Saucy +Jade." Three songs follow this number,--"Beneath the Gloomy Convent +Wall," "When a Lover is Poor," and "There was a Knight, as I've been +told," in which the three women recite their unfortunate love affairs. As +their songs close, the doctor enters with the announcement that a basket +has arrived, ostensibly for Inez. The curious Lucrezia looks into it, and +finds Carlos, who immediately jumps out and sings a passionate love-song, +"I love, I love," which the infatuated Lucrezia takes to herself. The +love scene is interrupted by a sudden noise, and in alarm she hurries +Carlos back into the basket and flies. Carlos in the mean time gets out +again and fills it with books. The doctor and Inez enter, and to conceal +the receipt of the basket from Lucrezia, as she might be angry with the +maid, they remove it to a balcony, whence by accident it tumbles into the +river. Their terror when they learn that a man was concealed in it makes +an amusing scene, and this is heightened by the entrance of the Alguazil, +who announces himself in a pompous bass song, "I'm Don Hypolito Lopez +Pomposo," and inquires into the supposed murder. + +In the second act the situation becomes still further complicated when +the doctor and Inez find Carlos in the house. Convinced that he is a +detective, they seek to conciliate him by offering him wine, but by +mistake give him a narcotic draught which the doctor had mixed for one of +his patients. Carlos falls insensible, and thinking him dead, they hide +him under a sofa. Meanwhile Señor Balthazar, the father of the youth whom +Isabella supposes she is to be forced to marry, and who turns out to be +Carlos, arrives to pass the night. As they have no bed for him, he sleeps +upon the sofa over the supposed corpse of his own son. A quartette, +"Good-night, Señor Balthazar," follows, which is full of humor, mingled +with ghostly terror, and grotesque in its effect, especially in the +accompaniment. Daylight, however, dispels the illusion, and a happy +dénouement is reached in the finale, "Hope, ever Smiling," which is quite +brilliant in character. The operetta is very amusing in its situations, +the songs are pretty and tuneful, and the concerted music is particularly +effective. + + + + + FLOTOW, FRIEDRICH VON. + + + + + Martha. + + + [Opéra comique, in three acts; text by St. Georges. First produced in + Vienna, November 25, 1847.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Plunkett, a wealthy young farmer. + Lionel, his adopted brother, afterwards Earl of Derby. + Lord Tristan Mickleford, Lady Henrietta's cousin. + Sheriff of Richmond, footman to Lady Henrietta. + Lady Henrietta, Maid of Honor to the Queen. + Nancy, her waiting-maid. + Molly Pitt, } + Polly Smith, } + Betsy Witt, } servants. + + [Farmers, farmers' wives, servants, ladies, hunters, huntresses, and + footmen.] + + The scene is laid in Richmond, England; time of Queen Anne. + +The first act of "Martha," unquestionably the most popular of all light +operas, opens during the progress of the servants' fair at Richmond, +whither Lady Henrietta, maid of honor to the Queen, accompanied by Nancy, +her maid, and Sir Tristan, her aged cousin and admirer, tired of court +life, have resorted in the disguise of servants. In the first three +scenes they arrange their masquerade. Sir Tristan, much to his disgust, +is to be known as John, and Lady Henrietta as Martha. The first number is +a duet for the two ladies, "Of the Knights so Brave and Charming," +followed by an animated trio with Sir Tristan, in dance time. The fourth +scene is laid in the market-place, in which appear Plunkett, a wealthy +farmer, and Lionel, his adopted brother. The parentage of the latter is +unknown, but he has a souvenir from his father in the form of a ring +which he is to present to the Queen whenever he shall find himself in +trouble. Lionel tells his story in a tenor aria, "Lost, proscribed, a +Humble Stranger," which has been a favorite song the world over for +years. The two have come to the fair to engage servants for the year, who +are bound over by the sheriff. Plunkett and Lionel meet Martha and Nancy, +and are so delighted with their looks that they tender the customary +bonus which secures them. They accept it as a joke, but find that it is a +serious matter when the young farmers drive off with them, leaving Sir +Tristan in despair. + +The second act opens in Plunkett's farmhouse. After having learned their +names, Plunkett attempts to find out what they can do, and tests them +first at the spinning-wheel, which leads up to the delightful spinning +quartette, "When the Foot the Wheel turns lightly." It does not take the +brothers long to find out that they have engaged servants who are more +ornamental than useful, but they decide to keep them. Nancy in a pet +kicks her wheel over and runs off, followed by Plunkett, leaving Lionel +alone with Martha. He at once falls in love with her, snatches a rose +from her bosom, and refuses to return it unless she will sing. She +replies with the familiar song, "The Last Rose of Summer," interpolated +by Flotow, and made still more effective by introducing the tenor in the +refrain. He asks for her hand, but she makes sport of him. In the mean +time Plunkett and Nancy return, and a beautiful Good-night quartette +follows, "Midnight Sounds." The brothers then retire, and Martha and +Nancy, aided by Sir Tristan, make their escape. The next scene opens in +the woods where farmers are carousing; among them Plunkett, who sings a +rollicking drinking-song, "I want to ask you." The revel is interrupted +by a hunting-party of court ladies, headed by the Queen. Martha and Nancy +are among them, and are recognized by Plunkett and Lionel, but they are +not recognized in turn. Plunkett attempts to seize Nancy, but the +huntresses drive him off, leaving Lionel and Lady Henrietta alone. The +scene is one of the most effective in the opera, and contains a beautiful +tenor solo, "Like a Dream Bright and Fair"--better known perhaps by its +Italian title, "M'appari," and a romance for soprano, "Here in Deepest +Forest Shadows," the act closing with a finely concerted quintette and +chorus. The despairing Lionel bethinks him of his ring, gives it to +Plunkett, and asks him to show it to the Queen. It proves that he is the +only son of the late Earl of Derby, and his estate, of which he has been +unjustly deprived, is restored to him. + +The opera reaches its musical climax in the second act. The third is +mainly devoted to the dénouement. The Lady Henrietta, who has really been +seriously in love with Lionel, is united to him, and it hardly needs to +be added that Nancy and Plunkett go and do likewise. + + + + + Stradella. + + + [Romantic opera, in three acts; text by Deschamps and Pacini. First + produced as a lyric drama at the Palais Royal Theatre, Paris, in 1837; + rewritten and produced in its present form, at Hamburg, December 30, + 1844.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Alessandro Stradella, a famous singer. + Bassi, a rich Venetian. + Leonora, his ward. + Barbarino, } + Malvolio, } bandits. + + [Pupils of Stradella, masqueraders, guards, and people of the Romagna.] + + The scene is laid in Venice and Rome; time, the year 1769. + +The story of the opera follows in the main the familiar historical, and +probably apochryphal, narrative of the experiences of the Italian +musician, Alessandro Stradella, varying from it only in the dénouement. +Stradella wins the hand of Leonora, the fair ward of the wealthy Venetian +merchant, Bassi, who is also in love with her. They fly to Rome and are +married, but in the mean time are pursued by two bravos, Barbarino and +Malvolio, who have been employed by Bassi to make way with Stradella. +They track him to his house, and while the bridal party are absent, they +enter in company with Bassi and conceal themselves. Not being able to +accomplish their purpose on this occasion, they secure admission a second +time, disguised as pilgrims, and are kindly received by Stradella. In the +next scene, while Stradella, Leonora, and the two bravos are singing the +praises of their native Italy, pilgrims on their way to the shrine of the +Virgin are heard singing outside, and Leonora and Stradella go out to +greet them. The bravos are so touched by Stradella's singing that they +hesitate in their purpose. Bassi upbraids them, and finally, upon +receiving an additional sum of money, they agree to execute his designs, +and conceal themselves. When Stradella returns and rehearses a hymn to +the Virgin which he is to sing on the morrow, they are so affected that +they emerge from their hiding-place, confess the object of their visit, +and implore his forgiveness. Explanations follow, a reconciliation is +effected, and the lovers are made happy. This dénouement differs from +that of the historical version, in which both lovers are killed. + +The principal numbers are Stradella's serenade, "Hark! Dearest, hark"; +the following nocturne, "Through the Valleys"; the brilliant carnival +chorus, "Joyous ringing, Pleasure singing," in the first act: the aria of +Leonora in her chamber, "Be Witness to my Fond Heart's Dreaming," the +rollicking drinking-song of the two bravos, "Quick, let us drink," and +the bandit ballad, "Within Lofty Mountains," sung by Stradella, in the +second act; and an exquisite terzetto, "Tell me, then, Friend Barbarino," +sung by Bassi and the two bravos when they hesitate to perform their +work; and Stradella's lovely hymn to the Virgin, "Virgin Maria, humbly +adoring," in the third act. + + + + + GENÉE, RICHARD. + + + + + Nanon. + + + [Opéra comique, in three acts; text by Zell. First produced in Vienna + in 1877.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Marquis de Marsillac. + Hector, his nephew. + Marquis d' Aubigné, King's chamberlain. + Bombardine, his henchman. + Louis XIV. + Mons. l'Abbé. + Nanon, mistress of the Golden Lamb. + Ninon de l'Enclos, a famous beauty. + Mme. de Frontenac, } + Countess Houliers, } Ninon's friends. + Gaston. + Mme. de Maintenon, King's mistress. + + [Country relatives, peasants, soldiers, courtiers, ladies, etc.] + + The scene is laid in Paris; time of Louis the Fourteenth. + +The first act opens at the inn of the Golden Lamb, near the gates of +Paris, kept by Nanon, who has become so famous for her wit and beauty +that the Marquis de Marsillac, director of the Royal Theatre, takes his +nephew Hector there to see her. Thither also goes Ninon de l'Enclos, +the famous beauty, to get a sight of Nanon, who, she suspects, has +attracted the attentions of her own lover, the Marquis d'Aubigné. She is +told that Nanon is to be married to Grignan, the drummer, and returns to +the city with her suspicions allayed. Grignan, however, is in reality the +Marquis, who, in the disguise of a drummer, intends to abduct Nanon. +After a serenade to her she surprises him with a proposal of marriage; +but when everything is ready for the ceremony, the Marquis secures his +own arrest by his Colonel on account of a duel. While grieving over the +arrest, Nanon receives a ring and some friendly assurances from Gaston, +the page of Ninon de l'Enclos, and thereupon turns to her for help in +rescuing the supposed Grignan from death, which is the penalty for +duelling. + +The second act opens in Ninon's salon. Marsillac, his nephew, and an +Abbé, who is one of Ninon's lovers and confessor of Mme. de Maintenon, +are present at a ball, likewise D'Aubigné, who is reproached by Ninon for +having remained away so long and forgotten her birthday. To escape +embarrassment he sings to her the same serenade he had sung to Nanon. +Shortly afterwards Nanon arrives to seek Ninon's aid in saving Grignan. +In the mean time D'Aubigné, jealous of Hector, because he pays court both +to Nanon and Ninon, challenges him, and they hurry into the latter's +garden and settle their quarrel with the sword. During their absence +Marsillac, who has noted Grignan's serenade, also sings it, accompanied +by the musicians of the court chapel, but is only laughed at for his +trouble. When D'Aubigné returns from the duel, he is asked to clear up +the mystery of this song; but before he can do so the guard, who has seen +the duel, enters and arrests Hector, who has been wounded and refuses to +give the name of his opponent. + +The third act opens in the private chapel of Mme. de Maintenon, where the +Abbé sings to her the same serenade in the form of a hymn. Marsillac +appears to ask for Hector's pardon, and receives it when it appears that +D'Aubigné was the challenging party. D'Aubigné thereupon congratulates +her upon her birthday with the serenade, and Marsillac repeats it. Ninon +and Nanon next appear to intercede for their lovers, D'Aubigné and +Grignan. The King presents Nanon with the life of Grignan, and she in +turn, recognizing Grignan, presents the pardon to Ninon. Touched by her +generosity, Grignan offers Nanon his hand, and Mme. de Maintenon, who is +somewhat uneasy at the King's evident admiration for Nanon, gives her +consent and she is made Marquise d'Aubigné. + +The music of "Nanon" is gay and brilliant throughout. The principal +numbers are the serenade, a minstrel's song, as it is usually designated, +"Ah! what a Joyful Day is this; I am so Full of Glee," which is heard in +various forms in all three acts; the opening drinking-choruses; Nanon's +ballad, "Once before this Tavern straying"; the jolly chorus of the +country relatives, "Here we come in Troops of Dozens, Uncles, Nephews, +Aunts, and Cousins"; Gaston's ballad, "All that Frenchmen now will heed"; +Hector's song, "Young appearing," in the second act; and the lively +concerted finale of the last act. + + + + + GOUNOD, CHARLES. + + + + + Mirella. + + + [Pastoral opera, in three acts; text by Carré. First produced at the + Théâtre Lyrique, Paris, March 19, 1864.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Mirella, daughter of Raimondo. + Tavena, a fortune-teller. + Andreluno, a shepherd boy. + Vincenzina, sister of Vincenzo. + Clemenza, a peasant girl. + Vincenzo, lover of Mirella. + Urias, his rival. + Raimondo, a wealthy farmer. + Ambrogio, father of Vincenzo. + + [Villagers, citizens, etc.] + + The scene is laid in Provence; time, the last century. + +The opera of "Mirella," in France known as "Mireille," is founded upon +the "Mireio" of Mistral, the Provençal poet, and was originally written +in five acts. Subsequently it was reduced to three acts and a waltz was +added to the finale. Though one of the lighter of Gounod's operas, and +not very strong dramatically, it has great lyric beauty. The first scene +opens in a mulberry grove. Mirella is rallied by the girls upon her love +for Vincenzo, the basket-maker, and is also warned by Tavena, the +fortune-teller, against yielding to her attachment, as she foresees that +Raimondo, Mirella's father, will never consent to the union. When she +meets her lover, however, they renew their pledges and arrange, if their +plans are thwarted, to meet at the Chapel of the Virgin. + +The second act opens with a merry-making at Arles. Tavena informs Mirella +that Vincenzo has a rival in Urias, a wild herdsman, who has asked her +hand of her father. Mirella however repulses him when he brings the +father's consent. Ambrogio, Vincenzo's father, and his daughter, +Vincenzina, intercede with Raimondo in Vincenzo's behalf, but in vain. +Mirella, who has overheard them, declares to her father her irrevocable +attachment for Vincenzo, which throws him into such a rage that he is +about to strike her. She is saved from the blow by appealing to the +memory of her mother. + +The last act opens upon a desolate sunburned plain. Mirella appears +toiling across the hot sands to keep her appointment with her lover at +the Chapel of the Virgin, accompanied by Andreluno, the shepherd boy, +singing to the accompaniment of his pipe. Tavena meets them, and assures +Mirella that Vincenzo will keep his appointment, and then returns to +Arles to plead with the father in Mirella's behalf. The poor girl arrives +at the chapel nearly prostrated with the burning heat. Vincenzo soon +appears, and is shortly followed by Raimondo, who is so affected by the +pitiable condition of his daughter, that he gives his consent to their +union. A biographer of Gounod has condensed the story of the opera into +these few words: "A rich young girl, a poor young man, an ill-fated love; +and death of the young girl by sunstroke." In the revised version the +dénouement is happy instead of tragic. + +The first act opens with the pretty and graceful pastoral chorus of the +maidens under the mulberry-trees, "Sing, Happy Maidens, as we gather." +The second act also opens with an equally graceful chorus and farandole, +"The Gay Farandole never fails to delight," followed by a beautiful +Provençal folk song, "Evening is Sweet with Summer Flowers," which is +full of local color. Tavena sings a quaint fortune-teller's roundelay, +"'Tis the Season of the Year," and in the next scene Mirella has a number +of rare beauty, "The Frowns of Fortune I fear no longer," in which she +declares her unalterable love for Vincenzo. The finale of this act with +its vigorous aria for Mirella, "At your Feet, behold, I remain," is the +only really dramatic episode in the opera. The third act opens with the +quaint little song of Andreluno with oboe accompaniment, "The Day +awakes," and also contains a plaintive song for tenor, "Angels of +Paradise." It closes with a waltz song, "Gentle Bird of the Morning," +which is most lavishly embellished and ends the quiet, naïve, little +pastoral opera with a brilliant vocal pyrotechnical display. + + + + + HUMPERDINCK, ENGELBERT. + + + + + Hansel and Gretel. + + + [Fairy opera, in three acts; text by Wette. First produced, in Germany + in 1894.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Peter, a broom-maker. + Gertrude, his wife. + Witch. + Hansel. + Gretel. + Sandman, the sleep fairy. + Dewman, the dawn fairy. + + [Angels, witches, and fairies.] + + The scene is laid in a German forest; time, the present. + +The story of "Hansel and Gretel" is based upon one of Grimm's fairy +tales. The first act opens at the house of Peter, the broom-maker, who +with his wife is away seeking food. The children, Hansel and Gretel, have +been left with injunctions to knit and make brooms. Instead of working +they indulge in a childish romp, which is interrupted by the mother, who +has returned. In her anger she upsets a pitcher of milk, which was the +only hope of supper in the house. Thereupon she sends them into the +forest, and bids them not to come home until they have filled their +basket with strawberries. When Peter returns he brings provisions with +him, but breaks out in a fit of rage when he is informed the children +have been sent away, telling his wife of the witch who haunts the woods, +entices children to her honey-cake house, bakes them into gingerbread, +and devours them. + +The second act opens with a characteristic instrumental number, "The +Witches' Ride." The children are disclosed near the Ilsenstein, making +garlands and mocking the cuckoos in a beautiful duet with echo +accompaniment. At last they realize that they are lost, and their +distress is heightened by strange sights and sounds. In the midst of +their trouble the Sandman approaches, strews sand in their eyes, and +sings them to sleep with a charming lullaby, after they have recited +their prayer, "When at Night I go to sleep, Fourteen Angels Watch do +keep." As they go to sleep, the fourteen angels come down and surround +them, while other angels perform a stately dance. + +The third act is called "The Witch's House." The angels have disappeared, +and the Dawn Fairy wakens the children, singing a delightful song, "I'm +up with Early Dawning." Gretel wakes first, and rouses Hansel by tickling +him with a leaf, accompanying the act with a tickling song. When fairly +aroused, they discover the witch's house, with an oven on one side and a +cage on the other. The house is made of sweets and creams. Enticed by its +sweetness, the hungry children break off fragments, and are surprised at +their work by the old witch within. She comes out, and, after a series of +invocations, accompanied with characteristic music, prepares to bake +Gretel in the oven; but while she is looking into it the children push +her into the fire. Then they dance a witch waltz, and meanwhile the oven +falls into bits. Swarms of children rush round them, released from their +gingerbread disguise, and sing a song of gratitude as two of the boys +drag out the witch from the ruins in the form of a big cake. The father +and mother at last find the children, and all join in the pious little +hymn, "When past bearing is our Grief, God, the Lord, will send Relief." +It is only a little child's tale, but it is accompanied by music of the +highest order, and built up on the same plan of motives which Wagner has +used in his imposing Nibelung Trilogy. + + + + + JAKOBOWSKI, EDWARD. + + + + + Erminie. + + + [Musical comedy, in two acts; text by Bellamy and Paulton. First + produced at the Comedy Theatre, London, November 9, 1885; in New York + at the Casino, March 10, 1886.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Marquis de Pontvert. + Eugene Marcel, the Marquis' secretary. + Vicomte de Brissac. + Delaunay, a young officer. + Dufois, landlord of the Golden Lion. + Chevalier de Brabazon, guest of the Marquis. + Ravannes, } + Cadeaux, } two thieves. + Cerise Marcel, Erminie's companion. + Javatte, Erminie's maid. + Princesse de Gramponeur. + Erminie de Pontvert. + + [Soldiers, peasantry, guards, waiters, etc.] + + The scene is laid in France; time, the last century. + +The story of "Erminie" is based upon the old melodrama "Robert Macaire," +the two vagabonds, Ravannes and Cadeaux, taking the places of the two +murderers, Macaire and Jacques Strop. Few melodramas were more popular in +their day than "Robert Macaire," in which Lemaitre, the great French +actor, made one of his most conspicuous successes. It is also true that +few musical comedies have been more successful than "Erminie." At the +opening of the opera, a gallant on the way to his betrothal with a young +lady whom he has never seen is attacked by two thieves, Ravannes and +Cadeaux, who carry off his wardrobe and tie him to a tree. Later, +Ravannes arrives in the midst of the betrothal festivities, and passes +himself off as the expected guest. He introduces Cadeaux as a nobleman, +and explains their lack of proper attire with the statement that they had +been robbed while on the way there. Erminie has an affection for Eugene, +her father's secretary, and none for the man who claims to be a suitor +for her hand. Ernst, who was the real victim of the robbery, and who is +in love with Cerise, escapes from the predicament in which the two +thieves placed him, and arrives in time for the festivities, to find +himself denounced by Ravannes as the highwayman who had attacked them +earlier in the day. Ravannes, by assuming great magnanimity and a certain +nobility of conduct, and by his proffers of help to Erminie in securing +the man she loves in return for her assistance in his plans, of which she +of course is ignorant, so ingratiates himself in her confidence that he +nearly succeeds in robbing the house. In the end, however, the two +vagabonds are unmasked. Eugene obtains the hand of Erminie, and Ernst and +Cerise are equally fortunate. + +The music of "Erminie" is light and graceful throughout. Its principal +numbers are Erminie's song, "Ah! when Love is Young"; the duet for Eugene +and Erminie, "Past and Future"; the Marquis' stirring martial song, "Dull +is the Life of the Soldier in Peace"; the rollicking thieves' duet, +"We're a Philanthropic Couple, be it known"; Erminie's pretty dream song, +"At Midnight on my Pillow lying," and the lullaby "Dear Mother, in Dreams +I see her," which is the gem of the opera; the song and whistling chorus, +"What the Dicky Birds say"; the vocal gavotte, "Join in Pleasures, dance +a Measure"; and the concerted piece, "Good-night," which leads up to the +close of the last act. + + + + + LECOCQ, CHARLES. + + + + + Giroflé-Girofla. + + + [Opera bouffe, in three acts; text by Vanloo and Aterrier. First + produced at the Thèâtre des Fantasies Parisiennes, Brussels, March 21, + 1874; in Paris, November 11, 1874; in New York at the Park Theatre, + 1875.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Don Bolero d'Alcarazas, a Spanish grandee. + Marasquin, banker. + Mourzook, a Moorish chief. + Giroflé, } + Girofla, } Don Bolero's twin daughters. + Aurore, their mother. + Pedro, the page. + Paquita. + Pirate Chief. + Godfather. + Godmother. + Fernand. + Guzman. + + [Cousins, bridesmaids, pages, pirates, Moors, etc.] + + The scene is laid in Spain; time, the last century. + +The opening scene of "Giroflé-Girofla" which, with "La Fille de Madame +Angot," made the reputation of Lecocq as an opera-bouffe composer, +introduces Don Bolero d'Alcarazas, a Spanish grandee, and Aurore, his +wife, also their twin daughters, Giroflé and Girofla, who, being of +marriageble age, have been hastily betrothed, Giroflé to Marasquin, a +banker to whom Don Bolero is heavily indebted, and Girofla to Mourzook, a +Moorish chief who has made regular demands upon Don Bolero for money on +penalty of death. By the double marriage he expects to get rid of his +obligations on the one hand and avoid the payment of the enforced tribute +on the other. Giroflé is married as arranged, but Girofla, who was to +have been married the same day, is abducted by pirates before the +ceremony can be performed. When Mourzook arrives and finds he has no +bride, he is in a terrible rage, but is quieted down when, after a little +manoeuvring by Aurore, Giroflé is passed off on him as Girofla and is +thus to be married a second time. + +In the second act the wedding festivities are going on and both +bridegrooms are clamoring for their brides. No word is heard from Admiral +Matamoras, who has been sent to capture the pirates. Don Bolero and +Aurore resort to all kinds of expedients to settle matters and pacify the +irate banker and the furious Moor, and besides have much trouble in +restraining Giroflé from flying to her Marasquin. At last she is locked +up. She manages to get out, however, and goes off with some of her +cousins for a revel. Her absence is explained by a report that the +pirates have carried her off also, which adds to the parents' perplexity +as well as to the fury of Marasquin and Mourzook. At last Giroflé appears +in a tipsy condition and is claimed by both. The act closes with the +report that Matamoras has been defeated, and that the pirates have +carried Girofla to Constantinople. + +The third act opens on the following morning. The two would-be husbands +have been locked into their apartments. Marasquin has passed a quiet +night, but Mourzook has smashed the furniture and escaped through the +window from his chamber. The parents assure Marasquin that even if +Mourzook returns he will have to leave that afternoon, and suggest that +there can be no harm in letting him have Giroflé for his wife until that +time. Marasquin reluctantly consents, and when Mourzook returns and +Giroflé is presented to him as Girofla, a ridiculous love scene occurs, +which Marasquin contrives to interrupt by various devices. Finally the +return of Girofla is announced, and Matamoras with his sailors appears, +leading her by the hand. Explanations are made all round, the parents are +forgiven, and Mourzook is satisfied. + +The music is lively throughout and oftentimes brilliant, and of a higher +standard than usually characterizes opera bouffe. The most taking numbers +are the ballad with pizzicato accompaniment, sung by Paquita, "Lorsque la +journée est finis" ("When the Day is finished"); the concerted ensemble, +"À la chapelle" ("To the Church"); the grotesque pirates' chorus, "Parmi +les choses délicates" ("Among the Delicate Things to do"), and the +sparkling duet for Giroflé and Marasquin, "C'est fini, le mariage" ("The +Marriage has been solemnized"), in the first act: the bacchanalian +chorus, "Écoutez cette musique" ("Listen to this Music"), leading up to a +dance; a vivacious and well-written quintette, "Matamoras, grand +capitaine" ("Matamoras, our Great Captain"); a fascinating drinking-song, +"Le Punch scintille" ("This Flaming Bowl"), and the andante duet "O +Giroflé, O Girofla," a smooth, tender melody, which is in striking +contrast with the drinking-music preceding it and that which immediately +follows the chorus of the half-tipsy wedding-guests, "C'ést le canon" +("It is the Cannon"): and the rondo, "Beau père une telle demand" ("Oh, +my Father, now you ask"), sung by Marasquin, and the duet for Mourzook +and Giroflé "Ma belle Giroflé" ("My Lovely Giroflé"), in the third act. + + + + + La Fille de Madame Angot. + + + [Opera bouffe, in three acts; text by Clairville, Sirandin, and Konig. + First produced at the Fantasies Parisiennes, Brussels, November, 1872; + in Paris at the Folies Dramatiques, February 23, 1873.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Clairette Angot, daughter of the market. + Mlle. Lange, comedienne. + Ange Pitou, street singer. + Pomponnet, hairdresser. + Larivaudière, } + Louchard, } police officials. + Javotte. + Amaranthe. + Cydalise. + Hersilie. + Babet. + Trenitz. + + [Bourgeois, grenadiers, conspirators, hussars, servants, marketwomen, + etc. + + The scene is laid in Paris; time, about the period of the French + Revolution. + +The first act opens in a market square in Paris where the marketwomen and +others in holiday costume are making ready to celebrate the wedding of +Pomponnet, the hairdresser, and Clairette, the daughter of the late +Madame Angot. During the festive preparations, for which Clairette has +little desire, as her affections are fixed upon Ange Pitou, a street +singer, who is continually in trouble by reason of his political songs, +the latter makes his appearance. He is informed of the forthcoming +wedding, which has been arranged by the market people, who have adopted +Clairette as the child of the market. At the same time Larivaudière and +Louchard, the police officials who caused his arrest because of his +knowledge of the relations of Larivaudière and Mademoiselle Lange, the +comedienne and favorite of Barras, are surprised to find him at large. To +prevent him from reciting his knowledge in a song which he is sure has +been written, Larivaudière buys him off. Pitou subsequently regrets his +bargain. When the crowd clamors for a song, he says he has none. The +people are furious with him, but Clairette comes to his rescue. She has +found the song denouncing Larivaudière, sings it, and is arrested, +notwithstanding Pitou's declaration that he is the author of it. + +The second act opens in Mademoiselle Lange's salon. She has persuaded +Barras to release Clairette and have her brought to her apartments, so +that she may discover why she sings this song denouncing the government +and insulting her also. In the mean time she has also sent for Pomponnet, +her hairdresser, and informs him what his future wife has done. He +replies that Pitou wrote the song, and that he (Pomponnet) has it. She +orders him to fetch it to her. When Clairette arrives they recognize each +other as old school friends. Mademoiselle Lange assures her she shall not +go back to prison and that she need not marry Pomponnet. She retires to +Mademoiselle Lange's boudoir, when a visitor is announced. It is Ange +Pitou, and a love scene at once occurs. The jealous Larivaudière enters +and accuses them of being lovers. To justify herself Mademoiselle Lange +declares that Pitou and Clairette are lovers, and the latter confirms the +statement. Pomponnet's voice is heard in the outer room. He is admitted, +and promptly arrested for having the revolutionary song on his person. +The act closes with a meeting of conspirators, and Mademoiselle Lange's +clever oiling of the grenadiers who have come to arrest them by turning +the whole affair into a grand ball, to which they are invited. + +The last act is occupied with plots and counter-plots which at last +succeed in disentangling all the complications. Mademoiselle Lange's +perfidy, as well as Pitou's, is shown up, Larivaudière has his revenge, +and Clairette and Pomponnet are made happy. + +The music of the opera is so bright, gay, and characteristic that it made +Lecocq a dangerous rival of Offenbach. The most conspicuous numbers are +Clairette's pretty romance, "L'enfant de la Halle" ("The Child of the +Market"); Amaranthe's jolly couplets, "Marchande de marée" ("A Beautiful +Fishwoman"); Ange Pitou's rondo, "Certainement j'aimais Clairette" ("'Tis +true I loved Clairette") and Clairette's spirited song, "Jadis les rois, +race proscrite" ("Once Kings, a Race proscribed"), in the first act: +another equally spirited song, "Comme un Coursier" ("Like a Courser"); +Pomponnet's pretty air, "Elle est tellement innocente" ("She is so +innocent"); a charming sentimental duet for Mademoiselle Lange and +Clairette, "Jours fortunes de notre enfance" ("Happy Days of Childhood"); +a striking ensemble in the form of a quintette, "Oui, je vous le dis, +c'est pour elle" ("Yes, 'tis on her Account alone"); and the famous +conspirators' chorus, "Quand on conspire" ("When one conspires"), in the +second act: and Clairette's couplets with chorus, "Vous aviez fait de la +dépense" ("You put yourselves to Great Expense"); the humorous duet, +"Larivaudière and Pomponnet," and Clairette's song, "Ah! c'est donc toi" +("Ah! 'tis you, then"), in the last act. + + + + + LÖRTZING, ALBERT. + + + + + Czar and Carpenter. + + + [Opéra comique, in three acts; text and music by Lörtzing. First + produced in Berlin in 1854.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Peter I., Czar of Russia under the name of Peter Michaelhoff. + Peter Ivanoff, a young Russian shipwright. + Herr van Bett, burgomaster of Saardam. + Gen. Lefort, Russian ambassador. + Lord Syndham, British ambassador. + Marquis of Chateauneuf, French ambassador. + Marie, niece of the burgomaster. + Widow Brown, mistress of the shipyard. + + [Shipwrights, workmen, sailors, villagers, etc.] + + The scene is laid in Saardam; time, the year 1698. + +The opening of the first act of the "Czar and Carpenter" discloses Peter +the Great and Peter Ivanoff, a deserter from the Russian army, at work in +the shipyard of Mrs. Brown in Saardam. The British and French +ambassadors, having been notified that the Czar is there in disguise, are +searching for him with the object of negotiating a treaty with him, or, +failing that, to abduct him. The British ambassador employs the pompous +burgomaster of Saardam to find him a Russian named Peter, without however +disclosing his real character to him. The burgomaster happens upon Peter +Ivanoff and brings him to the ambassador, who, supposing him to be the +Czar, seeks to arrange a treaty with him, and finally gives him a +passport so that he may visit England. Meanwhile the people of Saardam, +being informed that the Czar is with them, prepare a reception for him. + +The French ambassador, who has also been searching for the Czar, finds +the real one by telling him the story of a Russian defeat which causes +him to betray himself. The Czar, who is now anxious to go home and crush +out the rebellion, seeks for some means to get away without the knowledge +of the Dutch and the English. Finding out by chance that Ivanoff has an +English passport, he secures it, and gives Ivanoff another paper which he +is not to open until an hour has passed. During this time Ivanoff is +enjoying the public reception, which suddenly is interrupted by cannon +reports. The gateway of the port is opened, showing the Czar with the +Russian and French ambassadors sailing away. Ivanoff opens his paper, and +finds that his companion was the Czar, who has given him a good situation +as well as his consent to his marriage with Marie, the burgomaster's +niece. + +The leading numbers of the first act are the carpenter's spirited song, +"Grip your Axes"; Marie's jealousy song, "Ah! Jealousy is a Bad +Companion"; the humorous aria of Van Bett, "Oh! sancta Justitia, I shall +go raving"; the long duet for Van Bett and Ivanoff, "Shall I make a Full +Confession?" and the effective quartettes in the finale. The second act +contains the best music of the opera. It opens with a mixed chorus of a +bacchanalian sort, "Long live Joy and Pleasure," which after a long +dialogue is followed by the tenor romanza, "Fare thee well, my Flandrish +Maiden," a quaint melody, running at the end of each stanza into a duet, +closing with full chorus accompaniment. A sextette, "The Work that we're +beginning," immediately follows, which, though brief, is the most +effective number in the opera. The next number of any consequence in this +act, is a rollicking bridal song, "Charming Maiden, why do Blushes," sung +by Marie. The last act has a comic aria and chorus, "To greet our Hero +with a Stately Reception," and an effective song for the Czar, "In +Childhood, with Crown and with Sceptre I played." + + + + + LUDERS, GUSTAVE. + + + + + King Dodo. + + + [A musical comedy, in three acts; text by Pixley. First produced at the + Studebaker Theatre, Chicago, May 27, 1901.] + + PERSONAGES. + + King Dodo I. + Pedro, Court chamberlain. + Dr. Fizz, Court physician. + Mudge, Court historian. + Sancho, an innkeeper. + Bonilla, prime minister to Queen Lili. + Lo Baswood. + Lopez. + Diego. + José. + Unio. + Queen Lili. + Angela, the King's ward. + Piola, a soldier of fortune. + Annette. + + [Courtiers, knights, ladies, etc.] + + The scene is laid in Dodoland and the South Sea islands; time, the + present. + +"King Dodo," though usually set down on the programmes as a comic opera, +strictly speaking, is a musical comedy, or comedy opera. Its plot turns +upon the efforts of King Dodo to find the elixir of youth. His adventures +carry him from his own kingdom in the land of nowhere in particular to +the South Sea islands and back, a few absurd love episodes adding to the +humor of the situations in which he finds himself. The old King is +enamoured of the Princess Angela, and to secure her he determines to find +the fountain which will renew his youth. His Court physician has failed +in the attempt; but Piola, "a soldier of fortune," claims to know where +the fountain is, but demands that when he finds it he shall have the hand +of Angela as his reward. The King reluctantly consents, and starts with +his whole establishment to find it. The wonderful spring is discovered in +the land of the Spoopjus, and there King Dodo also finds Queen Lili, who +promptly falls in love with him, because her ideal for a husband is a man +full of years and experience. The King, however, accidentally drinks from +the fountain, and is transformed into a child, whereupon the Queen +rejects him. As the waters fortunately work both ways, when Dodo is +thrown into them by conspirators, he becomes himself again, and the Queen +devotes herself to him anew with such assiduity that they are united. +Pedro and Annette and Piola and Angela also improve the occasion to get +married, and all return in great glee to Dodoland. + +The musical numbers in "King Dodo," are all of a light, catchy kind, +their success depending much upon the sprightliness of the performers. +The most popular are the "Cats' Quartette"; "The Tale of the Bumble-bee"; +Piola's song, "I'll do or die," which is accompanied by a stirring +chorus; the melodious "Zamoña," sung by Angela and chorus; a +drinking-song of a spirited sort by Annette and chorus; "The Eminent Dr. +Fizz," sung by the doctor himself; and "The Jolly old Potentate" and the +topical song, "They gave me a Medal for that," sung by King Dodo. + + + + + The Prince of Pilsen. + + + [A musical comedy, in two acts; text by Pixley. First produced in the + Tremont Theatre, Boston, May 21, 1902.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Carl Otto, the Prince. + Hans Wagner, an American citizen. + Tom Wagner, his son. + Arthur St. John Wilberforce. + François. + Mrs. Madison Crocker, an American widow. + Sidonie. + Edith. + Nellie. + Jimmy. + + [Tourists, students, flower-girls, sailors, etc. + + The scene is laid in Nice; time, the present. + +"The Prince of Pilsen," the latest, and in many respects the best, of Mr. +Luders' productions, like most musical comedies of the prevailing kind, +has but a brief and somewhat incongruous story. The first act opens +during the annual flower festival at Nice. The proprietor of the Hôtel +Internationale learns that the Prince of Pilsen will reach there on the +morrow incognito, and determines he shall be received with all the +attentions due to his rank. He employs a band of musicians to escort him +from the station to the hotel, and hires flower-girls to strew his way +with roses. Hans Wagner, a German-American brewer from Cincinnati, and +his daughter, who go to Nice to meet the brewer's son, an American naval +officer, arrive on the same day. The brewer is mistaken for the Prince, +and he and his party meet with a brilliant but somewhat surprising +reception. He can account for it in no other way than that his greeting +as the Prince of Pilsen is a tribute to the excellence of his Pilsener +beer, and accepts it complaisantly. When the real prince arrives, +however, with a company of Heidelberg students, he is ignored, and even +has some difficulty in securing accommodations. The Prince, however, does +not declare his identity at once, but waits for an opportunity to expose +the impostor who is trading on his name. He accidentally meets the +daughter, and after some conversation with her is sure that her father +has not intended to deceive and is not responsible for the mistake. He +decides therefore to continue the rôle of private citizen, and is the +more confirmed in his decision when he finds himself falling in love with +the brewer's daughter. This enrages the brother, who challenges the +Prince, which leads to the arrest of both of them. In the second act all +the complications get straightened out. The real Prince marries the +brewer's daughter, and the brewer himself takes home the American widow, +Mrs. Madison Crocker, as his wife. + +On this somewhat slight thread of a plot the composer has strung numerous +bits of lively, exhilarating music, some of it of a decidedly better kind +than is usually found in these potpourris, but the most of it of the sort +which is popular and easily caught up. The number of the lyrics as well +as of the topical songs, choruses, and extravaganzas is so large, and +they are of such uniformity in interest and tunefulness, that it is +difficult to single out the most conspicuous. The numbers, however, which +have made the greatest success are Wagner's topical song, "He didn't know +exactly what to do"; a charming smoking-song, "Pictures in the Smoke"; +the "Tale of the Sea-shell"; the unaccompanied male chorus, "Oh! +Heidelberg, dear Heidelberg," which should be a favorite students' song; +and the "Song of the Cities," in which the peculiarities of the girls of +various American cities are imitated, the song ending with a droll cake +walk. So far as numbers go, indeed, the opera presents a bewildering +embarrassment of good things. + + + + + MASSÉ, VICTOR. + + + + + Paul and Virginia. + + + [Romantic opera, in three acts and seven tableaux; text by Carré and + Barbier. First produced at the Opéra National Lyrique, Paris, November + 15, 1876; in London, June 1, 1878; in New York, March 28, 1883.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Paul. + St. Croix, slave-master. + Domingo, mulatto slave. + M. de la Bourdonnais, governor of the island. + Negro Slave. + Virginia. + Meala, mulatto slave. + MME. de la Tour, mother of Virginia. + Margaret, mother of Paul. + Overseer. + Old Lady, grand-aunt of Virginia. + + [Inhabitants of the island, sailors, slaves, etc.] + + The scene is laid upon an island on the African coast; time, the + eighteenth century. + +The story of "Paul and Virginia," Massé's masterpiece, follows the lines +of Bernardin St. Pierre's beautiful romance of the same name. The first +act opens with the recital of the history of Madame de la Tour, mother of +Virginia, and Margaret, the mother of Paul, and reveals the love of the +two children for each other. While they are discussing the advisability +of sending Paul to India for a time, against which his slave Domingo +piteously protests, islanders come rushing towards the cabin announcing +the arrival of a vessel from France. In hopes that she will have a letter +announcing that she has been forgiven by the relatives who have renounced +her, Madame de la Tour goes to the port. A love scene between the +children follows, which is interrupted by the hurried entrance of the +slave Meala, who is flying from punishment by her master, St. Croix. The +two offer to go back with her and to intercede for her forgiveness, in +which they are successful. St. Croix, who has designs upon Virginia, begs +them to remain until night; but Meala warns them of their danger in a +song, and they leave while St. Croix wreaks his revenge upon Meala. + +The second act opens in the home of Madame de la Tour. She has had a +letter from her aunt forgiving her, making Virginia her heiress if she +will come to France, and sending money for the journey. After a long +struggle between duty to her mother and love for Paul, she declines to +go. Meala makes them another hurried call, again flying from St. Croix, +who this time is pursuing her with a twofold purpose, first, of punishing +Meala and, second, of carrying out his base designs against Virginia. He +soon appears at the house and demands his slave, but Paul refuses to give +her up. At last St. Croix offers to sell her to Paul, and Virginia +furnishes the money. The faithful Meala that night informs them of St. +Croix's plot to seize Virginia when she goes to the vessel; but he is +foiled, as she does not leave. The act closes with a call from the +governor of the island, who bears express orders from Virginia's +relatives, signed by the King, that she must go to France. + +The last act is brief, and relates the tragedy. It opens at a grotto on +the seashore, where the melancholy Paul has waited and watched week by +week for the vessel which will bring Virginia back to him. At last it is +sighted, but a storm comes up and soon develops into a hurricane, and +when it subsides the vessel is a wreck, and Virginia is found dead upon +the beach. + +The opera is replete with beautiful melodies. There are, in the first +act, a characteristic minor song for Domingo, "Ah! do not send my Dear +Young Master," which the composer evidently intended to be in the +Ethiopian manner; a chanson of the genuine French style, "Ah! Hapless +Black," though sung by a negro boy; a lonely and expressive melody sung +by Virginia, as she pleads with St. Croix, "What I would say my Tongue +forgetteth"; the weird Bamboula chorus, sung by the slaves; and a very +dramatic aria for Meala, "'Neath the Vines Entwining," in which she warns +the children of their danger. The principal numbers in the second act are +Virginia's romance, "As Last Night thro' the Woods"; a beautiful chanson +for Domingo, "The Bird flies yonder"; Paul's couplets, "Ah! crush not my +Courage"; the passionate duet for Paul and Virginia, "Ah! since thou wilt +go," closing in unison; and Virginia's florid aria, "Ah, what Entrancing +Calm," the cadenza of which is exceedingly brilliant. The best numbers in +the short last act are Meala's song, "In vain on this Distant Shore"; +Paul's letter song, "Dearest Mother"; and the vision and storm music at +the close. + + + + + Queen Topaze. + + + [Opéra comique, in three acts; text by Lockroy and Battu. First + produced at the Théâtre Lyrique, Paris, December 27, 1856.] + + PERSONAGES. + + La Reine Topaze. + Le Capitaine Rafael. + Annibal. + Francappa. + Fritellino. + Filomèle. + + [Gypsies, soldiers, etc.] + + The scene is laid in France; time, last century. + +"Queen Topaze" ("La Reine Topaze") is one of the few of Massé's earlier +works which have held the boards, mainly on account of its charming +melodiousness. The rôle of the Queen was a great favorite with +Miolan-Carvalho and Parepa-Rosa, as it offers opportunities for brilliant +vocal execution. Its story is of the slightest kind. In her infancy +Topaze is stolen by a band of gypsies and eventually becomes their queen. +She falls in love with Rafael, a captain whom she wins from his +affianced, a rich noblewoman. He does not marry her, however, until she +discloses to him the secret of her birth. Some byplay among the gypsies +supplies the humor of the situations. As to the text it is far from +dramatic in character, and the dialogue is tedious and dragging. + +The music, however, is excellent, and it was to this feature that Massé +owed his election in the year of its production as Auber's successor in +the French Academy. The gypsy music is particularly charming. There are +also a clever sextette, "We are six noblemen"--indeed, there is an +unusual amount of six and seven part writing in the opera; the "Song of +the Bee," a delightful melody for Queen Topaze with a particularly +characteristic accompaniment, likewise a brilliant bolero; a lovely +romance in the last act for Rafael, and a somewhat dramatic narrative +song for him in the first act; and a skilfully constructed trio for +Annibal and the two gypsies. The remaining number of importance is an +interpolated one,--"The Carnival of Venice," with the Paganini +variations, which was first introduced by Miolan-Carvalho, the creator of +the title rôle. + + + + + The Marriage of Jeannette. + + + [Opéra comique, in one act; text by Carré and Barbière. First produced + at the Opéra Comique, Paris, February 4, 1853; in New York, in 1861.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Jean. + Jeannette. + Thomas. + Petit Pierre. + + [Chorus of peasants.] + + The scene is laid in a French country village; time, the last century. + +Nothing could be simpler than the story of Massé's little opera, "Les +Noces de Jeannette" ("The Marriage of Jeannette"), which was first given +in this country in 1861, with Clara Louise Kellogg and M. Dubreul in the +two principal parts, and twenty-five years later was a favorite in the +repertory of the American Opera Company, under the direction of Theodore +Thomas, who produced it as an after piece to Delibes' two-act ballet, +"Sylvia." The story concerns only two persons. Jean, a boorish rustic, +falls in love with Jeannette and proposes marriage. On the wedding-day, +however, he suddenly changes his mind, and just as the notary hands him +the pen to sign the contract, takes to his heels and runs home. Jeannette +follows him up to demand an explanation, and pretends that she will not +force him to marry her. In lieu of that she asks him to sign another +contract from which she will withhold her name just to show that he was +willing to do so. She furthermore promises publicly to reject him. When +he has signed the new contract, she suddenly changes her mind also, and +declares they are man and wife. In his fury Jean breaks up nearly +everything in the house before he goes to sleep. The next day in his +absence Jeannette provides new furniture from her own store, places +things to rights again, sets the dinner, and awaits Jean's return. When +he comes back again, he is in more tractable mood, and seeing what +Jeannette has done acknowledges her as his wife. + +This simple story the composer has framed in a dainty musical setting, +the principal numbers being the song "Others may hastily marry," sung by +Jean after his escapade; Jeannette's pretty, simple melody, "From out a +Throng of Lovers"; Jean's vigorous and defiant "Ah! little do you fancy"; +the graceful song by Jeannette, "Fly now, my Needle, glancing brightly"; +her brilliant and exultant song, "Voice that's sweetest"; and the +spirited unison male chorus, "Ring out, Village Bells," that closes this +refined and beautiful work. + + + + + MILLÖCKER, CARL. + + + + + The Beggar Student. + + + [Opéra comique, in three acts; first produced in Vienna, 1882.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Symon Symonovicz, the beggar student. + Janitsky, his friend. + Gen. Ollendorf, military governor of Krakow. + Enterich, } + Puffki, } jailers. + Major Holtzheim. + Sitzky, an innkeeper. + Countess Palmatica. + Laura, } + Bronislava, } her daughters. + Eva. + Ononphrie. + Lieut. Poppenburg. + Lieut. Schmeinitz. + Lieut. Wangerheim. + Burgomaster. + Bogumil. + + [Prisoners, peasants, soldiers, musicians, courtiers, etc.] + + The scene is laid in Krakow; time, the year 1704. + +The first act of this tuneful opera opens in the city of Krakow. General +Ollendorf, the military governor, is in a rage because he has been +repulsed by Laura, daughter of the Countess Palmatica, to whom he has +showed some unwelcome attentions. To avenge what he considers an insult, +he conceives the idea of dressing some poor and low-born young fellow in +the finery of a prince, and passing him off as such upon the Countess and +her daughter, trusting that their poverty will induce them to accept the +impostor. After such a marriage his revenge would be complete. He finds +his accomplice in the military prison. Symon Symonovicz, a vagabond +Polish student, is ready to play the gentleman, and only insists on +taking along with him Janitsky, a fellow prisoner, to act as his +secretary. The plot is successful. The Countess and her daughter, who +have been living for a long time in genteel poverty, are dazzled by the +finery and prospects of the suitor, and the act closes with the betrothal +of Symon and Laura. + +In the second act the two find that they are really in love with each +other. As the money furnished by the General is all spent, Symon decides +to tell Laura of the deception practised upon her, though it may cost him +the marriage, which was to have taken place that day. Afraid to tell her +in person, he writes the disclosure, and intrusts the letter to the +Countess with the request to have it given to Laura before the ceremony. +The General, however, thwarts this scheme, and the pair are married, +whereupon he exposes Symon to the assembled guests as an impostor and has +him driven from the palace. + +At the opening of the third act Symon appears in melancholy plight and +contemplating suicide. His friend Janitsky, who is in love with Laura's +sister, Bronislava, comes to his rescue. He comes forward as a Polish +officer engaged in a plot for the capture of the citadel and the +reinstatement of King Stanislaus upon the throne of Poland. The plot with +Symon's help succeeds, and in return Symon is not only ennobled, but the +Countess and his wife forgive him, and the governor-general is foiled at +every point. + +The principal numbers are Ollendorf's entrance song in waltz time, "And +they say that towards Ladies"; the characteristic duet by Symon and +Janitsky on leaving jail, "Confounded Cell, at last I leave thee"; the +charming entrance trio for Laura, Bronislava, and the Countess, "Some +little Shopping really we ought to do"; and Laura's brilliant song, "But +when the Song is sweetly sounding," in the finale of the first act; +Laura's humorous song, "If Joy in Married Life you'd find"; the +sentimental duet of Bronislava and Janitsky, "This Kiss, Sweet Love"; +Ollendorf's grotesque songs, "One Day I was perambulating," and "There in +the Chamber Polish," which is usually adapted as a topical song; and the +long and cleverly concerted finale of the second act: and Bronislava's +song, "Prince a Beggar's said to be," and Symon's couplet, "I'm penniless +and outlawed too," in the third act. + + + + + The Black Hussar. + + + [Opéra comique, in three acts. First produced at Vienna, 1886.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Helbert, officer of the Black Hussars. + Waldermann, his companion. + Hackenback, magistrate of Trautenfeld. + Piffkow, his man of all work. + Thorillière, major in Napoleon's army. + Hetman, captain of the Cossacks. + Mifflin, an actor. + Minna, } + Rosetta, } Hackenback's daughters. + Barrara. + Ricci. + Goddess of Liberty. + Germania. + + [Soldiers, peasants, villagers, conspirators, etc.] + + The scene is laid in the German village of Trautenfeld; time, the years + 1812-13. + +The story of "The Black Hussar" is simple. Von Helbert, an officer of the +Black Hussars, in the disguise of an army chaplain, is seeking to foment +an insurrection in the town of Trautenfeld. Hackenback, the town +magistrate, has carried himself so diplomatically, as between the +Russians and French, and is so opposed to any rupture with either from +fear of sudden visitation, that Von Helbert's efforts to induce his +townsmen to rise against the Napoleonic régime are not altogether +successful. The French in the mean time are hunting for him, but he +cunningly succeeds in getting a description of the magistrate posted for +that of himself. To be ready for any sudden emergency, Hackenback has a +reversible panel on his house, one side having the portrait of the Czar +and the other that of Napoleon. When he is suspected by the French, he +calls their attention to it; but unfortunately for him the Russian side +is exposed, and this with the description which Von Helbert had so kindly +posted leads to his arrest. Finally the Black Hussar regiment arrives, +and captures the French troops just as they have captured the Russian, +which had previously been in occupation, so that there is no need for +further disguises. The humorous situations in the opera grow out of the +love-making between Von Helbert and his companion Waldermann and the +magistrate's daughters Minna and Rosetta. + +Although "The Black Hussar" is musically inferior to "The Beggar +Student," yet it has many interesting numbers, among them the long +descriptive song of Piffkow, the man of all work, "Piffkow, Piffkow, +that's the cry," which reminds one in its general character of Figaro's +famous song in "The Barber of Seville"; the magistrate's buffo song, "All +Night long I've weighed and sifted"; Helbert's martial recitative, "I've +traversed Lands that once were green"; the jolly gossipers' chorus, +introducing the second act; Piffkow's bombastic song, "'Twas in the +Adjacent Town Last Night"; Minna's quaint Russian song, "Ivan loved his +Katza well"; the introduced song, "Ohe, mamma"; and the trio following +it, "The Ways of Love are very strange," which closes the act. + + + + + NESSLER, VICTOR ERNST. + + + + + The Trumpeter of Säkkingen. + + + [Opera comique, in a prelude and three acts; text by Bunge. First + produced at the Stadt Theatre, Leipsic, May 4, 1884.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Baron of Schoenau. + Margaretha, his daughter. + Count of Wildenstein. + Countess Wildenstein, the Baron's cousin. + Damian, the Count's son by a second marriage. + Werner Kirchoff, the "trumpeter." + Conradin, a trooper. + + [Heralds, youths, maidens, peasants, school children, students, + troopers, etc.] + + The scene is laid in Säkkingen, on the Rhine; time, the year 1650, near + the close of the Thirty Years' War. + +Few operas have had the advantage of such an excellent book as Nessler's +"Trumpeter of Säkkingen," and few light operas have had their stories so +legitimately and skilfully illustrated with music. The text is based upon +the metrical romance of Victor von Scheffel's "Trumpeter Von Säkkingen," +known and admired all over Germany, which tells the story of the young +Werner and the fair Margaretha, their romantic wooing and final union. +The time is near the close of the Thirty Years' War, and the hero is +Werner Kirchoff, a handsome, dashing young student, who, with others of +his comrades, is expelled from the University of Heidelberg because of +their frequent carousals. They join a body of troopers, Werner in the +capacity of a trumpeter, and go with them to Säkkingen. While there he +has the good fortune to protect Margaretha, on a saint's fête day, from +the rudeness of some Hauenstein peasants who are ready for a revolt +against the Baron von Schoenau, her father. Margaretha, who is in company +with the Countess Wildenstein, a cousin of the Baron, who has separated +from her husband, gratefully gives Werner a forget-me-not. The Countess +inquires his name of his trooper comrade, Conradin, and is struck with +his resemblance to her son who had been carried off by gypsies in his +childhood. In the next scene the Baron has received a letter from Count +Wildenstein, in which he states that his second wife has died, that he +wishes to settle the misunderstanding with his first wife, the Countess, +and proposes Damian, his son by the second marriage, as a husband for +Margaretha,--a proposal which the Baron promptly accepts. When Margaretha +enters and tells of her adventures with Werner, the Baron regrets that +his old trumpeter, Rassmann, is not alive to summon assistance from the +city in case of attack by the peasants. Margaretha tells him of Werner, +and notwithstanding the Countess' objections, he gives the position to +him. + +The second act opens with a love scene between Werner and Margaretha, +which is discovered by the Countess, who at once informs the Baron. When +Werner asks him for the hand of Margaretha, he not only refuses it, but +orders him to leave the castle. Werner takes his farewell of Margaretha, +and leaves for his old position with the troopers in the city. Meanwhile +the Count of Wildenstein arrives with Damian, but he makes no impression +upon Margaretha notwithstanding the Baron's favor. + +In the last act the dénouement comes quickly. The peasants attack the +castle, and the Baron calls upon Damian to head his retainers and go out +to meet the mob. He proves himself, however, an arrant coward, and in the +midst of his irresolution Werner rides up at the head of his troopers, +performs prodigies of valor, and saves the inmates of the castle. A +birthmark upon his arm reveals him as the long-lost son of the Countess, +and nothing now stands in the way of Margaretha's and Werner's felicity. + +In the prelude and first act the most noticeable numbers are the +students' and troopers' choruses, written in the best German style--the +prelude indeed is almost entirely choral; the peasants' choruses and +lively dances on St. Fridolin's Day; the characteristic growl of the +Baron over his gout and the unreasonable peasants; and the charming lyric +sung by Margaretha, "How Proud and Grand his Bearing." The most +conspicuous numbers in the second act are a lyric sung by Werner, "On +Shore I played me a Merry Tune"; the love scene between Margaretha and +Werner, "Sun, has thy Light not grown in Splendor?" the dramatic +quintette, "Must so soon the Sunshine vanish?" and Werner's sentimental +and beautiful farewell, "Oh, it is sad that in this Life below." The +principal numbers of the third act are Margaretha's song, "My Love rode +out to the Wide, Wide World"; the May song, "There comes a Youth of Sweet +Renown"; the pantomime and dance composing a May idyll; the duet for +Margaretha and Werner, "True Love, I give thee Greeting"; and the ringing +mass chorus, "Faithful Love and Trumpet blowing," which closes the opera. + + + + + NICOLAI, OTTO. + + + + + The Merry Wives of Windsor. + + + [Opéra comique, in three acts; text by Mosenthal. First produced in + Vienna, April 1, 1847; in London, May 3, 1864; in New York, April 27, + 1863.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Sir John Falstaff. + Mr. Ford, } + Mr. Page, } gentlemen dwelling at Windsor. + Fenton. + Slender. + Dr. Caius, the French physician. + Mistress Ford. + Mistress Page. + Anne Page, her daughter, in love with Fenton. + Host of the Garter Inn. + + [Citizens, wives of Windsor, servants, fairies, elves, etc.] + + The scene is laid at Windsor; time, the sixteenth century. + +The story of the opera follows closely that of the Shakespearian comedy, +though the action is principally concerned with Falstaff's adventures +with the merry wives, with the attachment between Fenton and Anne +furnishing the romantic incident. Though the work of a German, the music +is largely in the Italian style, and the dramatic finish is French. It is +unnecessary to indicate the plot in further detail than to say it +includes the receipt of Sir John's amatory epistles by Mrs. Ford and Mrs. +Page, his concealment among the foul linen in the hamper and subsequent +sousing in the Thames, his sad experiences with Ford's cudgels, and his +painful encounter with the mock fairies, elves, and other sprites in +Windsor Park. + +The leading numbers in the opera are a duet for the two merry wives, +opening the opera, in which they read Falstaff's letters, "No, no, this +really is too bad," closing with an exquisitely humorous phrase as they +pronounce the name of the writer in unison; a beautiful little aria, +"Joking and Laughter," in the Italian style, sung by Mrs. Ford; and the +finale to the first act beginning with a mock serious aria in which Mrs. +Ford bewails her husband's jealousy, followed by a sextette and chorus, +and closing with a highly dramatic aria in which Mrs. Ford changes from +grief to rage and violently denounces Ford. + +The second act opens with a drinking-song for Falstaff, "Whilst yet a +Child on my Mother's Breast," which is full of rollicking, bacchanalian +humor, as well as are the accessories of the song. Falstaff sings one +verse, and his followers drain their huge mugs to the bottom. One of them +falls senselessly drunk, and is immediately borne out upon the shoulders +of his comrades with funereal honors, led off by Falstaff, all chanting a +sort of mock dirge. A descriptive and spirited buffo duet between +Falstaff and Ford follows, in which the former relates his adventures in +the hamper. The only remaining number of consequence in this act is the +romanza, "Hark, the Lark in yonder Grove," sung by Fenton. The last act +is very short, and made up of a beautiful trio for Mrs. Ford, Mrs. Page, +and Falstaff, "The Bell has pealed the Midnight Chime"; the romantic +ballad, "Of Herne, the Hunter, a Legend old," and the fairy dance and +chorus, "About, about, ye Elves, about," which close the opera. + + + + + OFFENBACH, JACQUES. + + + + + The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein. + + + [Opera bouffe, in three acts; text by Meilhac and Halévy. First + produced at the Variétés, Paris, April 12, 1867.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Grand Duchess. + Wanda, a peasant girl. + Iza, maid of honor. + Olga, maid of honor. + Prince Paul, neglected suitor of the Duchess. + Gen. Boum, in command of the army. + Baron Puck, Court chamberlain. + Baron Grog, emissary. + Fritz, a recruit. + Nepomuc, aide de camp. + + [Lords and court ladies, pages, soldiers, vivandières, country girls, + etc.] + + The scene is laid in the imaginary Duchy of Gerolstein; time, the year + 1720. + +"The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein," though in some respects inferior +musically to "Orpheus," by the same composer, is altogether the most +perfect type of the opera bouffe. For the drollness of its story, the +originality of its characters as well as of its music and obstreperous +gayety, dash, and geniality mixed with occasional seriousness and grace, +this work when it first appeared was unique, though Offenbach rose to his +highest achievement when dealing with the gods and goddesses of Olympus +in his "Orpheus," which revealed his powers of musical burlesque at their +best. + +The first act opens with a grand review of the army of the duchy, +commanded by the pompous General Boum, at which the Duchess is present. +In its ranks there is a recruit, known by the name of Fritz, who has +already aroused the General's jealousy by his attentions to Wanda, a +peasant girl. He continues still further to add to this jealousy when the +Duchess, attracted by his good looks, singles him out for her regard and +promotes him to the post of corporal. When she learns of his relations to +Wanda, she raises him to the rank of lieutenant, evidently to separate +him from Wanda by the new elevation. The review over, the Duchess studies +the plan of a pending campaign against a neighboring enemy. She summons +General Boum in the presence of Baron Puck, her court chamberlain, Prince +Paul, a feeble and neglected suitor of the Duchess, and Lieutenant Fritz, +who is now her special body-guard, and asks him for his plan of campaign, +which he states, much to the disgust of Fritz, who declares it to be +sheer nonsense. The Duchess then asks the latter for his plan, and is so +much pleased with it that she appoints him general and raises him to the +rank of baron, much to the discomfort and indignation of the others. + +The second act opens with the return of Fritz. He has been victorious, +and at the public reception given him he tells the story of his +adventures. Subsequently at a tête-à-tête with the Duchess, she makes +open love to him; but he is so occupied with thoughts of Wanda that he is +insensible to all her advances, which puts her in a rage. Overhearing a +conspiracy between Puck, Paul, and the deposed General Boum against his +life, she joins with them, and the act closes with a wild, hilarious +dance. + +In the third act Baron Grog, emissary of Prince Paul's father, appears +upon the scene to expedite the marriage of the Prince to the Duchess. He +joins the conspiracy against Fritz, and so ingratiates himself with the +Duchess that she finally consents to marry the Prince. In the mean time +she countermands the order for Fritz's assassination, and gives him +permission to marry Wanda. The conspirators, however, play a practical +joke upon Fritz by a false message summoning him to the battle-field. He +leaves at once on the wedding-night, but through the connivance of +General Boum is waylaid and badly beaten. While the betrothal of the +Duchess is being celebrated, Fritz returns in sad plight, with the sabre +which the Duchess has given him in a battered condition. She adds to his +misfortunes by depriving him of his command and bestowing it upon Baron +Grog, but learning that he has a family, she reinstates General Boum. In +the dénouement Fritz is restored to his Wanda and the Duchess marries +Prince Paul. + +The music is in keeping with the drollery of the situations, and abounds +in vivacity and odd descriptiveness, defying all accepted laws and +adapting itself to the grotesquerie and extravagance of the action. The +principal numbers in the first act are the pompous "Pif, paf, pouf" song +of General Boum; the Grand Duchess' air, "Ah! I love the Military" ("Ah! +que j'aime les militaires"); the regiment song for her and Fritz, "Oh! +what a Famous Regiment" ("Ah! c'est un fameux régiment"); the couplets of +Prince Paul, "To marry a Princess" ("Pour épouser une Princesse"); and +the famous sabre song, "Lo, here the Sabre of my Sire" ("Voici, le sabre +de mon père"). The best numbers of the second act are Fritz's spirited +rondo, "All in Good Order, Colors flying" ("En très bon ordre nous +partîmes"), in which he tells the story of his victory; the romanza "Say +to him" ("Dites lui"), a delightful little song, and so refined that it +hardly seems to belong to the opera; and the conspirators' trio, "Max was +a Soldier of Fortune" ("Max était soldat de fortune"), which is +irresistible in its broad humor and queer rhythms. The musical interest +really reaches its climax in the second act. Outside of the chorus work +in the third act, there is little of interest except the Duchess' ballad, +"There lived in Times now long gone by" ("Il était un de mes aieux"), and +Fritz' song to the Duchess, "Behold here, your Highness" ("Eh bien, +Altesse, me voilà!"). + + + + + La Belle Hélène. + + + [Opera bouffe, in three acts; text by De Meilhac and Halévy. First + produced at the Théâtre des Variétés, Paris, December 17, 1864.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Helen, Queen of Sparta. + Paris, son of Priam. + Menelaus, King of Sparta. + Agamemnon, King of the Kings. + Calchas, augur. + Achilles, King of Phthiotis. + Ajax I., King of Salamis. + Ajax II., King of the Locrians. + Orestes, son of Agamemnon. + Bacchis, attendant of Helen. + Parthoenis. + Loena. + Philocomes, servant of Calchas. + Euthycles, a blacksmith. + + [Princes, princesses, courtiers, Helen's attendants, slaves, etc.] + + The scene is laid in Sparta; time mythical. + +In "La Belle Hélène" Offenbach goes back to the mythical period, and +presents the heroes of the time of Helen and Paris in modern burlesque. +The first act opens at the temple of Jupiter in Sparta, where, among +others who have placed their offerings at his shrine, is Helen. When +alone with Calchas, the augur, they discuss some means of avoiding the +decree of the oracle which has declared she is to leave Menelaus, her +husband, and fly with Paris, son of Priam, to Troy. Before a decision is +reached, Paris, disguised as a shepherd, arrives, and soon he and Helen +are lovers. They meet again in a grand tournament in which the two +Ajaxes, Achilles, Agamemnon, and others announce themselves in the most +comic fashion and guess at conundrums for a prize. Paris wins, and +proclaims his name and lineage, to the delight of Helen, whose delight is +still further enhanced when the oracle orders Menelaus to set off at once +for Crete. + +In the second act Helen struggles against the decrees of Venus. Paris has +an interview with her, but she will not yield, and he retires. By the aid +of Calchas he secures admission to the chamber of the slumbering Queen, +when Menelaus suddenly returns and an altercation ensues, during which +Paris defies all the Grecian heroes, and Helen philosophically informs +Menelaus he should have announced his coming beforehand. Paris again +retreats, and Helen is now in despair. + +In the third act Helen and Menelaus have a family quarrel, and he charges +her with being false. She denies it, and declares he has been dreaming. +Calchas now appears, and announces that a new augur has been appointed +and is on his way there. A golden galley is seen approaching, and the new +augur is found to be Paris himself. He brings word that Venus is angry at +what has been going on, but will relent if Helen will return with him to +her shrine and sacrifice white heifers. She is reluctant to go, but +finally decides to obey the voice of destiny, and sails away with him, +leaving them all behind in grief and Menelaus in rage. + +The dialogue of "La Belle Hélène" is very witty, though coarse at times, +and many of the situations are full of a humorous incongruity and +drollness growing out of the attempt to modernize these mythological +heroes. The music admirably fits the text, and though not so gay as that +of "The Grand Duchess," yet is fresh, original, and interesting +throughout. The chief numbers of the work are Helen's passionate song of +mourning for Adonis, "Divine Love" ("Amours divins"); Paris' fable, "On +Mount Ida, three Goddesses" ("Au Mont Ida, trois déesses"), in which he +tells the well-known apple story; the march and chorus, "Here are the +Kings of Greece" ("Voici les rois de la Grèce"), in which, one after the +other, they come forward and announce themselves in an irresistibly funny +manner; Helen's mock sentimental song, "We all are born with Solicitude" +("Nous naissons toutes soucieuses"); the droll goose march of the Kings; +a fascinating chorus, "Let us wreathe Crowns of Roses" ("En courronnes +tressons roses"); Helen's song, "A Husband Wise" ("Un mari sage"), one of +the most characteristic numbers in the opera; and in the last act +Orestes' song, "In spite of this Ardent Flame" ("Malgré cette ardente +flamme"); the spirited trio, "When Greece has become a Field of Carnage" +("Lorsque la Grèce est un camp de carnage"); and the final chorus, "Let +now our Wrath" ("Que notre colère"), which preludes the Trojan war. + + + + + Orpheus. + + + [Opera bouffe, in three acts; text by Cremieux. First produced at the + Bouffes Parisiens, Paris, October 21, 1858.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Pluto, disguised as Aristeus. + Jupiter, King of the Gods. + Orpheus, the lutist. + John Styx, the ferryman. + Mercury, the messenger. + Bacchus, God of wine. + Mars, God of war. + Eurydice, spouse of Orpheus. + Diana, Goddess of the hunt. + Public Opinion. + Juno, consort of Jupiter. + Venus, Goddess of love. + Cupid, her messenger. + Minerva, Goddess of wisdom. + + The scene is laid near Thebes; time, mythical. + +The best musical work of Offenbach undoubtedly is to be found in his +"Orpheus aux Enfers," and the text which his librettist furnished him is +in keeping with the music. It was a bold as well as droll conception to +invest the Olympian gods and goddesses with human attributes and make +them symbols of worldly departments of action and official life, to +parade them in processions like the ordinary street pageant, to present +them in banquets, to dress them in the most fantastically individual +manner, and to make nineteenth-century caricatures of the whole Olympian +coterie. + +The first scene of the opera discloses Eurydice in the Theban meadows +plucking flowers with which to decorate the cabin of Aristeus, the +shepherd, who is really Pluto in disguise. Suddenly Orpheus appears, not +with his tortoise-shell lyre, but playing the violin and serenading, as +he supposes, a shepherdess with whom he is in love. His mistake reveals +the fact that each of them is false to the other, and a violent quarrel +of the most ludicrous description ensues, ending in their separation. He +goes to his shepherdess, she to her shepherd. Shortly afterwards, +Aristeus meets Eurydice in the fields and reveals his real self. By +supernatural power he turns day into night and brings on a tempest, in +the midst of which he bears her away to the infernal regions, but not +before she has written upon Orpheus' hut the fate that has overtaken her. +When Orpheus returns he is overjoyed at his loss, but in the midst of his +exultation, Public Opinion appears and commands him to go to Olympus and +demand from Jupiter the restoration of his wife. Orpheus reluctantly +obeys the order. + +The second act opens in Olympus, where the gods and goddesses are +enjoying a nap, from which they are awakened by the blasts of Diana's +horn. Thereupon much slanderous gossip is circulated amongst them, the +latest news discussed being Pluto's abduction of Eurydice. Pluto himself +shortly comes in, and is at once taxed by Jupiter with his unseemly +behavior, whereupon Pluto retaliates by reference to Jupiter's numerous +amours with mortals. This arouses the jealousy of Juno. Venus, with +Cupid's assistance, starts a veritable riot, which is suddenly +interrupted by the arrival of Orpheus and his guide, Public Opinion. He +demands that his wife shall be restored to him, and Jupiter not only +consents, but agrees to attend to the matter personally. + +The third act finds Eurydice in Hades, carefully guarded by John Styx. +Jupiter is faithful to his promise, and soon arrives there, but not in +his proper person. He appears in the disguise of a fly, and allows +Eurydice to catch him, after which he reveals himself. When Pluto comes +in, he finds her transformed into a bacchante of the most convivial sort. +Other deities make their appearance, and finally Orpheus comes sailing up +the Styx, playing his violin, and demanding of Jupiter the fulfilment of +his contract. Jupiter consents, but makes the condition that he shall +return to his boat, Eurydice following him, and that he must not look +back. Orpheus sets out, but just before he reaches the boat, the cunning +Jupiter launches a thunderbolt after him, which causes him to turn and +lose Eurydice, much to the disgust of Public Opinion, but greatly to the +edification of Orpheus, who is now at liberty to return to his +shepherdess on the Theban plain. + +The most striking numbers in this curious travesty are the opening aria +of Eurydice, as she gathers the flowers, "Woman that dreams" ("La femme +dont la coeur rêve"); the pastoral sung to her by Aristeus, "To see +through the Vines" ("Voir voltiger sous les treilles"); the fascinating +hunting-song of Diana, "When Diana comes down the Plain" ("Quand Diane +descend dans la plaine"); the characteristic and taking song of John +Styx, "When I was King of Boeotia" ("Quand j'étais roi de Beotie"), which +in its way is as striking as the sabre song in "The Grand Duchess"; +Eurydice's delicate fly-song, "Beautiful Insect, with Golden Wings" ("Bel +insecte, à l'aile dorée"); the drinking-song in the infernal regions, +"Hail to the Wine" ("Vive le vin"); and Eurydice's vivacious bacchanalian +song which immediately follows it, "I have seen the God Bacchus" ("J'ai +vu le dieu Bacchus"). + + + + + PLANQUETTE, ROBERT. + + + + + The Chimes of Normandy. + + + [Opéra comique, in three acts; text by Clairville and Gabet. First + produced at the Folies Dramatiques, Paris, April 19, 1877.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Serpolette, the good-for-nothing. + Germaine, the lost Marchioness. + Susanne. + Jeanne. + Henri, Marquis of Corneville. + Jean Grenicheux, a fisherman. + Gaspard, an old miser. + Baillie, magistrate. + Notary. + + [Peasants, sailors, servants, waiting-maids, etc.] + + The scene is laid in Normandy; time of Louis the Fifteenth. + +The first act of this charming opera, one of the most popular of its +class, opens in an old Norman village during the progress of a fair. +Henri, the Marquis of Villeroi, who has been an exile since childhood, +has just returned. The first scene discloses a number of village gossips +who are retailing scandals about Serpolette, the good-for-nothing, who +arrives in time to vindicate herself and retaliate upon the gossips. +Gaspard, the miser, has arranged to give his niece Germaine in marriage +to the sheriff, who is the chief dignitary in the village. Germaine, +however, objects to the proposition, since if she marries at all she +claims she must marry Jean Grenicheux, a young fisherman, in gratitude +for saving her life. To escape the marriage she and Jean become the +servants of the Marquis, and are joined by Serpolette, which is one of +the privileges of fair-time. + +The second act is occupied with the exposure of the ghosts in the castle +of Villeroi. The Marquis is confident that there is nothing supernatural +about the apparition which has been seen or the sounds which have been +heard in the various apartments. He therefore introduces his servants +into the castle, and after careful searching discovers that the ghost of +Villeroi is old Gaspard, the miser, who, when he is found out, becomes +crazy through fear of losing treasures which are concealed there. + +In the last act the castle is restored to its old splendor, and the +Marquis takes possession as master. He gives a fête and the villagers are +invited, the crazy Gaspard being among them. Serpolette appears as a +grand lady with Jean as her factotum, some papers found in the castle +indicating she is the lost heiress. After a love scene between Henri and +Germaine, however, Gaspard, who has recovered his reason, discloses that +Germaine, and not Serpolette, is the rightful heiress and the true +claimant to the title of marchioness. All the complications are now +unravelled. Gaspard's treasure is restored to its rightful owner. +Germaine comes to her rights, and Serpolette remains with her as her +friend. + +The music of the opera is delightful throughout, and has scarcely a dull +moment. Its most conspicuous numbers are Serpolette's rondo, "In my +Mysterious History"; a delightful little fantaisie, "Go, Little Sailor"; +the legend of the chimes, "Alas! we have lost Excellent Masters"; Henri's +grand aria, "I have thrice made the Tour of the World"; and his couplets, +"Under the Armor from Top to Toe"; Serpolette's sprightly aria, +"Viscountess and Marchioness"; the chorus with the chimes, a most +graceful and interesting number closing the second act; and in the last +act Gaspard's quaint old Norman song, "We were full Five Hundred Rogues"; +Serpolette's rondo, "The Apple's a Fruit full of Vigor"; and Henri's +romance, "A Servant, what Matter to me?" + + + + + RICCI, LUIGI. + + + + + Crispino. + + + [Opera buffa, in three acts; text by Piave. First produced in Venice, + in 1850.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Annetta, the cobbler's wife. + La Comare, the fairy. + Crispino, the cobbler. + Il Contino, the Count. + Dr. Fabrizio. + Dr. Mirobolante. + Don Asdrubal. + Lisetta. + + [Clerks, waiters, servants, etc.] + + The scene is laid in Venice; time, the last century. + +The first act of this charming little fairy opera opens with a unison +chorus of apothecary's apprentices, "Thump, thump" ("Batti, batti"). +Crispino, a poor cobbler, over head and ears in debt, whose wife Annetta +tries to help him out by ballad singing, is seated at his bench at work +in front of his house. In the intervals of the chorus the Count, who +figures in a side plot, sings a beautiful romanza, "Thou Beauteous as an +Angel art" ("Bella siccome un angelo"). Then Crispino bewails his hard +fortune in a quaint melody, "Once a Cobbler" ("Una volta un ciabattino"), +after which Annetta introduces herself with a canzonetta, "My Pretty +Tales and Songs" ("Istorie belle e leggere"), leading up to a minor duet +between them. In the sixth scene a buffo aria, "I am a Bit of a +Philosopher" ("Io sono un po' filosofo") is sung by Dr. Fabrizio. At last +Crispino gets into such desperate straits that he resolves to make way +with himself. He is about to jump into a well when a fairy appears and +dissuades him, at the same time giving him a purse of gold and offering +to set him up in business as a doctor, telling him he must look about him +whenever he has a patient, and if she is not present he will be +successful. The act closes with a duet for Crispino and Annetta, "Since +you have found a Fairy" ("Troffo so, basta per ova"). + +The second act discloses Crispino in the midst of a nourishing business, +and the delighted Annetta sings a joyous little melody, "I no longer am +Annetta" ("Io non sono piu l'Annetta"). A workman who has met with an +accident is brought to Crispino for treatment, and as the fairy is not +present he is successful. The musical treatment of the healing scene is +worked up with great skill. It begins with a baritone solo, leading up to +a duet with soprano and chorus accompaniment. A sextette then takes up +the theme, and in the close all on the stage give it with impressive +effect. A broadly humorous but very melodious trio of the doctors +follows, "Sirs, what means this Quarrel?" ("Ma Signori, perchè tantes +questione?"). In the next scene Annetta sings the pretty Fritola song, +"Pietro, Darling, this Cake so Tempting" ("Piero mio, go qua una +fritola"), in which she boasts the merits of a cake she has made for the +Carnival. Meanwhile Crispino grows so puffed up with his wealth that when +Annetta invites some old friends to the house he drives them out, and is +about to strike Annetta when the fairy suddenly appears. + +In the last act the fairy has taken Crispino to a cavern, where she shows +him crystal vases in which more or less brilliant lights are burning. She +tells him that each represents a human life. The one burning so brightly +is Annetta's, the one so dimly is his own. When he asks her to take some +oil out of Annetta's lamp and put it into his, she upbraids him, reveals +herself as death, and tells him to make his last request, for he is about +to die. In a doleful ballad, "Little I ask, Dearest Fairy" ("Poco cerco, +O mia Comare"), he asks for only a half-hour more, so that he may see +Annetta and the children. A sudden change of scene shows him in his own +house, awaking from sleep in his chair. As he realizes that it has been +only a nightmare, occasioned by a sudden fit of illness, he expresses his +delight and Annetta expresses her joy in a brilliant waltz movement, +"There's no Joy that e'er hath given me" ("Non ha gioja in tal Momento"), +which closes the opera. + + + + + ROSSINI, GIOACHINO ANTONIO. + + + + + The Barber of Seville. + + + [Opera buffa, in two acts; text by Sterbini. First produced at the + Argentina Theatre, Rome, February 5, 1816.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Rosina, ward of Dr. Bartolo. + Berta. + Figaro, the barber. + Count Almaviva, lover of Rosina. + Dr. Bartolo. + Basilio, a music-master. + + [Officers, soldiers, etc.] + + The scene is laid in Seville; time, the eighteenth century. + +The story and the music of "The Barber of Seville" are as fresh and +delightful as when the opera was first produced eighty-six years ago. Its +story is almost as familiar as household words, and no music has been +more popular on the operatic stage than its gay, brilliant arias. Count +Almaviva loves Rosina, the ward of Dr. Bartolo, who wishes to marry her +himself, but the Count is unable to get an interview with her until it is +arranged for by Figaro, the factotum of the place. In spite of Bartolo's +watchfulness, as well as that of Don Basilio, her music-teacher, who is +only too willing to serve Bartolo, she succeeds in writing to the Count +and telling him that his love is returned. With Figaro's help the Count +gets into the house disguised as a drunken dragoon, but is promptly +arrested. The next time he secures admission as a music-teacher upon the +pretence that Don Basilio is sick, and has sent him to give Rosina her +lesson. He further hoodwinks Bartolo by producing the letter Rosina had +written to himself, and promises to persuade her that the letter has been +given him by a mistress of the Count, which will break the connection +between the two. He secures the coveted interview, and an elopement is +planned. The unexpected appearance of Don Basilio, however, upsets the +arrangements, and the disconcerted lover makes good his escape. In the +mean time Bartolo, who has the letter, shows it to his ward and arouses +her jealousy. She thereupon promises to marry her guardian. At the time +set for the elopement, the Count and Figaro arrive. A reconciliation is +speedily effected, and the Count and Rosina are married just as Bartolo +makes his appearance with officers to arrest the Count. After mutual +explanations, however, all ends happily. + +The opera opens, after a short chorus, with the Count's serenade, "Lo, +smiling in the Orient Sky" ("Ecco ridente in cielo"), one of the most +beautiful numbers in the opera. In the second scene Figaro sings the +lively and well-known buffo aria, "Make Room for the Factotum" ("Largo al +factotum"). A light and lively duet between Figaro and the Count leads up +to the chamber aria of Rosina, "The Voice I heard just now" ("Una voce +poco fa"), which is not only very expressive but remarkably rich in +ornamentation. In the next scene occurs the calumny aria, "Oh! Calumny is +like the Sigh" ("La Calunnia è un venticello"). It is followed by a +florid duet and a dialogue between Rosina and Bartolo, closing with the +bass aria, "No longer conceal the Truth" ("Non piu tacete"). The finale +is composed of three scenes full of glittering dialogue and melodious +passages. + +The second act opens with a soliloquy by Bartolo, interrupted by a duet +with the Count. The music-lesson scene follows in which the artist +personating Rosina is given an opportunity for interpolation. In the next +scene occurs a dialogue quintette, which is followed by a long aria for +Bertha, "There is always Noise" ("Sempre gridi"), which the Italians +called the "aria de sorbetto," as they used to eat ices while it was +sung. In the eighth scene, after a long recitative, an instrumental +prelude occurs, representing a stormy night, followed by recitative in +which the Count reveals himself, leading up to a florid trio, and this in +turn to the elegant terzetto, "Softly, softly, no Delay" ("Zitti, zitti, +piano, piano"). A bravura and finale of light, graceful melody close the +opera. + + + + + SOLOMON, EDWARD. + + + + + Billee Taylor. + + + [Nautical comic opera, in two acts; text by Stephens. First produced in + London in 1880] + + PERSONAGES. + + Felix Flapper, R. N., Captain of "H. M. S. Thunderbomb." + Sir Mincing Lane, knight. + Billee Taylor. + Ben Barnacle. + Christopher Crab, tutor. + Phoebe Farleigh, a charity girl. + Arabella Lane, heiress. + Eliza Dabsey. + Susan. + Jane Scraggs. + + [Villagers, peasants, sailors, press gang, etc.] + + The scene is laid in Southampton, England; time, the year 1805. + +The story of "Billee Taylor" is based upon an old English marine ballad +of the same name. The first act opens at the inn of the Royal George in +Southampton, where the villagers have gathered to celebrate the wedding +of Billee Taylor and Phoebe Farleigh, a charity girl. The heiress, +Arabella Lane, is also in love with Billee, and has offered him her hand, +which he has rejected. Her father, Sir Mincing Lane, is going to give the +villagers a feast upon the occasion of Billee's wedding, and invites his +friend, Captain Flapper, to attend. The captain accepts, falls in love +with Phoebe at sight, and vows Billee shall not marry her. Crab, the +tutor, is also in love with Phoebe. In Captain Flapper's crew is Bill +Barnacle, who went to sea "on account of Eliza," who had been unfaithful +to him, and he is ordered by the press gang to carry Billee away, which +he does during the wedding festivities. + +The second act opens at Portsmouth, two years supposedly having elapsed. +All the charity girls, among them Phoebe, disguised as sailors, followed +Billee to sea, who in the mean time has risen to a lieutenancy. Arabella +forces her attentions upon him and he is inclined to yield. At this +juncture Phoebe, still seeking her lover, turns up as a common sailor +answering to the name of Richard Carr. Captain Flapper in her presence +mentions that he is in love with her, also that Billee is about to marry +Arabella. Sir Mincing Lane, now a commander of volunteers, endeavors to +persuade some of the sailors to join him, and Phoebe offers herself as a +recruit, but is claimed as a messmate by Barnacle, which leads to a +quarrel. Crab then incites Phoebe to revenge herself upon her recreant +lover, and she fires at him, but the shot hits Crab. She is arrested and +is about to be executed, but is released when she declares herself a +woman. In the end Billee is disrated, but marries Arabella. Barnacle +secures his Eliza. Phoebe marries the captain, and is made full +lieutenant of the "Thunderbomb." + +"Billee Taylor" is essentially a ballad opera. The best of the ballads +are "The Virtuous Gardener," in which Billee describes the ethical +pleasures of gardening; "The Two Rivers," sung by Phoebe, Susan, and +chorus; "The Self-made Knight," by Sir Mincing Lane, which resembles Sir +Joseph Porter's song in the first act of "Pinafore" ("When I was a Lad I +served a Term"); Phoebe's sentimental song, "The Guileless Orphan"; +Barnacle's well-known song, "All on account of Eliza"; Crab's humorous +ditty, "The Poor Wicked Man"; Angelina's sentimental "Ballad of the +Billow"; and Captain Flapper's disquisition on love in the interrogative +song, "Do you know why the Rabbits are caught in the Snares?" + + + + + SOUSA, JOHN PHILIP. + + + + + El Capitan. + + + [Comic opera, in three acts; text by Klein. First produced at the + Tremont Theatre, Boston, April 13, 1896.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Medigua, Viceroy of Peru. + Cazarro, deposed viceroy. + Pozzo, secretary of Medigua. + Verrada, in love with Isabel. + Scaramba, an insurgent. + Estrelda, Cazarro's daughter. + Marghanza, Medigua's wife. + Isabel, her daughter. + + [Troops, insurgents, peasants, etc.] + + The scene is laid in Peru; time, the eighteenth century. + +At the opening of the story Cazarro, viceroy of Peru, has been deposed by +the King of Spain, and Medigua has been appointed in his stead. Cazarro +incites a revolution, and sends to Spain for El Capitan, a noted soldier, +to come to his help. He sails on the same ship with Medigua, in the +disguise of a seaman, but is killed in a quarrel on board. Medigua finds +out who he was, and when he lands, discovering that his faction is in a +hopeless minority, he proclaims himself El Capitan and joins the rebels. +To further his scheme he induces his secretary, Pozzo, to represent the +Viceroy. Among the other characters are Scaramba, a revolutionist in love +with Estrelda, daughter of Cazarro; the Princess Marghanza, wife of +Medigua; her daughter Isabel; and Count Verrada, who is in love with her. +Estrelda falls in love with the pseudo El Capitan, which arouses +Scaramba's jealousy. Pozzo is thrust into prison, much to the grief of +the Princess and of Isabel, who believe him to be Medigua. After the +arrival of the Spanish troops, however, Medigua declares himself. The +rebellion is squelched, all are pardoned, and everything ends happily. + +The principal numbers of the first act are a pretty drinking-song for the +chorus; a solo for Medigua, "If you examine Human Kind," followed by a +dialogue and leading up to an aria for Estrelda, "When we hear the Call +for Battle," with chorus in march time; a second march, "In me you see El +Capitan," which heralds Medigua's entrance; the chorus, "Lo, the Awful +Man approaches"; and the solo and chorus, "Bah, bah," closing the act. +The second act opens with a march song, "Ditty of the Drill," which is +shortly followed by an effective scene in which a mournful accompaniment +representing the grief of Marghanza and Isabel, and a festive +accompaniment setting forth the exultation of Estrelda and her companions +as they bind El Capitan with garlands of roses, are interwoven. As the +Princess discovers Medigua in El Capitan, a quarrel duet follows between +her and Estrelda, leading up to a pompous military finale, as the Spanish +troops appear. The leading numbers of the third act are a serenade and +duet for Verrada and Isabel; a song by the tipsy Medigua, "The Typical +Tune of Zanzibar," which is the most popular number in the opera; and a +final march with chorus. + + + + + STRAUSS, JOHANN. + + + + + The Merry War. + + + [Opéra comique, in three acts; text by Zell and Genée. First produced + in Vienna, November 25, 1881.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Countess Violetta. + Col. Umberto. + Duke de Limburg. + Balthasar Groats, dealer in tulip bulbs. + Else, wife of Groats. + Spiuzzi. + Franchetti. + Biffi. + + [Soldiers, citizens, etc.] + + The scene is laid in Genoa; time, the eighteenth century. + +The "merry war" is not a very serious one, as may be inferred from its +title. It is a quarrel between two petty states, Genoa and Massa Carrara, +growing out of the fact that a popular dancer has made simultaneous +engagements at the theatres of each. Both claim her, and the question at +issue is at which theatre the dancer shall appear. One harmless hand +grenade is thrown from either side with monotonous regularity each day, +and the "merry war" is without interesting incident until the pretty +Countess Violetta appears in one of the camps. She is seeking to make her +way in disguise into the city of the other camp, to take command of the +citadel. Umberto, the colonel commanding, is deceived by her, and allows +her to pass through the lines. When informed of the deception he +determines to take his revenge by marrying her. Understanding that she is +to marry the Duke de Limburg by proxy, he impersonates the Duke and is +married to Violetta without arousing her suspicions. He is assisted in +his scheme by Balthasar Groats, a Dutch speculator in tulip bulbs, whom +the soldiers have arrested, thinking him a spy, and who is naturally +willing to do anything for the Colonel to get him out of his predicament. +Complications arise, however, when Groats' wife appears and becomes +jealous, also because of Violetta's antipathy towards her supposed +husband and her affection for Umberto. All these matters are arranged +satisfactorily, however, when there is an opportunity for explanation, +and a treaty of peace is signed between the two states, when it is found +that the cause of the "merry war" will not keep her engagement with +either theatre. + +The music of "The Merry War" is light and gay throughout. Like all the +rest of the Strauss operas, it might be said that it is a collection of +marches and waltzes, and a repetition of dance music which has done good +service in ballrooms, strung upon the slight thread of a story. Its most +taking numbers are Umberto's couplets, "Till now no Drop of Blood"; +Balthasar's comical song, "General, ho!" and his tulip song, "From +Holland to Florence in Peace we were going"; Violetta's arietta, "In vain +I cannot fly"; the dainty duet for Violetta and Umberto, "Please do"; +Else's romantic song, "I wandered on"; the ensemble and Dutch song by +Artemisia, "The much Admired One"; Umberto's love song, "The Night begins +to creep"; Violetta's song, "I am yet Commander for To-day," leading to a +terzetto and spirited final chorus, "Of their Warlike Renown." + + + + + The Queen's Lace Handkerchief. + + + [Opéra comique, in three acts; text by Genée and Bohrmann-Riegen. First + produced at Vienna, October 2, 1880.] + + PERSONAGES. + + The King. + The Queen. + Donna Irene, the Queen's confidante. + Marquis of Villareal. + Cervantes, poet. + Count Villaboisy Roderiguez, Prime Minister. + Don Sancho de Avellaneda, tutor to the King. + Marquis de la Mancha Villareal, Minister of War. + Duke of Feria, Minister of Finance. + Count San Gregorio, Minister of the Interior. + Count Ermos, Minister of the Navy. + Don Diego de Barados, Minister of Police. + Dancing-Master. + Master of Ceremonies. + Antonio, innkeeper. + + [Students, doctors, ladies and gentlemen of the court, toreadors, + brigands, etc.] + + The scene is laid in Portugal; time, the year 1570. + +The romance of the story of "The Queen's Lace Handkerchief" has helped to +make this opera one of the most popular of Strauss' works. The action +begins at a time when Portugal is ruled by a ministry whose premier is in +league with Philip II. of Spain, and who, to keep possession of power, +has fomented trouble between the young Queen and King, and encouraged the +latter in all kinds of dissipations. At this time Cervantes, the poet, +who has been banished from Spain, is a captain in the Royal Guards, and +in love with Irene, a lady in waiting. These two are good friends of both +the King and Queen, and are eager to depose the ministry. Cervantes is +reader to the Queen, and the latter, having a sentimental attachment for +him, writes upon her handkerchief, "A queen doth love thee, yet art thou +no king," and placing it in a volume of "Don Quixote," hands it to him. +The book is seized, and as "Don Quixote" is Minister of War and "Sancho +Panza" Minister of Instruction, Cervantes is arrested for libel and +treason. Irene and the King, however, save him by proving him insane, and +the King and Queen ascend the throne. In desperation the premier hands +the King the handkerchief with the inscription on it, which leads to the +re-arrest of Cervantes and the banishment of the Queen to a convent. +Cervantes escapes, however, and joins some brigands. They capture the +Queen on her way to the convent, and in the disguise of the host and +waiting-maid of an inn, they serve the King, who happens there on a +hunting-trip. Everything is satisfactorily accounted for, and the +inscription on the handkerchief is explained as a message which the Queen +sent to the King by Cervantes. + +The music is light and brilliant. Much of it is in the waltz movement, +and the choral work is a strong feature. Its best numbers are the Queen's +humorous romanza, "It was a wondrous Fair and Starry Night"; another +humorous number, the King's truffle song, "Such Dish by Man not oft is +seen"; the epicurean duet for the King and premier, "These Oysters are +great"; Cervantes' recitative, "Once sat a Youth," in the finale of the +first act: a dainty little romanza for Cervantes, "Where the Wild Rose +sweetly doth blow"; the trio and chorus, "Great Professors, Learned +Doctors"; the fine duet for the King and Cervantes, "Brighter Glance on +him shall repose"; Sancho's vivacious couplet, "In the Night his Zither +holding"; the Queen's showy song, "Seventeen Years had just passed o'er +me"; and the two closing choruses, "Now the King all hail," in march +time, and the Bull-fight, which is full of dash and spirit. + + + + + Queen Indigo. + + + [Opera comique, in three acts; text by Jaime and Wilder. First produced + in Vienna, February 10, 1871.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Montadada I., widow of King Indigo. + Fantasca, the late King's favorite. + Janio, the late King's jester. + Romadour, chief of the eunuchs. + Babazouck, fruit and vegetable vender. + Mysouf, general-in-chief. + + [Inmates of the harem, eunuchs, cooks, courtiers, soldiers, sailors, + etc.] + + The scene is laid in Asiatic Turkey; time, the last century. + +At the opening of the opera King Indigo has just died, and his widow, +Montadada I., decides to sell the harem. Fantasca, a beautiful slave, who +was the favorite of the King, is included among those to be sold, and +Romadour, chief of the eunuchs, resolves to secure her. Fantasca is in +love with Janio, the King's jester, of her own country. Queen Montadada +is also in love with him and has chosen him for her second husband, but +he prefers Fantasca. The two contrive a cunning plot for the escape of +the entire harem. Janio informs the Queen that one of her tribes has +revolted, and as her troops are all sick he proposes that the women be +armed and that he be placed in command. She accepts the proposal, and +promises that the victor "shall choose the woman he loves, did she even +wear a crown," not doubting Janio will select her, but, much to her +chagrin, he announces Fantasca as his choice. + +The second act discloses the Amazon army with Janio and Fantasca at its +head. The Queen also accompanies them, still bent upon securing Janio's +love. At the first alarm the troops fly in all directions, and the Queen, +suspicious that something is wrong, scours the woods for Janio, who makes +his escape by changing clothes with Babazouck, a fruit-vender. The Queen +meanwhile arrays herself in male attire, so that she may compete in +physical attractions with Fantasca. She furthermore gets into a +semi-drunken condition, but recognizes the cheat when Babazouck is +brought before her. Immediately thereafter she falls into a drunken +stupor. Romadour also comes in intoxicated, and mistaking her for +Fantasca, sings to her, "O, my Queen, I love you," in a deep bass voice. +The act closes with the two sleeping side by side, and the women of the +harem carrying off the royal treasures. + +In the last act Janio, Fantasca, and the other slaves are preparing for +flight, when the Queen and Romadour enter. The former announces she no +longer loves Janio, but the man who had declared, "Oh, my Queen, I love +you." At her request Romadour repeats the remark, but this time in a high +falsetto voice which she does not recognize. Subsequently he changes his +mind, after hearing of Fantasca's prowess in battle, and exclaims, "O, my +Queen, I love you," in the bass voice. The Queen promptly claims him for +her husband and he acquiesces. She then orders Janio and Fantasca to be +sold, but Romadour intercedes in their behalf, and she banishes them. + +Like all the Strauss operas, "Queen Indigo" is full of charming waltz +music, comprising, in addition to many novelties, several of his old-time +favorites. The most effective vocal numbers are the trio, "What Dark +Forebodings" ("Quel sombre et noir présage"); Fantasca's couplets, "A +Model Soldier" ("Cavalier modèle"), and her song, "Woman is a Cunning +Bird" ("La femme est un oiseau subtil"); the waltz song, "Oh! Maddening +Flame" ("O flamme cuivrante"); the characteristic Tyrolienne, "Youpla! +why, Fond Lover" ("Youplà, pourquoi, bel amoureux"); and the "Blue +Danube" chorus of the sailors, in the last act. + + + + + The Bat. + + + (_Die Fledermaus._) + + [Opéra comique, in three acts; text by Haffner and Genée. First + produced in Vienna, July, 1874.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Eisenstein. + Alfred, singing-master. + Frosch, court usher. + Frank, prison director. + Dr. Blind, attorney. + Dr. Falke, notary. + Ivan, Prince Chamberlain. + Ali Bey, an Egyptian. + Murray, an American. + Cancorney, a Marquis. + Rosalind, wife of Eisenstein. + Prince Orlofsky. + Adele, Rosalind's maid. + Lord Middleton. + + [Dancers, masqueraders, etc.] + + The scene is laid in Germany; time, the last century. + +Strauss' "Die Fledermaus," or "The Bat," is founded upon Meilhac and +Halévy's "Le Revillon." In music it is Viennese; in dramatic effect, it +is French. The scene opens with Adele, maid of the Baroness Rosalind, +seeking permission to visit her sister Ida, a ballet-dancer, who is to be +at a masked ball given by Prince Orlofsky, a Russian millionaire. She +receives permission, and after she has gone, Dr. Falke, a notary, who has +arranged the ball, calls at the house of the Baron Eisenstein, and +induces him to go to it before going to jail, to which he has been +sentenced for contempt of court. The purpose of the doctor is to seek +revenge for his shabby treatment by the Baron some time before at a +masquerade which they had attended,--Eisenstein dressed as a butterfly, +and Falke as a bat. The doctor then notifies the Baroness that her +husband will be at the ball. She thereupon decides that she will also be +present. An amusing scene occurs when the Baron seeks to pass himself off +as a French marquis, and pays his devotions to the ladies, but is quite +astonished to find his wife there, flirting with an old lover. There are +further complications caused by Falke, who manages to have Alfred, the +singing-master, in the Baroness' apartments when the sheriff comes to +arrest the Baron, and arrests Alfred, supposing him to be Eisenstein. In +the last act, however, all the complications are disentangled, and +everything ends happily. + +It would be impossible to name the conspicuous numbers in this animated +and sprightly work without making a catalogue of them all. The opera is a +grand potpourri of waltz and polka motives and fresh, bright melodies. +The composer does not linger long with the dialogue, but goes from one +waltz melody to another in a most bewildering manner, interspersing them +with romanzas, drinking-songs, czardas, an almost endless variety of +dance rhythms and choruses of a brilliant sort. It is a charming mixture +of Viennese gayety and French drollery, and, like his "Roman Carnival" +and "Queen Indigo," is the very essence of the dance. + + + + + STUART, LESLIE. + + + + + Florodora. + + + [Musical comedy, in two acts; text by Hall. First produced in London, + November 11, 1899.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Cyrus W. Gilfain, proprietor of the island of Florodora. + Capt. Arthur Donegal, Lady Holyrood's brother. + Frank Abercoed, manager for Mr. Gilfain. + Leandro, overseer. + Anthony Tweedlepunch, phrenologist. + Dolores. + Valleda, maid to Lady Holyrood. + Estelle Lamont, stenographer. + Angela Gilfain. + Lady Holyrood. + + [Florodorean farmers, flower-girls, peasants, etc.] + + The scene is laid in the island of Florodora and Wales; time, the + present. + +"Florodora," the title of a musical comedy which has had extraordinary +success both in England and the United States, is the name of an island +and a perfume. The island has been stolen by Cyrus Gilfain, the +manufacturer of the perfume, from its rightful owner, whose daughter +Dolores works in his factory. He is anxious to marry the girl, so that he +may retain possession of the island, but she is in love with Abercoed, +the chief clerk, who in reality is Lord Abercoed. The conspicuous comedy +element of the work is supplied by Tweedlepunch, a detective, who arrives +at the island in Gilfain's absence, disguised as a phrenologist and +palmist, in search of the real owner's daughter. When Gilfain returns he +is accompanied by Lady Holyrood, a London society woman, who is scheming +to marry him. Lady Holyrood's brother, meanwhile, is in love with Angela, +Gilfain's daughter. Gilfain, finding that Tweedlepunch is a phrenologist, +bribes him to decide, after examination, that he and Dolores must wed, +and that Abercoed, whom he has learned is a peer, must marry his daughter +Angela. The scheme does not satisfy any one but Gilfain, and, least of +all, Lady Holyrood, who bribes Tweedlepunch again to decide that she and +Gilfain must marry. Abercoed refuses to marry Angela, is discharged by +Gilfain, and goes back to England with the intention of returning later +for Dolores. + +The second act opens in the grounds of Abercoed Castle in Wales, which +has been bought by Gilfain, who refuses to admit his former clerk. He +manages to get in, however, in company with Tweedlepunch and Dolores, and +Tweedlepunch, by a story of the ghost of an ancient Abercoed which has +threatened dreadful things will happen to Gilfain, so terrifies him that +he confesses his villainy, and all ends happily. Gilfain finally marries +Lady Holyrood, Donegal and Angela and Abercoed and Dolores are also +married, and the castle is restored to the rightful owner. + +The music of "Florodora" is light and catchy, but though original of its +kind, the work would hardly have achieved its remarkable vogue had it not +been for its brilliant stage setting, dances, and the extravagant comedy +rôle of Tweedlepunch. The best numbers in the first act are the sextette, +"The Credit due to me," by the clerks and chorus; the song, "When I leave +Town," by Lady Holyrood; and Abercoed's sentimental song, "In the Shade +of the Sheltering Palm," the only serious and musicianly number in the +work. The principal numbers of the second act are Lady Holyrood's topical +song "Tact," and "I've an Inkling"; Angela's clever song, "The Fellow who +might"; Donegal's song, "I want to be a Military Man"; the grotesque song +and dance by Leandro and Valleda, "We get up at 8 A. M."; and the double +sextette, "Tell me, Pretty Maiden," which is cleverly constructed and has +a fascinating rhythm. + + + + + SULLIVAN, ARTHUR. + + + + + Cox and Box. + + + [Comic operetta, in one act and seven tableaux; text by Burnand. First + produced at the Adelphi Theatre, London, 1867.] + + PERSONAGES. + + James John Cox, a journeyman hatter. + John James Box, a journeyman printer. + Sergt. Bouncer, late of the Hampshire Yeomanry. + + The scene is laid in London; time, the present. + +"Cox and Box" is of interest because it is the germ from which sprang the +long list of Sullivan's charming comic operas. Burnand, the author of the +libretto, has told the story of how they came to write this little +operetta. They had been to a private performance of Offenbach's "Les deux +Aveugles," and, Burnand wishing to present something of the same kind to +a party of his own friends, the notion suddenly occurred to him of +turning Morton's well-known farce of "Box and Cox" into an opera. +Sullivan took to the plan enthusiastically. Burnand reversed the title to +"Cox and Box," and turned Mrs. Bouncer into Sergeant Bouncer, so as to +admit of a martial air. They had but three weeks before them, but at the +end of that time the work was finished, Sullivan setting the music with +almost incredible rapidity. It made such a great hit that it was decided +to give it publicly, and at the last moment the composer wrote an +overture for it. + +The story is the familiar old one which as "Box and Cox" was for so many +years and still is such a favorite on the stage. It turns upon the funny +experiences of Cox, the hatter, and Box, the printer, who are occupying +the same room, the one by night and the other by day, unbeknown to each +other, and for which Sergeant Bouncer gets double rent. At last they meet +in the room which each one claims as his own. After a ludicrous dispute +they gradually become reconciled to each other, but another dispute +ensues when Cox finds that the widow Penelope Ann, whom he is about to +marry, has been deserted by Box, the latter pretending to have committed +suicide to get rid of her. Cox insists upon restoring Box to the arms of +his intended, but Box declines his generous offer. Then they agree to +decide by lot which shall have her, but each tries to cheat the other. +The situation resolves itself satisfactorily when a letter comes to Cox +from Penelope Ann, announcing that she has decided to marry Knox. They +give three cheers for Knox, and Bouncer closes the scene with a joyous +rataplan in which all three join. + +The situations are extremely humorous throughout, and the action moves +briskly. Though Sullivan wrote the music in great haste, it is in +perfect keeping with the fun of the farce and keeps up its interest to +the end. The principal numbers are Bouncer's rataplan song, "Yes, in +those Merry Days," and his duet with Cox, "Stay, Bouncer, stay"; Cox's +joyous song, "My Master is punctual always in Business," with its dance +at the end of each stanza; the characteristic serenade, "The Buttercup +dwells in the Lowly Mead" (Cox) and "The Floweret shines on the Minaret +Fair" (Box); Box's solemn description of his pretended suicide, "Listen! +I solemnly walked to the Cliff"; and the finale by the jolly triumvirate +with the "rataplan." + + + + + Trial by Jury. + + + [Operetta, in one act; text by Gilbert. First produced at the Royalty + Theatre, London, March 25, 1875.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Learned Judge. + Plaintiff. + Defendant. + Counsel for the Plaintiff. + Usher. + Foreman of the Jury. + Associate. + First Bridesmaid. + + [Barristers, attorneys, journeymen, and bridesmaids.] + + The scene is laid in a London Court of Justice; time, the nineteenth + century. + +The little operetta, "Trial by Jury," was the first result of the +successful collaboration of Gilbert and Sullivan, though it gave little +hint of the extraordinary excellence as well as popularity of the long +list which followed it. "The words and music were written and all the +rehearsals completed within three weeks, and all London went to see it," +says Sullivan's biographer. It was produced March 25, 1875, and had quite +a run, Frederick Sullivan, Sir Arthur's brother, appearing in the rôle of +the judge and contributing much to its success. + +The story is a satire upon the English courts, the incident being a +breach of promise case. Edwin is sued by Angelina. The usher impresses +upon the jury its duty to divest itself of prejudice in one breath, and +in the next seeks to prejudice it against the defendant by most violent +denunciations of him. When Edwin enters he is at once requested by the +jury to "dread our damages." He tells them how he became "the lovesick +boy" first of one and then of another. The jurymen in chorus, while +admitting that they were fickle when young, declare that they are now +respectable and have no sympathy with him. The judge enters, and after +informing the audience how he came to the bench, announces he is ready to +try the breach of promise case. The jury is sworn. Angelina enters, +accompanied by her bridesmaids. The judge takes a great fancy to the +first bridesmaid, and sends her a note, which she kisses rapturously and +places in her bosom. Immediately thereafter the judge transfers his +admiration to the plaintiff, and directs the usher to take the note from +the bridesmaid and give it to Angelina, which he does, while the jurymen +taunt the judge with being a sly dog, and then express their love for her +also. The plaintiff's counsel makes the opening speech, and Angelina +takes the witness-stand, but, feeling faint, falls sobbing on the +foreman's breast, who kisses her as a father. She revives, and then falls +sobbing upon the judge's breast, while the jurymen shake their fists at +the defendant, who comes forward and offers to marry Angelina "to-day and +marry the other to-morrow." The judge thinks it a reasonable proposition, +but the plaintiff's counsel submits that "to marry two at once is +Burglaree." In this dilemma Angelina embraces Edwin rapturously, but he +repels her furiously and throws her into the arms of her counsel. The +jury thereupon becomes distracted, and asks for guidance, whereupon the +judge decides he will marry Angelina himself, to which she gives +enthusiastic consent. + +The best numbers in the operetta are the defendant's song, "When first my +Old, Old Love I knew"; the juryman's song, "Oh! I was like that when I +was a Lad"; the judge's song, "When I, Good Friends, was called to the +Bar"; the pretty chorus of the bridesmaids, "Cover the Broken Flower"; +the plaintiff's song, "O'er the Season Vernal"; and the defendant's song, +"Oh! Gentlemen, listen, I pray." The London "Times," after the first +performance, said: "There is a genuine humor in the music, as for +instance in the unison chorus of the jurymen, and the clever parody on +one of the most renowned finales of modern Italian opera; and there is +also melody, both catching and fluent, here and there, moreover, set off +by little touches in the orchestral accompaniments which reveal the +experienced hand." + + + + + The Sorcerer. + + + [Comic opera, in two acts; text by Gilbert. First produced at the Opéra + Comique, London, November 18, 1877.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Sir Marmaduke Pointdextre, an elderly baronet. + Alexis, his son, of the Grenadier Guards. + Dr. Daly, vicar of Ploverleigh. + Notary. + John Wellington Wells, of Wells & Co., family sorcerers. + Lady Sangazure, a lady of ancient lineage. + Aline, her daughter, betrothed to Alexis. + Mrs. Partlet, a pew-opener. + Constance, her daughter. + + [Chorus of peasantry.] + + The scene is laid upon an English estate; time, the present. + +The success of the two operettas, "Cox and Box" and "Trial by Jury," led +to the organization of a company under the management of Mr. D'Oyly Carte +for the production of the Sullivan-Gilbert collaborations, and the first +of its performances was "The Sorcerer." Incidentally it may be stated +that this opera introduced Mr. George Grossmith to the stage, and its +success led to a proposition from "Lewis Carroll" to Sullivan to set his +"Alice in Wonderland" as an opera, though the scheme was never realized. +The libretto is replete with humor, and the music is original and +characteristic, and particularly noticeable for its admirable parodies of +the Italian operas, and yet it is always scholarly. + +The first act opens upon the grounds of Sir Marmaduke Pointdextre's +estate, where the villagers are gathered to celebrate the betrothal of +his son Alexis, and Aline, daughter of Lady Sangazure, with whom, fifty +years before, Sir Marmaduke had been in love. Mrs. Partlet, the +pew-opener, enters with her daughter Constance, who is hopelessly in love +with Dr. Daly, the vicar, for he cannot be made to understand, either by +her demonstrations or by the mother's hints, that he is the object of her +devotion. Alexis and Aline are congratulated by all, and sign the +marriage contract. When alone together, Alexis discourses upon his +favorite theory that all artificial barriers should be broken down and +that marriage should be contracted without regard to rank. To put his +theory into practice he procures from the firm of J. W. Wells & Co., the +old established family sorcerers of the place, a large quantity of their +love potion, which has no effect upon married persons but will cause +unmarried ones to couple without regard to rank or condition, mixes it +with the tea and serves it out to all who are in attendance at the +betrothal banquet. Gradually all fall insensible, and the act closes. + +The second act opens upon Sir Marmaduke's grounds at midnight. The +guests, one after the other, are waking. Alexis tells Aline she must take +some of the potion so that he may be sure of her love, which she does +after much protesting. As they regain their senses, each guest makes +offer of marriage to the first one seen. Constance declares her love for +the old notary. Sir Marmaduke enters with Mrs. Partlet, the venerable +pew-opener, on his arm and announces his intention of marrying her. Wells +appears on the grounds in a remorseful condition as he beholds the +mischief he has caused, and Lady Sangazure proposes to him, and leaves in +great anguish when he declares he is already engaged to "a maiden fair on +a South Pacific Isle." Aline beholds Dr. Daly and begins to fall +violently in love with him and he with her. Alexis, in alarm at the +trouble he is making, seeks out Wells and demands that he shall remove +the spell. Wells explains that in order to do this, one or the other of +them must offer his life to Ahrimanes. Alexis is not willing to give up +Aline, and Wells is averse to losing his profitable business. They agree +to leave the decision to the guests, and the latter agree that Wells +shall make the sacrifice. He consents, and all go back to their old +lovers as he sinks through a trap amid red fire. + +The most conspicuous numbers in the first act are Dr. Daly's ballad, +"Time was when Love and I were well acquainted"; the duet between Sir +Marmaduke and Lady Sangazure, "Welcome Joy, adieu to Sadness"; Alexis' +ballad, "Love feeds on many Kinds of Food I know"; Wells' long and +rollicking song, "Oh! my Name is John Wellington Wells"; and the +incantation music, "Sprites of Earth and Air." The second act opens with +a charming little country dance. The principal numbers which follow it +are Constance's aria, "Dear Friends, take Pity on my Lot"; the ensemble +for Aline, Alexis, Constance, and the Notary, "O, Joy! O, Joy!"; Alexis' +ballad, "Thou hast the Power thy Vaunted Love"; the quintette, "I rejoice +that it's decided"; Dr. Daly's humorous song, "Oh! my Voice is sad and +low"; and the final ensemble, "Now to the Banquet we press." + + + + + H. M. S. Pinafore; or, The Lass that Loved a Sailor. + + + [Comic opera, in two acts; text by Gilbert. First produced at the Opéra + Comique, London, May 28, 1878.] + + PERSONAGES. + + The Rt. Hon. Sir Joseph Porter, K.C.B., First Lord of the Admiralty. + Capt. Corcoran, commanding "H. M. S. Pinafore." + Ralph Rackstraw, able seaman. + Dick Deadeye, able seaman. + Bill Bobstay, boatswain's mate. + Bob Becket, carpenter's man. + Tom Tucker, midshipmite. + Sergeant of Marines. + Josephine, the Captain's daughter. + Hebe, Sir Joseph's first cousin. + Little Buttercup, a bumboat woman. + + [First Lord's sisters, his cousins, his aunts, sailors, marines, etc.] + + The scene is laid on the quarterdeck of "H. M. S. Pinafore"; time, the + present. + +Although "Pinafore," when it was first produced in London, was received +so coolly that it was decided to take it off the boards, yet eventually, +with the exception of "The Beggar's Opera," it proved to be the most +popular opera ever produced in England; while in the United States it was +for years the rage, and is still a prime favorite. The first scene +introduces the leading characters on the deck of "H. M. S. Pinafore" in +the harbor of Portsmouth. Little Buttercup, a bumboat woman, "the +rosiest, the roundest, and the reddest beauty in all Spithead," comes on +board and has an interview with Dick Deadeye, the villain of the story, +and Ralph Rackstraw, "the smartest lad in all the fleet," who is in love +with Josephine, Captain Corcoran's daughter. The Captain comes on deck in +a melancholy mood because Josephine has shown herself indifferent to Sir +Joseph Porter, K.C.B., who is to ask for her hand that afternoon. She +confesses to her father that she loves a common sailor, but will carry +her love to the grave without letting him know of it. Sir Joseph comes on +board with a long retinue of sisters, cousins, and aunts, who chant his +praises. After attending to some minor details, he has a fruitless +interview with the Captain and Josephine. She declares she cannot love +him. Shortly afterwards she meets Ralph, who declares his love for her, +but she haughtily rejects him. When he draws his pistol and declares he +will shoot himself, she acknowledges her love, and they plan to steal +ashore at night and be married. Dick Deadeye overhears the plot and +threatens to thwart it. + +The second act opens at night. Captain Corcoran is discovered sadly +complaining to the moon, and wondering why everything is at "sixes and +sevens." Little Buttercup sympathizes with him, and is about to become +affectionate, when he informs her he can only be her friend. She grows +enraged, and warns him there is a change in store for him. Sir Joseph +enters, and informs the Captain he is much disappointed at the way +Josephine has acted. The Captain replies that she is probably dazzled by +his rank, and that if he will reason with her and convince her that "love +levels all ranks," everything will be right. Sir Joseph does so, but only +pleads his rival's cause. She tells him she has hesitated, but now she +hesitates no longer. Sir Joseph and the Captain are rejoicing over her +apparent change of heart, when Dick Deadeye reveals the plot to elope +that night. The Captain confronts them as they are stealthily leaving the +vessel, and insists upon knowing what Josephine is about to do. Ralph +steps forward and declares his love, whereupon the Captain grows furious +and lets slip an oath. He is overheard by Sir Joseph, who orders him to +his cabin "with celerity." He then inquires of Ralph what he has done to +make the Captain profane. He replies it was his acknowledgment of love +for Josephine, whereupon, in a towering rage, Sir Joseph orders his +imprisonment in the ship's dungeon. He then remonstrates with Josephine, +whereupon Little Buttercup reveals her secret. Years before, when she was +practising baby-farming, she nursed two babies, one of "low condition," +the other "a regular patrician," and she "mixed those children up and not +a creature knew it." "The well-born babe was Ralph, your Captain was the +other." Sir Joseph orders the two before him, gives Ralph the command of +"H. M. S. Pinafore," and Corcoran Ralph's place. As his marriage with +Josephine is now impossible, he gives her to Ralph, and Captain Corcoran, +now a common seaman, unites his fortunes with those of Little Buttercup. + +It is one of the principal charms of this delightful work that it is +entirely free from coarseness and vulgarity. The wit is always delicate, +though the satire is keen. Words and music rarely go so well together as +in this opera. As a prominent English critic said of "Trial by Jury," "it +seems, as in the great Wagnerian operas, as though poem and music had +proceeded simultaneously from one and the same brain." The chorus plays a +very important part in it, and in the most solemnly ludicrous manner +repeats the assertions of the principals in the third person. All its +numbers might be styled the leading ones, but those which have become +most popular are the song, "I'm called Little Buttercup"; Josephine's +sentimental song, "Sorry her Lot who loves too well," one of the few +serious numbers in the opera; Sir Joseph Porter's song, "I am the Monarch +of the Sea," with its irresistible choral refrain, "And so are his +Sisters and his Cousins and his Aunts, his Sisters and his Cousins, whom +he reckons by the Dozens," leading up to the satirical song, "When I was +a Lad, I served a Term"; the stirring trio, "A British Tar is a Soaring +Soul"; Captain Corcoran's sentimental ditty, "Fair Moon, to thee I sing"; +Josephine's scena, "The Hours creep on apace," with its mock heroic +recitative; Dick Deadeye's delightful song, "The Merry Maiden and the +Tar"; the pretty octette and chorus, "Farewell, my own"; Little +Buttercup's legend, "A many Years ago, when I was young and charming"; +and the choral finale, "Then give three Cheers and one Cheer more." + + + + + The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty. + + + [Comic opera, in two acts; text by Gilbert. First produced in England + at the Opéra Comique, April 3, 1880.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Maj.-Gen. Stanley. + Pirate King. + Samuel, his lieutenant. + Frederic, the pirate apprentice. + Sergeant of Police. + Mabel, } + Edith, } + Kate, } + Isabel, } Gen. Stanley's daughters. + Ruth, a pirate maid of all work. + + [Pirates, police, etc.] + + The scene is laid on the coast of Cornwall; time, the present. + +"The Pirates of Penzance" has a local interest from the fact that it was +first produced in New York on New Year's Eve, December 31, 1879, under +the immediate supervision of both Mr. Sullivan and Mr. Gilbert. When the +composer left England he had only finished the second act, and that was +without orchestration. After his arrival here he wrote the first act and +scored the entire opera. By this performance the profits of the +representations in this country were secured. The work was not published +until after their return to England. + +At the opening of the opera it is disclosed that Frederic, when a boy, in +pursuance of his father's orders, was to have been apprenticed to a pilot +until his twenty-first year, but by the mistake of his nurse-maid, Ruth, +he was bound out to one of the pirates of Penzance, who were celebrated +for their gentleness and never molested orphans because they were orphans +themselves. In the first scene the pirates are making merry, as Frederic +has reached his majority and is about to leave them and seek some other +occupation. Upon the eve of departure Ruth requests him to marry her, and +he consents, as he has never seen any other woman, but shortly afterwards +he encounters the daughters of General Stanley, falls in love with Mabel, +the youngest, and denounces Ruth as a deceiver. The pirates encounter the +girls about the same time, and propose to marry them, but when the +General arrives and announces that he is an orphan, they relent and allow +the girls to go. + +The second act opens in the General's ancient baronial hall, and reveals +him surrounded by his daughters, lamenting that he has deceived the +pirates by calling himself an orphan. Frederic appears, and bids Mabel +farewell, as he is about to lead an expedition for the extermination of +the pirates. While he is alone, the Pirate King and Ruth visit him and +show him the papers which bound him to them. It is stated in them that he +is bound "until his twenty-first birthday," but as his birthday is the +29th of February, he has had but five. Led by his strong sense of duty, +he decides that he will go back to his old associates. Then he tells them +of the General's orphan story, which so enrages them that they swear +vengeance. They come by night to carry off the General, but are +overpowered by the police and sent to prison, where they confess they are +English noblemen. Upon promising to give up their piratical career, they +are pardoned, and this releases Frederic. + +The principal numbers in the first act are Ruth's song, "When Frederic +was a Little Lad"; the Pirate King's song, "Oh! better far to live and +die"; Frederic's sentimental song, "Oh! is there not one Maiden Breast"; +Mabel's reply, "Poor Wandering One"; and the descriptive song of the +General, "I am the very Pattern of a Modern Major-General," which reminds +one of Sir Joseph's song, "When I was a Lad I served a Term," in +"Pinafore," and Wells' song, "Oh! my Name is John Wellington Wells," in +"The Sorcerer." The second act opens with a chorus of the daughters and +solo by Mabel, "Dear Father, why leave your Bed." The remaining most +popular numbers are the Tarantara of the Sergeant; the Pirate King's +humorous chant, "For some Ridiculous Reason"; Mabel's ballad, "Oh, leave +me not to pine," and the Sergeant's irresistible song, "When a Fellow's +not engaged in his Employment," which has become familiar as a household +word by frequent quotation. + + + + + Patience; or, Bunthorne's Bride. + + + [Comic opera, in two acts; text by Gilbert. First produced at the Opéra + Comique, London, April 23, 1881.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Col. Calverley, } + Major Murgatroyd, } + Lieutenant the Duke of Dunstable, } officers of Dragoon Guards. + Reginald Bunthorne, a fleshly poet. + Archibald Grosvenor, an idyllic poet. + Mr. Bunthorne's Solicitor. + Lady Angela, } + Lady Saphir, } + Lady Ella, } + Lady Jane, } rapturous maidens. + Patience, a dairy-maid. + + [Guards, æsthetic maidens.] + + The scene is laid at Castle Bunthorne; time, the last century. + +The opera of "Patience" is a pungent satire upon the fleshly school of +poetry as represented by Oscar Wilde and his imitators, as well as upon +the fad for æsthetic culture which raged so violently a quarter of a +century ago. Bunthorne, in one of his soliloquies, aptly expresses the +hollowness of the sham,-- + + "I am _not_ fond of uttering platitudes + In stained-glass attitudes; + In short, my mediævalism's affectation + Born of a morbid love of admiration." + +In these four lines Gilbert pricked the æsthetic bubble, and nothing did +so much to end the fad of lank, languorous maidens, and long haired, +sunflowered male æsthetes, as Gilbert's well-directed shafts of ridicule +in this opera. + +The story of the opera tells of the struggle for supremacy over female +hearts between an æsthetic (Bunthorne) and an idyllic poet (Grosvenor). +In the opening scene lovesick maidens in clinging gowns, playing +mandolins, sing plaintively of their love for Bunthorne. Patience, a +healthy milkmaid, comes upon the scene, and makes fun of them, and asks +them why they sit and sob and sigh. She announces to them that the +Dragoon Guards will soon arrive, but although they doted upon Dragoons +the year before they spurn them now and go to the door of Bunthorne to +carol to him. The Guards duly arrive, and are hardly settled down when +Bunthorne passes by in the act of composing a poem, followed by the +twenty lovesick maidens. After finishing his poem he reads it to them, +and they go off together, without paying any attention to the Dragoons, +who declare they have been insulted and leave in a rage. Bunthorne, when +alone, confesses to himself he is a sham, and at the close of his +confession Patience comes in. He at once makes love to her, but only +frightens her. She then confers with Lady Angela, who explains love to +her, and tells her it is her duty to love some one. Patience declares she +will not go to bed until she has fallen in love with some one, when +Grosvenor, the idyllic poet and "apostle of simplicity," enters. He and +Patience had been playmates in early childhood, and she promptly falls in +love with him, though he is indifferent. In the closing scene Bunthorne, +twined with garlands, is led in by the maidens, and puts himself up as a +prize in a lottery; but the drawing is interrupted by Patience, who +snatches away the papers and offers herself as a bride to Bunthorne, who +promptly accepts her. The maidens then make advances to the Dragoons, but +when Grosvenor appears they all declare their love for him. Bunthorne +recognizes him as a dangerous rival, and threatens "he shall meet a +hideous doom." + +The opening of the second act reveals Jane, an antique charmer, sitting +by a sheet of water mourning because the fickle maidens have deserted +Bunthorne, and because he has taken up with "a puling milkmaid," while +she alone is faithful to him. In the next scene Grosvenor enters with the +maidens, of whom he is tired. They soon leave him in low spirits, when +Patience appears and tells him she loves him, but can never be his, for +it is her duty to love Bunthorne. The latter next appears, followed by +the antique Jane, who clings to him in spite of his efforts to get rid of +her. He accuses Patience of loving Grosvenor, and goes off with Jane in a +wildly jealous mood. In the next scene the Dragoons, to win favor with +the maidens, transform themselves into a group of æsthetes. Bunthorne and +Grosvenor finally meet, and Bunthorne taxes his rival with monopolizing +the attentions of the young ladies. Grosvenor replies that he cannot help +it, but would be glad of any suggestion that would lead to his being less +attractive. Bunthorne tells him he must change his conversation, cut his +hair, and have a back parting, and wear a commonplace costume. Grosvenor +at first protests, but yields when threatened with Bunthorne's curse. In +the finale, when it is discovered that Grosvenor has become a commonplace +young man, the maidens decide that if "Archibald the All-Right" has +discarded æstheticism, it is right for them to do so. Patience takes the +same view of the case, and leaves Bunthorne for Grosvenor. The maidens +find suitors among the Dragoons, and even the antique Jane takes up with +the Duke, and Bunthorne is left alone with his lily, nobody's bride. + +The most popular musical numbers in the opera are the Colonel's song, "If +you want a Receipt for that Popular Mystery"; Bunthorne's "wild, weird, +fleshly" song, "What Time the Poet hath hymned," also his song, "If +you're anxious for to shine"; the romantic duet of Patience and +Grosvenor, "Prithee, Pretty Maiden"; the sextette, "I hear the Soft Note +of the Echoing Voice"; Jane's song, "Silvered is the Raven Hair"; +Patience's ballad, "Love is a Plaintive Song"; Grosvenor's fable of the +magnet and the churn; the rollicking duet of Bunthorne and Grosvenor, +"When I go out of Door," and the "prettily pattering, cheerily +chattering" chorus in the finale of the last act. + + + + + Iolanthe; or, The Peer and the Peri. + + + [Comic opera, in two acts; text by Gilbert. First produced at the Savoy + Theatre, London, November 25, 1882.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Lord Chancellor. + Earl of Mountararat. + Earl Tollaller. + Private Willis, of the Grenadier Guards. + Strephon, an Arcadian shepherd. + Iolanthe, a fairy, Strephon's mother. + Queen of the fairies. + Celia, } + Leila, } + Fleta, } fairies. + Phyllis, an Arcadian shepherdess and ward in Chancery. + + [Dukes, marquises, earls, viscounts, barons, and fairies] + + The scene is laid in Arcady and at Westminster; time, between 1700 and + 1882. + +The first act of "Iolanthe" opens in Arcady. Iolanthe, a fairy, having +offended her Queen by marrying a mortal, has been banished for life; but +in the opening scene, after twenty years of exile, she is pardoned. She +tells the Queen of her marriage, and her son Strephon, half a fairy and +half a shepherd, who is engaged to Phyllis, a shepherdess, and ward in +Chancery. At this point Strephon enters, and informs his mother that the +Lord Chancellor will not permit him to marry Phyllis, but he will do so +in spite of him. He curses his fairyhood, but the Queen says she has a +borough at her disposal, and will return him to Parliament as a +Liberal-Conservative. In the next scene Strephon meets Phyllis and pleads +against delay in marriage, since the Lord Chancellor himself may marry +her, and many of the lords are attentive to her. Meanwhile the lords meet +to decide which one of them shall have Phyllis, the Lord Chancellor +waiving his claim, as it might lay his decision open to misconstruction. +Phyllis is summoned before them, but is deaf to all entreaties, and +declares she is in love with Strephon, who has just entered. The peers +march out in a dignified manner, while the Lord Chancellor separates +Phyllis and Strephon and orders her away. He then refuses Strephon his +suit, whereupon the latter invokes the aid of his fairy mother, who +promises to lay the case before her Queen. In the finale the peers are +seen leading Phyllis, who overhears something said by Strephon and +Iolanthe which induces her to believe he is faithless, and she denounces +him. He replies that Iolanthe is his mother, but cannot convince her. She +charges him with deceit, and offers her hand to any one of the peers. He +then appeals to the Queen, who threatens vengeance upon the peers and +declares that Strephon shall go into Parliament. The peers beg her for +mercy, and Phyllis implores Strephon to relent, but he casts her from +him. + +The second act opens at Westminster. Strephon is in Parliament and +carrying things with a high hand. Phyllis is engaged to two of the lords +and cannot decide between them, nor can they settle the matter +satisfactorily. Whereupon the Lord Chancellor decides to press his own +suit for her hand. Strephon finally proves his birth to Phyllis and +explains away all her fears. Iolanthe then acknowledges that the Lord +Chancellor is her husband and pleads with him in Strephon's behalf. When +she makes this confession, she is condemned to death for breaking her +fairy vow. Thereupon all the fairies confess that they have married +peers. As it is impracticable to kill them all, the Queen hunts up a +husband, and finds one in Private Willis, the sentry in the palace yard. +All the husbands join the fairies, and thus matters are straightened out. + +The music of "Iolanthe" is peculiarly refined and fanciful, and abounds +in taking numbers. The best of these are Strephon's song, "Good Morrow"; +the delightful duet between Strephon and Phyllis, "None shall part us +from each other," one of the most felicitous of the composer's lighter +compositions; the Lord Chancellor's song, "When I went to the Bar"; +Strephon's charming ballad, "In Babyhood upon her Lap I lay"; Private +Willis's song, "When all Night long a Chap remains"; the patter song of +the Lord Chancellor, "When you're lying awake with a Dismal Headache"; +the duet of Strephon and Phyllis, "If we're weak enough to tarry"; and +Iolanthe's pretty ballad, "He loves! if in the Bygone Years." + + + + + Princess Ida; or, Castle Adamant. + + + [Comic opera, in three acts; text by Gilbert. First produced at the + Savoy Theatre, London, January 5, 1884.] + + PERSONAGES. + + King Hildebrand. + Hilarion, his son. + Cyril, } + Florian, } Hilarion's friends. + King Gama. + Avac, } + Guron, } + Scynthius, } Gama's sons. + Princess Ida, Gama's daughter. + Lady Blanche, Professor of Abstract Science. + Lady Psyche, Professor of Humanities. + Melissa, Lady Blanche's daughter. + Sacharissa, } + Chloe, } + Ada, } girl graduates. + + [Soldiers, courtiers, girl graduates, "daughters of the plough," etc.] + + The scene is laid at King Hildebrand's palace and Castle Adamant; time, + the present. + +"Princess Ida" is the least effective of the Sullivan operas. Its +libretto is also the least effective of the Gilbert stories set to the +former's music. At the time it was written the composer was depressed by +a severe family affliction, and at the same time had met the misfortune +of losing all his savings through the failure of those to whom he had +intrusted them. It may have been also that the labored and heavy style of +the story had something to do with the dry and somewhat forced style of +the music, as well as its lack of the brightness and fancy which are so +apparent in "Pinafore" and "Patience." + +The first act opens at King Hildebrand's palace, where the courtiers are +watching for the arrival of King Gama and his daughter, the Princess Ida, +who has been promised in marriage to Hilarion, Hildebrand's son. When +Gama finally comes, Ida is not with him, and he explains to the enraged +Hildebrand that she is at Castle Adamant, one of his country houses, +where she is president of a woman's university. Gama and his three sons, +Avac, Guron, and Scynthius, are seized and held as hostages for her +appearance, and in the mean time Hilarion, and his two friends, Cyril and +Florian, determine to go to Castle Adamant and see if they cannot make +some impression upon the Princess. + +The second act opens at Castle Adamant, and discloses the pupils of the +university in discourse with Lady Psyche, the Professor of Humanities, +and Lady Blanche, Professor of Abstract Science, who is ambitious to get +control of the institution. Hilarion and his two friends scale the wall +and get into the grounds, and finding some academic robes they disguise +themselves as girls. They first meet the Princess and explain to her that +they wish to enter the university, to which she gives her consent upon +their subscription to the rules. They sign with enthusiasm, especially +when they discover that there is one which requires them to give the +fulness of their love to the hundred maidens of the university. Shortly +afterwards they encounter Lady Psyche, who recognizes Florian as her +brother. They tell their secret to her. Melissa, the daughter of Lady +Blanche, overhears them, and is in raptures at her first sight of men. +She discloses to her mother what she has discovered, but urges her not to +speak of it, for if Hilarion is successful in his suit she (the Lady +Blanche) may succeed to the presidency. At the luncheon, however, the +Princess discovers she is entertaining three men and flees from the spot. +In crossing a bridge she falls into the river, but is rescued by +Hilarion. Her anger is not appeased by his gallantry, and she orders the +arrest of the three. As they are marched off, there is a tumult outside. +Hildebrand, with an armed force and with his four hostages, has arrived, +and gives the Princess until the morrow afternoon to release Hilarion and +become his bride. + +The last act opens with the preparations of the Princess and her pupils +to defend themselves, but one after the other their courage deserts them. +Gama proposes that his three sons shall be pitted against Hilarion and +his two friends, and if the latter are defeated the Princess shall be +free. In the contest Gama's sons are defeated, whereupon the Princess at +once resigns and accepts Hilarion. The Lady Psyche falls to Cyril, and +the delighted Melissa to Florian, and it is to be presumed the presidency +of the Woman's College falls to Lady Blanche. + +As has already been intimated, the music as a whole is labored, but there +are some numbers that are fully up to the Sullivan standard; among them +Hilarion's ballad, "Ida was a twelvemonth old"; Gama's characteristic +song, "If you give me your Attention," and the trio of Gama's sons, "For +a Month to dwell," in the first act: the Princess's long aria, "At this +my Call"; Lady Blanche's song, "Come, Mighty Must"; Lady Psyche's +sarcastic evolution song, "A Lady Fair of Lineage High"; Cyril's song, +"Would you know the Kind of Maid"; and Hilarion's song, "Whom thou hast +chained must wear his Chain," in the second act: and the Princess's song, +"I built upon a Rock"; Gama's song, "Whene'er I spoke Sarcastic Joke"; +the soldiers' chorus, "When Anger spreads his Wing"; and the finale, +"With Joy abiding," in the third act. + + + + + The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu. + + + [Comic opera, in two acts; text by Gilbert. First produced at the Savoy + Theatre, London, March 14, 1885.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Mikado of Japan. + Nanki-Poo, his son, disguised as a minstrel, in love with Yum-Yum. + Ko-Ko, Lord High Executioner of Titipu. + Pooh-Bah, Lord High Everything Else. + Pish-Tush, a noble lord. + Yum-Yum, } + Pitti-Sing, } + Peep-Bo, } three sisters, wards of Ko-Ko. + Katisha, an elderly lady, in love with Nanki-Poo. + + [School girls, nobles, guards, and coolies.] + + The scene is laid in Japan; time, the present. + +That the "Princess Ida," ineffective as it is in some respects, did not +indicate that the resources of Gilbert and Sullivan were exhausted, is +shown by the great success of both in "The Mikado," which immediately +followed it. This charming travesty of Japan, with the exception perhaps +of "Pinafore," has proved to be the most popular of the Sullivan operas, +and has even made an impression in Germany. It has been an equal success +for both the musician and the librettist, and still retains its freshness +and vivacity after seventeen years of performance. + +The story of "The Mikado" is so well known that it need not be given with +much fulness of detail. Nanki-Poo, the Mikado's son, is in love with +Yum-Yum, the ward of the tailor Ko-Ko, who is also Lord High Executioner, +and to whom she is betrothed, as Nanki-Poo is informed by Pooh-Bah, when +he comes to Titipu in quest of her. Pooh-Bah, who accepted all the +offices of the Ministers of State after their resignations when Ko-Ko was +made Lord High Executioner, is also "the retailer of state secrets at a +low figure," and furnishes much of the delightful comedy of the opera. +Nanki-Poo nevertheless manages to secure an interview with Yum-Yum, +confesses to her he is the Mikado's son, and that he is in disguise to +escape punishment for not marrying the elderly Katisha. Ko-Ko's +matrimonial arrangements are interfered with by a message from the +Mikado, that unless some one is beheaded in Titipu within a month he will +be degraded. Nanki-Poo consents to be beheaded if he is allowed to marry +Yum-Yum and live with her for the month. This being satisfactory, the +arrangements for the nuptials are made. + +The second act opens with Yum-Yum's preparations for her marriage. A +_tête-à-tête_ with Nanki-Poo is interrupted by Ko-Ko, who announces that +by the law when a married man is beheaded his wife must be burned alive. +This cools Yum-Yum's passion, and to save her Nanki-Poo threatens to +perform the Happy Despatch that day. As this would endanger Ko-Ko, he +arranges to swear to a false statement of Nanki-Poo's execution. Suddenly +the Mikado arrives. Ko-Ko gives him the statement, but a great danger is +imminent when the Mikado informs him he has killed the heir apparent and +must suffer some horrible punishment. In the dénouement Nanki-Poo +reappears, and Ko-Ko gets out of trouble by marrying the ancient Katisha, +leaving Yum-Yum to Nanki-Poo. + +The opera abounds in charming lyrics, though with a single exception, a +march chorus in the second act, "Miya sama, miya sama," there is no local +color to the music, as might have been expected in an opera entirely +Japanese in its subject and dramatic treatment. Its lyrics are none the +less delightful on that account. The most popular numbers in the first +act are Ko-Ko's song, with its choral response, "You may put 'em on the +List and they never will be missed"; the fascinating trio for Yum-Yum, +Peep-Bo, and Pitti-Sing, "Three Little Maids from School are we"; +Nanki-Poo's song, "A Wandering Minstrel"; and the trio for Ko-Ko, +Pooh-Bah, and Pish-Tush, "My Brain, it teems." The leading numbers of the +second act are Yum-Yum's song, "The Sun, whose Rays"; the quartette, +"Brightly dawns our Wedding-Day"; the Mikado's song, "A more Humane +Mikado never"; Ko-Ko's romantic ballad, "On a Tree by a River a little +Tomtit," which is in the genuine old English manner, and the well-known +duet for Nanki-Poo and Ko-Ko, "The Flowers that bloom in the Spring, tra +la." + + + + + Ruddygore; or, The Witch's Curse. + + + [Comic opera, in two acts; text by Gilbert. First produced at the Savoy + Theatre, London, January 22, 1887.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Robin Oakapple, a young farmer. + Richard Dauntless, his foster brother and man-o'-war's man. + Sir Despard Murgatroyd, the wicked Baronet. + Old Adam Goodheart, Robin's faithful servant. + Rose Maybud, a village maiden. + Mad Margaret. + Dame Hannah, Rose's aunt. + Zorah, } + Ruth, } professional bridesmaids. + Six Murgatroyd Ghosts. + Sir Roderic Murgatroyd, twenty-first Baronet. + + [Officers, ancestors, and professional bridesmaids.] + + The scene is laid in Cornwall; time, early in the last century. + +Although "Ruddygore," a satire upon the old English melodramas, has not +been as successful as some of the other Sullivan operas, it is as +entertaining as any in the series, while the story, with its grotesque +dramatic features, is peculiarly Gilbertian in its humor. The first act +opens in Cornwall. Sir Rupert Murgatroyd, the first of the baronets, +employed his leisure in persecuting witches and committing other crimes. +The chorus of "the legend," sung by Hannah, an old spinster, prophesies +that each Murgatroyd will die "with sinning cloyed." To avoid this fate, +the last inheritor of the title, Sir Ruthven, secludes himself under the +name of Robin Oakapple, in the Cornish village of Rederring, and his +younger brother, Despard, believing him to be dead, succeeds to the +title. Robin, who is shy and modest, is in love with Rose, a foundling, +who is very discreet. The love-making lags, and meanwhile Richard, his +foster brother, a man-o'-war's man, returns from sea, and so commiserates +Robin that he offers to plead his case with Rose. Instead of that he +pleads his own case, and is accepted by her, much to the disappointment +of Robin, who supports Richard's claim, however. Robin's younger brother, +Sir Despard, next appears, and hears from Richard of the existence of the +brother whom he had thought dead. He thereupon claims Robin as his elder +brother, and Rose shows her preference for Sir Despard, who is also +claimed by Mad Margaret, a village maiden, whom he had mistreated when he +was under the influence of the Murgatroyd curse. + +The second act opens in the picture gallery of Ruddygore Castle. Robin +and Adam, his faithful servant, are in the gallery, the former as Sir +Ruthven, and Adam as Gideon Crawle, a new name he has taken. The new Sir +Ruthven is under the curse, and asks his servant to suggest some daily +crime for him to commit. The strong scene of the act is the coming to +life of the various baronets whose portraits hang upon the walls, and +their announcement that Robin will die in fearful agony unless he abducts +some lady, it matters not whom. In the dénouement it is revealed that a +Ruddygore baron can only die through refusing to commit the daily crime, +but that such a refusal is tantamount to suicide. Hence none of the +ancestors ought to have died at all, and they come back to life greatly +to the delight of the professional bridesmaids, and Rose and Robin are at +last united. + +The principal numbers in the first act are the weird legend, "Sir Rupert +Murgatroyd, his Leisure and his Riches," sung by Hannah; Richard's breezy +sea song, "I shipped, d' ye see, in a Revenue Sloop"; the very tuneful +chorus of the bridesmaids, "Hail the Bridegroom, hail the Bride"; Mad +Margaret's whimsical song, "Cheerily carols the Lark"; the melodious +chorus of the bucks and blades, "When thoroughly tired of being admired"; +Sir Despard's song, with its alternating choral refrains, "Oh, why am I +moody and sad"; the madrigal, "Where the Buds are blossoming," written in +the early English style, and supported by the chorus; and the charming +gavotte leading to the finale, which contains some admirable duet and +trio numbers. The leading numbers of the second act are the opening duet +for Robin and Adam, "I once was as meek as a New-born Lamb," with a most +melodramatic "Ha ha," followed by another charming duet for Richard and +Rose, with choral refrain, "Happily coupled are we"; the weird song of +Sir Roderic, "When the Night Wind howls in the Chimney Cowls," which is +finely artistic in construction; the patter trio for Robin, Despard, and +Margaret, "My Eyes are fully open to my Awful Situation"; Hannah's pretty +ballad, "There grew a Little Flower"; and the brilliant finale, beginning +with Robin's number, "Having been a Wicked Baronet a Week." + + + + + The Yeoman of the Guard; or, The Merry Man and his Maid. + + + [Comic opera, in two acts; text by Gilbert. First produced at the Savoy + Theatre, October 3, 1888.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Sir Richard Cholmondeley, lieutenant of the Tower. + Col. Fairfax, under sentence of death. + Sergt. Meryll, of the Yeomen of the Guard. + Leonard Meryll, his son. + Jack Point, a strolling jester. + Wilfred Shadbolt, head jailer of the Tower. + Headsman. + Elsie Maynard, a strolling singer. + Phoebe Meryll, Sergt. Meryll's daughter. + Dame Carruthers, housekeeper to the Tower. + Kate, her niece. + + [Yeomen of the guard, gentlemen, citizens, etc.] + + The scene is laid at Tower Green, London; time, the sixteenth century. + +Although "The Yeomen of the Guard" has not enjoyed the popularity of some +others of Sullivan's works, the composer himself believed it to be the +best of his operas. The music is in some numbers a parody of the old +English; the story is melodramatic. Colonel Fairfax has been sentenced to +death for sorcery. As he has twice saved the life of Sergeant Meryll in +battle, the latter and his daughter, Phoebe, are anxious to save him +also. The chance comes when the brother of Phoebe, who has been appointed +a yeoman of the Guard, is induced to let Fairfax take his place in the +ranks. The latter is brought in to the lieutenant of the Tower and +declares his readiness to die, but asks, as he has been condemned for +sorcery through the machinations of one of his kinsmen who will succeed +to the estate in case he dies unmarried, that he will find him some one +whom he can marry at once. Elsie Maynard, a strolling singer, happens +along with Jack Point, a jester, and she agrees for a money consideration +to be married blindfolded to Fairfax, provided she can leave immediately +after the ceremony. She marries him, and then the question arises how to +get the yeoman suit to Fairfax in his cell and let him escape, as the +keys are in the possession of Wilfred, the head jailer, who is in love +with Phoebe. The problem is solved by Phoebe, who steals the keys, +releases Fairfax, and returns them before Wilfred discovers their +absence. The executioner comes forward, and the first act closes as he is +waiting for his victim. + +The second act discloses the civilians and Dame Carruthers denouncing the +warders for permitting their prisoner to escape. Point arranges with +Wilfred that if he will discharge his arquebus and state that he has +killed Fairfax he shall be a jester. When the shot is heard, Wilfred and +Point notify the governor that Fairfax is dead. Dame Carruthers enters +and informs Meryll that from what she has heard Elsie mutter in her sleep +she is sure Fairfax is the man she married. Fairfax, in order to test +her, makes love to Elsie in Point's interests, but ends by falling in +love with her himself. In the dénouement, Leonard, son of Sergeant +Meryll, arrives with a pardon which had been kept back by Fairfax's +kinsmen. Now that he is free, Fairfax claims Elsie, Phoebe consents to +marry Wilfred, and the sergeant surrenders to Dame Carruthers. + +The music is in humorous imitation of the antique, in which kind of work +Sullivan is always happy. The choruses are interesting, especially the +opening double one, "Tower Warders under Orders," which is swinging and +tuneful. The principal numbers in the first act are Dame Carruthers' song +with chorus, "When our Gallant Norman Foes"; Fairfax's sentimental song, +"Is Life a Boon"; the irresistibly funny chorus, both in music and words, +"Here's a Man of Jollity, jibe, joke, jollify; give us of your Quality, +come, Fool, follify"; the extremely melodramatic duet for Elsie and +Point, "I have a Song to sing"; Point's recitative and song, "I've Jest +and Joke"; Elsie's pretty ballad, "'Tis done! I am a Bride"; Phoebe's +graceful song, "Were I thy Bride"; and the trio in the finale, "To thy +Fraternal Care." The leading numbers of the second act are Point's +rollicking song, "Oh! a Private Buffoon is a Light-hearted Loon"; +Fairfax's ballad, "Free from his Fetters Grim"; the quartette, "Strange +Adventure! Maiden wedded"; the trio, "If he's made the Best Use of his +Time," and the quartette, "When a Wooer goes a-wooing," which leads +through a melodramatic ensemble to the finale, + + "Heighdy! heighdy! + Misery me, lackadaydee! + He sipped no sup and he craved no crumb, + As he sighed for the love of a ladyee." + + + + + The Gondoliers; or, The King of Barataria. + + + [Comic opera, in two acts; text by Gilbert. First produced at the Savoy + Theatre, London, December 7, 1889.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Duke of Plaza-Toro, a grandee of Spain. + Luiz, his attendant. + Don Alhambra del Bolero, the Grand Inquisitor. + Duchess of Plaza-Toro. + Casilda, her daughter. + + [Gondoliers, contadine, men-at-arms, heralds, and pages.] + + The scene is laid in Venice; time, the year 1750. + +"The Gondoliers" will always bring a feeling of regret to the admirers of +the Gilbert and Sullivan operas, as it was their last joint production. +It was during its run at the London theatre that their partnership was +dissolved after the extraordinary collaboration of twenty-three years. +Both were at their best in their Swan Song. "The Gondoliers" is not so +much melodrama or pleasant satire as it is genuine comedy. Among all the +Gilbert books which he furnished the composer, none is more delightful or +more full of his rollicking humor than this. The story opens in Venice. +The contadine are weaving garlands for the two favorite gondoliers, Marco +and Giuseppe, who, as they have no preference, make their choice +blindfolded, and secure Tessa and Gianetta for their brides. As all gayly +dance off, a gondola arrives with the Spanish Duke of Plaza-Toro, the +Duchess, their daughter Casilda, and Luiz, their attendant. While waiting +for an audience with the Grand Inquisitor, the Duke tells Casilda the +object of their visit. When she was an infant she was married by proxy to +the infant son of the King of Barataria. When the latter abandoned the +creed of his fathers and became a Methodist, the Inquisitor had the young +husband stolen and taken to Venice. Now that the King is dead, they have +come to find the husband, and proclaim Casilda queen. During the audience +the Inquisitor announces that the husband is a gondolier, and that the +person who brought him up had "such a terrible taste for tippling" that +he was never certain which child had been intrusted to him, his own or +the other. The nurse, however, who is Luiz's mother, would know, and he +would induce her to tell in the torture chamber. Shortly afterwards the +Inquisitor meets the newly wedded gondoliers, Marco and Giuseppe, and +decides that one or the other of them is the new King, but as he cannot +tell which, he arranges that both of them shall rule until the nurse can +be found and made to settle the matter. Thereupon they bid their wives +good-by, and sail away for Barataria. + +The second act discloses the two Kings upon the thrones. While they are +cleaning the crown and sceptre, and their friends, the gondoliers, are +playing cards, contadine arrive with Tessa and Gianetta. The delighted +Kings give them a grand banquet and ball, but the dance is interrupted by +the Inquisitor, who informs them that the ducal party will shortly +arrive, and that Casilda will claim one of them for her husband. When +Tessa and Gianetta realize that neither of them can be Queen, they begin +to weep, but are somewhat comforted when the Inquisitor assures them they +will not be kept long in suspense as the foster-mother is in the torture +chamber. In the dénouement she confesses that the late King intrusted the +Prince to her, and when traitors came to steal him she substituted her +own son and kept the Prince in hiding, and that Luiz is the real Prince. +Thereupon Luiz ascends the throne with Casilda as his queen, and Marco +and Guiseppe sail joyfully back to Venice with Tessa and Gianetta. + +The music is of Sullivan's best. He has reproduced in the score the old +Italian forms, employs the legitimate modern ballad and song styles, and +introduces also the "patter" songs and the "chant" songs which are so +common in his other operas. Besides this, he has given strong local color +with fandangoes, boleros, cachucas, and other dance rhythms. The best +numbers are the ensemble for Marco and Giuseppe, "We're called +Gondolieri"; the pompous song of the Duke, "In Enterprise of Martial +Kind"; the serious duet for Casilda and Luiz, "There was a Time"; the +Inquisitor's song, "I stab the Prince"; Tessa's beautiful song, "When a +Merry Maiden marries"; the frolicsome quartette, "Then one of us will be +a Queen"; the song of Marco with chorus, "For every one who feels +inclined"; the characteristic song of Giuseppe, "Rising early in the +Morning"; the gay and fascinating ensemble, "We will dance a Cachuca," +with the brilliant dance music that follows it; the song of the +Inquisitor, "There lived a King"; the ensemble, "In a Contemplative +Fashion," a quiet movement with alternating comments by chorus, reaching +a crescendo and then returning to the original movement, one of the most +effective numbers in the opera; the Duchess' song, "On the Day when I was +Wedded"; and the quintette in the finale, "I am a Courtier Grave and +Serious." + + + + + SUPPÉ, FRANZ VON. + + + + + Fatinitza. + + + [Opéra comique, in three acts; text by Zell and Genée. First produced + in Vienna, January 5, 1876.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Count Timofey Gavrilovich Kantschakoff, Russian General. + Princess Lydia Imanovna, his niece. + Izzet Pasha, governor of Rustchuk fortress. + Capt. Vasil Staravieff. + Lieut. Ossipp Safonoff. + Steipann, a sergeant. + Vladimir Samoiloff, lieutenant of cavalry. + Julian, special war correspondent. + Hassan Bey, leader of Bashi-Bazouks. + Mustapha, guardian of the harem. + Vuika, a Bulgarian. + Hanna, his wife. + + [Soldiers, Bashi-Bazouks, Cossacks, slaves, moujiks, etc.] + + The scene is laid at Rustchuk and near Odessa; time, the last century. + +Franz Von Suppé has been styled the German Offenbach, though the styles +of the two composers differ widely. His operas are more purely comic +operas, or operettas, than burlesques. He made his first success with an +operetta, "Das Mädchen vom Lande" ("The Country Girl"), produced in +Vienna in 1847, and his next work, a musical comedy called "Paragraph 3," +made him known all over Germany. His entire list of light operas, musical +farces, and vaudevilles includes over one hundred and sixty titles, but +of these only two or three are well known in this country. "Fatinitza" is +the best known, and is universally popular. + +The story is an interesting one. Vladimir Samoiloff, a young lieutenant +in the Russian army, while masquerading in girl's costume under the name +of Fatinitza, encounters a Russian general, Count Timofey Kantschakoff, +who falls desperately in love with him. He manages to escape from him, +and subsequently meets the General's niece, the Princess Lydia, whom he +knows only as Lydia, and the two fall in love. Hearing of the attachment, +the General transfers the young officer to the Russian outposts. The +first act opens in camp at Rustchuk. Julian, a war correspondent, has +just been brought in as a spy, but is recognized by Vladimir as an old +friend. They plan private theatricals, in which Vladimir takes a female +part. The General unexpectedly appears at the play, and recognizes +Vladimir as his Fatinitza. When the opportunity presents itself, he +resumes his love-making, but it is interrupted by the arrival of Lydia, +whose noble rank Vladimir learns for the first time. Any danger of +recognition, however, is averted by the correspondent, who tells Lydia +that Fatinitza is Vladimir's sister. The doting old General commends +Fatinitza to the Princess, and goes off to inspect his troops. In his +absence some Bashi-Bazouks surprise the camp and capture Lydia, Vladimir, +and Julian, leaving the latter behind to arrange a ransom. + +The second act opens in the harem of Izzet Pasha, governor of the Turkish +fortress. Vladimir, in his female attire, and Lydia are brought in as +captives, and the Pasha announces to his four wives that Lydia will be +the fifth. Julian then arrives with the Russian sergeant, Steipann, to +arrange for the release of his friends. The Pasha offers to give up +Fatinitza, but declares he will retain Lydia. Steipann returns to the +General with the Pasha's terms, carrying also a secret message from +Julian, who has discovered how the Russians may capture the Turks. Julian +remains with the Pasha, who gives him many entertainments, among them a +shadow pantomime, during which the General and his soldiers rush in and +rescue their friends. + +The third act opens in the General's summer palace at Odessa. He has +promised his niece to an old and crippled friend of his, but Julian once +more straightens out matters by convincing the General that the real +Fatinitza has died of grief because she was separated from him. Thereupon +he consents to his niece's union with Fatinitza's brother, Vladimir. + +The principal numbers of the first act are Vladimir's romance, in the +sentimental vein, "Lost is the Dream that bound me"; the reporter's +(Julian) jolly descriptive song, "With my Notebook in my Hand"; the +pompously martial entrance song of General Kantschakoff, "Thunder! +Lightning! who goes there?" which forcibly recalls General Boum's "Pif, +paf, pouf" song in Offenbach's "Grand Duchess"; Lydia's sleighing-song, +"When the Snow a Veil is flinging"; and the quartette in the next scene, +"Not a Look shall tell," in the mock Italian style. The second act opens +with the characteristic toilet chorus in the harem, "Washing, dressing, +brushing, combing." The remaining most striking numbers are Izzet's song +and dance, "I pine but for Progress"; the pretty duet for Vladimir and +Lydia, "New Doubts, New Fears"; the effective sextette, "'Tis well; then +learn that this young Russian"; the brilliant kismet duet for Izzet and +Julian, "We are simply what Fortune pleases"; the sextette in the finale, +"Silver Tinklings, ringing brightly," known as the Bell Sextette; and the +characteristic music to the Karagois, or Turkish shadow pantomime, which +forms a second finale. The leading numbers of the last act are Lydia's +bell song, "Chime, ye Bells," accompanied by the ringing of bells on the +stage, and distant shots; the trio for Lydia, Vladimir, and Julian, +"Again, Love, we meet," which is one of the most effective bits in the +opera; and the brilliant closing chorus, "Joy, Joy, Joy, to the Bride." + + + + + Boccaccio. + + + [Opéra comique, in three acts; text by Zell and Genée. First produced + at the Carl Theatre, Vienna, February 1, 1879.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Boccaccio, novelist and poet. + Leonetto, his friend and student. + Pietro, Prince of Palermo. + Lutteringhi, a cooper. + Lambertuccio, a grocer. + Scalza, a barber. + Fratelli, a bookseller. + Checco, a beggar. + Fresco, the cooper's apprentice. + Fiametta, Lambertuccio's adopted daughter. + Beatrice, Scalza's daughter. + Isabella, Lutteringhi's wife. + Peronella, Lambertuccio's sister. + Filippa. + Oretta. + + [Beggars, students, citizens, coopers, courtiers, etc.] + + The scene is laid in Florence; time, near the close of the fourteenth + century. + +Suppé is fond of introducing real characters among the personages of his +operas, and in this one, which has become such a favorite, sharing +equally in popularity with "Fatinitza," we find Boccaccio of the +"Decameron," and the Fiametta whom he has immortalized in it (the +Princess Maria of Naples, with whom he fell violently in love) +masquerading as the adopted daughter of Lambertuccio, the grocer. In the +opera he is rewarded with her hand in the finale. In reality, Maria, the +Fiametta of the "Decameron," was already the wife of another when +Boccaccio was enamoured of her. She died long before her lover, but her +memory was cherished by him, as in the case of Beatrice and Dante, and to +her we owe undoubtedly the collection of tales in the "Decameron" which +furnished such abundant material to subsequent poets, story-tellers, and +dramatists. + +The story of the opera is a simple one. Pietro, the Prince of Palermo, is +to be married to Fiametta in accordance with the wishes of his father, +and goes to Florence for that purpose. The Duke, her father, for reasons +of his own, has had her reared as the adopted daughter of Lambertuccio, a +grocer, who was not aware of her royal birth and intends that she shall +marry Pietro, to whom she was betrothed in infancy. On his way to +Florence Pietro falls in with a madcap lot of students, whose leader is +Boccaccio, and he joins them in many of their pranks. Boccaccio himself +has incurred the anger of the Florentine men for having ridiculed them in +his stories, and he too is in love with Fiametta. Pietro among his other +adventures has made love to a married woman whom the students induced him +to believe was the niece instead of the wife of Lutteringhi, the cooper. +He has the misfortune before presenting himself to the Duke and Fiametta +to be mistaken for Boccaccio and to receive a sound beating. In the +dénouement, when he is about to be united to Fiametta for reasons of +state, Boccaccio, knowing that he is loved by her, arranges a play in +which the misdeeds of Pietro are set forth in such strong light that she +refuses the latter and gives her hand to the poet. + +The most popular numbers in the opera are the serenade to Beatrice, +"Lovely Charmer, hear these Sounds"; Boccaccio's song with chorus, "I see +a Gay Young Fellow standing nigh"; the charming duet for Fiametta and +Peronetta, "Listen to the Bells' Sweet Chime"; Fiametta's romanza, "If I +have but Affection"; the duet for Boccaccio and Fiametta, "A Poor Blind +Man implores your Aid"; Leonetto's song, opening the second act, "The +Girl of my Heart's a Treasure"; the cooper's rollicking song, "My Wife +has a Scolding Tongue"; the coquette song by Isabella, "Young Maidens +must beware"; the "cretin" song by Boccaccio, "When they ask me for the +News"; the graceful waltz song by Fiametta, "Blissful Tidings, +reassuring"; the rollicking drinking-song of Pietro, "See the Goblet +flash and sparkle"; the duet for Boccaccio and Fiametta, "Mia bella +fiorentina," in the Italian style; and the sextette, "Ye Foolish Men," +which leads up to the finale of the last act. + + + + + The Beautiful Galatea. + + + [Opéra comique, in two acts; text by Zell and Genée. First produced in + Vienna, 1865.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Galatea, the statue. + Ganymede, Greek boy. + Pygmalion, sculptor. + Midas, art patron. + + [Chorus of Grecians.] + + The scene is laid in Greece; time, mythological. + +The opera of "Die Schöne Galatea" ("The Beautiful Galatea"), though of +slight construction, is one of Suppé's most melodious works, while the +story is a clever setting of the familiar mythological romance in a +somewhat modern frame, in which respect it resembles the stories of Helen +of Troy and Orpheus and Eurydice, which Offenbach so cleverly travestied. +The first act opens with a graceful chorus of Grecians on their way to +worship at the temple of Venus, at dawn ("Aurora is awaking in Heaven +above"). Ganymede, Pygmalion's servant, declines to go with them, +preferring to sleep, and bids them good-by with a lullaby ("With Violets, +with Roses, let the Temple be decked"). His master, Pygmalion, who has +finished a statue of Galatea, his ideal, also goes to the temple, and +Ganymede decides to take a nap. His slumbers are interrupted, however, by +Midas, a professional art patron, who has heard of the statue and informs +Ganymede that he is ready to buy it, but first wishes to see it. The +servant declares it is impossible, as his master is in love with it. +Midas makes a further appeal to him in a long descriptive arietta ("My +Dear Father Gordias") in which he boasts of his abilities, his patronage, +and his conquests. He finally bribes Ganymede to show it to him, and as +he stands gazing at it and praising its loveliness, Pygmalion, who has +suddenly returned, enters and upbraids them. After a spirited trio, +"Boiling Rage I feel within me," Ganymede takes to his heels and Midas is +driven out. When Pygmalion is alone with the statue, a sudden impulse +moves him to destroy it because it has been polluted by Midas's glances, +but his hand is stayed as he hears the chorus of the returning +worshippers, and he makes an impassioned appeal to Venus ("Venus, oh, +see, I fly to thee") to give life to the marble. Venus answers his +prayer. The statue comes to life, and Galatea falls in love with +Pygmalion, the first man she has seen, which gives an opportunity for a +charming number, the Awakening Duet ("I feel so warm, so sweet"), and for +a solo closing the act ("Lightly sways and gently sweeps"). + +The second act opens with the couplets of Ganymede ("We Grecians"), at +the close of which he espies Galatea gathering flowers. As soon as the +fickle Galatea sees Ganymede, she falls in love with him because he is +younger and handsomer than Pygmalion. As they are discoursing admiringly, +Midas appears and recognizes Galatea, and proceeds to woo her with offers +of jewels. A pretty trio follows, "See the Trinkets I have brought you." +She accepts his trinkets and his money, but declines to accept him. As +they are negotiating, Pygmalion returns. Ganymede once more takes to his +heels, and Galatea conceals Midas by putting him on the pedestal behind +the screen where she had stood. She then hides her jewels, and tells +Pygmalion she is hungry. Ganymede is summoned and arranges the table, and +they sit down, the servant with them at Galatea's request. She sings a +brilliant drinking-song ("Bright in Glass the Foaming Fluid pass"), in +which Pygmalion and Ganymede join. During the banquet Midas is discovered +behind the screen, and Pygmalion also learns of Galatea's fickle conduct +later, when he surprises her and Ganymede in a pretty love scene ("Ah, +I'm drawn to Thee"). By this time Pygmalion is so enraged that he prays +Venus to let her become a statue again. The goddess graciously consents, +and the sculptor promptly gets rid of Galatea by selling her to Midas. + + + + + THOMAS, CHARLES AMBROISE. + + + + + Mignon. + + + [Opéra comique, in three acts; text by Barbier and Carré. First + produced at the Opéra Comique, Paris, November 17, 1866.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Mignon. + Wilhelm Meister, a student. + Laertes, an actor. + Frederic, an admirer of Filina. + Lotario, Mignon's father in disguise of a harper. + Filina, an actress. + + [Actors, gypsies, etc.] + + The scene is laid in Germany and Italy; time, the last century. + +The story of "Mignon," Thomas's universally popular opera, is based upon +Goethe's "Wilhelm Meister." Mignon, the heroine, who is of noble birth, +was stolen in her childhood by gypsies. Her mother died shortly +afterwards, and her father, disguised as Lotario, the harper, has long +and vainly sought for her. At the opening of the opera, a strolling band +of actors, among them Filina and Laertes, arrive at a German inn on their +way to the castle of a neighboring prince, where they are to perform. At +the same time a gypsy band appears and arranges to give the guests an +entertainment. Mignon, who is with the band, is ordered to dance, but +being tired, she refuses. The leader of the band rushes at her, but +Lotario, the old harper, intercedes in her behalf, whereupon he is +singled out for assault, but is saved by the wandering student, Wilhelm +Meister. To spare her any further persecution, he engages her as his +page, and they follow on in the suite of Filina, to whom he is devoted. +Touched by his kindness to her, Mignon falls in love with him; but he, +ignorant of her passion, becomes more and more a victim to the actress's +fascinations. When they arrive at the castle, all enter except Mignon, +who is left outside. Maddened by jealousy, she is about to drown herself, +but is restrained by the notes of Lotario's harp. She rushes to him for +counsel, and invokes vengeance upon all in the castle. After the +entertainment the guests come out, and Filina sends Mignon in for some +flowers she has left. Suddenly flames appear in the window. Lotario has +fired the castle. Wilhelm rushes in and brings out the insensible Mignon +in his arms. In the dénouement Wilhelm discovers her attachment to him, +and frees himself from Filina's fascinations. A casket containing a +girdle Mignon had worn in childhood, a prayer which she repeats, and the +picture of her mother convince Lotario that she is his daughter, and +Wilhelm and Mignon are united. + +The leading numbers of the first act are the quintette immediately +following the rescue of Mignon by Wilhelm; the romanza, "Non conosci il +bel suol" ("Know'st thou the Land"), a song full of tender beauty and +rare expression; the duet which immediately follows it, "Leggiadre +rondinelli" ("Oh, Swallows Blithe"), known as the Swallow Duet, and of +almost equal beauty with the romanza: and the graceful aria, "Grazia al +gentil signore" ("You'll come with us"), in which Filina invites Wilhelm +to join them. The best numbers in the second act are the trio, "Ohimè +quell' acre riso" ("Alas! her Bitter Laugh"); Filina's gay, coquettish +aria, "Gai complimenti" ("Brilliant Compliments"); Mignon's exquisite and +characteristic song, "Conosco un zingarello" ("A Gypsy Lad I well do +know"), which the composer himself calls the "Styrienne"; a bewitching +rondo-gavotte, "Ci sono" ("I'm here at last"), sung by the love-lorn +Frederic; Wilhelm's pathetic farewell to Mignon, "Addio, Mignon! fa core" +("Farewell, Mignon, take Heart"); the beautiful duet for Mignon and +Lotario, "Sofferto hai tu" ("Hast thou e'er suffered"); and the polacca +in the fourth scene, which is a perfect _feu de joie_ of sparkling music, +closing with an extremely brilliant cadenza. The last act is more +dramatic than musical, though it contains a few delightful numbers. Among +them are the chorus barcarole in the first scene, "Orsù, scioglian le +vele" ("Quick, the Sails unfurl"); a song by Wilhelm, "Ah, non credea" +("Ah, little Thought"), and the love duet, "Ah, son felice" ("Ah, I am +happy"), in which is heard again the cadenza of Filina's polacca. + + + + + WALLACE, WILLIAM VINCENT. + + + + + Maritana. + + + [Romantic opera, in three acts; text by Fitzball. First produced at + Drury Lane Theatre, London, November 15, 1845.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Charles the Second, King of Spain. + Don Jose de Santarem, his minister. + Don Cæsar de Bazan. + Marquis de Montefiori. + Lazarillo. + Maritana, a gitana. + Marchioness de Montefiori. + + [Nobles, alquazils, soldiers, gypsies, populace, etc.] + + The scene is laid in Madrid; time of Charles the Second. + +The story of "Maritana" is founded upon the well-known play of "Don Cæsar +de Bazan." At the opening of the first act a band of gypsies, Maritana +among them, are singing to the people. The young King Charles listening +to her is fascinated by her beauty. Don José, for reasons of his own, +extols her charms and arouses her hopes for a brilliant future. At this +point Don Cæsar de Bazan, a reckless, rollicking cavalier, once a friend +of Don José, makes his appearance. He has parted with the last of his +money to gamblers, and while he is relating his misfortunes to Don José, +Lazarillo, a forlorn lad who has just tried to make away with himself, +accosts Don Cæsar and tells him a piteous tale. The Don befriends, and +thereby becomes involved in a duel. This leads to his arrest for duelling +in Holy Week, which is forbidden on pain of death. While Don Cæsar sets +off for the prison, Don José promises Maritana speedy marriage and +presentation at court. + +The second act opens in the prison. Don José enters, and professes great +sympathy for Don Cæsar. When asked if he has any last request, he begs to +die like a soldier. Don José agrees that he shall not die an ignominious +death if he will marry. He consents, and is also treated to a banquet, +during which Lazarillo delivers a paper to Don José containing the royal +pardon of Don Cæsar, but Don José conceals it. Maritana, her features +disguised by a veil, is married to the Don, but at the expiration of an +hour he is led out to meet his fate. The soldiers fire at him, but he +escapes, as Lazarillo has managed to abstract the bullets from their +guns. He feigns death, and when the opportunity presents itself hurries +to a ball at the Montefiori palace, and arrives just as the Marquis, who +has had his instructions from Don José, is introducing Maritana as his +niece. Don Cæsar demands his bride, but Don José arranges with the +Marquis to present him with the Marchioness closely veiled. The scheme +does not work, as Don Cæsar hears Maritana's voice and claims her, but +she is quickly spirited away. + +The last act finds Maritana in a royal apartment. Don José carries out +his plot by introducing the King to her as her husband. At this juncture +Don Cæsar rushes in. The King in a rage demands to know his errand. He +replies that he is seeking the Countess de Bazan, and with equal rage +demands to know who he (the King) is. When the King in confusion answers +that he is Don Cæsar, the latter promptly replies, "Then I am the King of +Spain." Before further explanations can be made, the King is summoned by +the Queen. Don Cæsar and Maritana consult together, and he decides to +appeal to the Queen. While waiting for her in the palace garden, he +overhears Don José telling her that the King is to meet his mistress that +night. Don Cæsar denounces him as a traitor, and slays him. The King, +when he hears of Don Cæsar's loyalty, consigns Maritana to him, and +appoints him Governor of Valencia. + +The opera is full of bright, melodious music. The principal numbers in +the first act are Maritana's song, "It was a Knight of Princely Mien"; +the romanza which she sings for Don José, "'Tis the Harp in the Air"; the +duet between Don José and Maritana, "Of Fairy Wand had I the Power"; Don +Cæsar's rollicking drinking-song, "All the World over"; and the +delightful chorus, "Pretty Gitana, tell us what the Fates decree." The +first scene of the second act is a mine of charming songs, including +Lazarillo's, "Alas! those Chimes"; the trio, "Turn on, Old Time, thine +Hourglass"; Don Cæsar's stirring martial air, "Yes, let me like a Soldier +fall"; the sentimental ballad, "In Happy Moments, Day by Day"; and the +quartette and chorus closing the scene, "Health to the Lady, the Lovely +Bride." The next scene contains a pretty chorus in waltz time, "Ah! what +Pleasure," followed by an aria sung by the King, "The Mariner in his +Bark," and the act closes with a very dramatic ensemble, "What Mystery +must now control." The leading numbers of the last act are Maritana's +song, "Scenes that are Brightest," one of the most admired of all English +songs; the love duet between Don Cæsar and Maritana, "This Heart with +Bliss O'erflowing"; and Don Cæsar's song, "There is a Flower that +bloometh," which is in the sentimental ballad style. + + + + + Lurline. + + + [Romantic opera, in three acts; text by Fitzball. First produced at + Covent Garden Theatre, London, February 23, 1860.] + + PERSONAGES. + + Count Rudolph, a young nobleman. + Wilhelm, his friend. + Rhineberg, the river King. + Baron Truenfels. + Zelleck, a gnome. + Conrad. + Adolph. + Lurline, nymph of the Lurlei-Berg. + Ghiva, the Baron's daughter. + Liba, a spirit of the Rhine. + + [Vassals, conspirators, pages, water spirits.] + + The scene is laid on the banks and in the waters of the Rhine; time, + the present. + +The story of "Lurline" closely follows the old legend of the "Lorelei." +Count Rudolph, having dissipated his fortune, proposes marriage with +Ghiva, daughter of a neighboring baron, to recoup himself. The Baron, +however, turns out to be as poor as the Count, and nothing comes of the +proposition. Meanwhile Lurline, the Rhine nymph, has seen the Count +sailing on the river and fallen in love with him. At the last banquet he +and his companions give in the old castle, she appears, weaves spells +about him, places a magic ring on his finger, and then disappears. When +he comes to his reason, he finds himself enamoured of her, follows the +notes of her harp on the Rhine, and is engulfed in the whirlpool to which +Lurline allures her victims. + +The second act opens in Lurline's cavern under the Rhine, and Rudolph is +there by virtue of his magic ring. He hears his friends singing and +mourning his loss as they sail on the river, and is so touched by it that +he implores permission to return to them for a short time. Lurline +consents to his absence for three days, and agrees to wait for him on the +summit of the Lurlei-Berg at moonrise on the third evening. She also +prevails upon her father, the Rhine King, to give him treasures, with +which he embarks in a fairy skiff, leaving Lurline dejected. + +In the last act Rudolph discloses to the Baron and his daughter, as well +as to his companions, the secret of his wealth. The Baron once more +encourages his suit, and the crafty Ghiva steals the magic ring and +throws it into the Rhine. In the mean time Lurline waits nightly on the +Lurlei-Berg for the return of her lover, and there a gnome brings to her +the ring, token of his infidelity. Distracted between grief and anger, +she determines to reproach him with his perfidy at a banquet in the +castle; she suddenly appears, and demands her ring from him. A scene of +bitter reproaches ensues, ending with her denunciation of his companions' +treachery. Growing envious of the Count's wealth, they had conspired to +destroy him and then plunder the castle. Ghiva and her father, +overhearing the plot, reveal it to the Count and urge him to escape by +flight. Rudolph, however, preferring death near Lurline, confronts the +assassins. Love returns to Lurline once more. She strikes her harp and +invokes the Rhine, which rises and engulfs the conspirators. When the +waves subside, the Rhine King appears and gives the hand of his daughter +to the Count. + +The principal numbers of the first act are Rhineberg's invocation aria, +"Idle Spirit, wildly dreaming"; Lurline's beautiful romanzas with harp +accompaniment, "Flow on, flow on, O Silver Rhine," and "When the Night +Winds sweep the Wave"; the melodious chorus, "Sail, sail, sail on the +Midnight Gale"; the drinking-song, "Drain the Cup of Pleasure"; the +quaint tenor song, "Our Bark in Moonlight beaming"; and the vigorous +chorus of the gnomes in the finale, "Vengeance, Vengeance." The second +act opens with the gnomes' song, "Behold Wedges of Gold." The remaining +conspicuous numbers are the Count's song, "Sweet Form that on my Dreamy +Gaze"; Lurline's brilliant drinking-song with chorus, "Take this Cup of +Sparkling Wine"; Ghiva's ballad, for contralto, "Troubadour Enchanting"; +the breezy hunting-chorus, "Away to the Chase, come away"; Rhineberg's +sentimental song, "The Nectar Cup may yield Delight"; and the ensemble in +the finale, which is in the genuine Italian style. The third act is +specially noticeable for the ballad sung by Rudolph, "My Home, my Heart's +first Home"; Lurline's song on the Lurlei-Berg, "Sweet Spirit, hear my +Prayer," which has been a great favorite on the concert stage; the +unaccompanied quartette, "Though the World with Transport bless me"; the +grand duet, "Lurline, my Naiad Queen," and the incantation music and +closing chorus, "Flow on, thou Lovely Rhine." + + + + + By GEORGE P. UPTON + + + MUSICAL HANDBOOKS + THE STANDARD OPERAS + THE STANDARD ORATORIOS + THE STANDARD CANTATAS + THE STANDARD SYMPHONIES + THE STANDARD LIGHT OPERAS + 12mo. Yellow edges. Per volume, $1.50 + + + WOMAN IN MUSIC + 16mo. $1.00 + + + MUSICAL PASTELS: A Series of Essays on Quaint and Curious Musical +Subjects. + Large 8vo. With ten full-page illustrations from rare wood engravings. + + + A. C. McCLURG & COMPANY · CHICAGO + + + + + Transcriber's Notes + + + Silently corrected a few typos. + Relocated promotional material to the end of the text. + Generated a new cover image, provided for free use with this eBook. + Included copyright information from the original printed book (this +eBook is public-domain in the country of publication.) + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's The Standard Light Operas, by George Upton + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 42918 *** |