Read Ebook: The Standard Light Operas Their Plots and Their Music by Upton George P George Putnam

Font size: 10 px 15 px 20 px 25 px 30 px 35 px

Background color: BlackWhiteGrayLight GrayDark GrayDim Gray

Text color: BlackWhiteGrayLight GrayDark GrayDim Gray

Apply/Save settings

Ebook has 677 lines and 84160 words, and 14 pages

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.

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.

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 r?le 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" , in the third scene of the first act, where Amina declares her happiness; the aria for baritone in the sixth scene, "Vi ravviso" , sung by Rodolfo; the playful duet, "Mai piu dubbi" , in which Amina chides her lover for his jealousy; the humorous and characteristic chorus of the villagers in the tenth scene, "Osservate, l'uscio ? aperto" , as they tiptoe into the chamber; the duet in the next scene, "O mio dolor" , in which Amina asserts her innocence; the aria for tenor in the third scene of the second act, "Tutto e sciolto" , in which Elvino bemoans his hard lot; and that joyous outburst of birdlike melody, "Ah! non giunge" , which closes the opera.

BENEDICT, SIR JULIUS.

The Lily of Killarney.

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 d?nouement 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, FRAN?OIS ADRIEN.

La Dame Blanche.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 cort?ge 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.

Share on: WhatsApp @Hash Facebook Tweet