Opera Plots I - MDC Faculty Home Pages

declaring Hunold to be a sorcerer, he causes him to be flung into prison by the Magistrates, who
are only too glad to thus be rid of the necessity of paying the money demanded by the Piper. The
fair maiden, Gertrud, however, determines to save him; and when Hunold is brought before the
Judges she comes forward and claims his life, it being an ancient custom of the place to set free a
captive should a maiden of the town choose to claim him. Hunold, however, is banished, and has
to promise never to return; and Gertrud is so filled with despair at his sentence that she drowns
herself in the river. Hunold now vows vengeance on the citizens for being the cause of his
sweethearts death, and for refusing to pay him his promised reward; and whilst they are at their
devotions, he pipes such a merry dancing tune that all the children come running out of their
homes and follow him wherever he cares to lead them. When the citizens come out of church they
are just in time to see the hillside open and all their children following the piping Piper into its
very heart. As soon as the last child has crossed the threshold the hillside closes; and the Piper has
thus claimed his reward, the citizens of Hamelyn being left desolate.
116. THE TRUMPETER OF SAKKINGEN
Romantic Opera in Three Acts By Victor Nessler
Libretto By Rudolf Bunge (Adapted from the Poem of Scheffel)
First Produced Leipzig, May, 1884
Chief Characters Margarita, Countess Wildenstein, Werner Kirchoff, Konradin, The Baron von
Schoenau Count Damian
THE scene is laid in Heidelberg and Säkkingen on the Rhine, about the middle of the seventeenth
century. The opera opens in old Heidelberg, where the students are indulging in a very noisy and
unruly frolic. One of their number, Werner Kirchoff, the adopted son of one of the professors, is
an excellent player on the trumpet; and he presently serenades the Princess with a solo
performance on his instrument. His playing is admired by Konradin, the trumpeter of a recruit-ing
company, who endeavours to engage his services. The young man laughingly declines; but when
presently the students are all expelled from the University for their unruly behaviour, he decides to
throw in his lot with the soldiers, and joins the company as trumpeter. On arriving at Säkkingen on
the Rhine Werner makes the acquaintance of the Baron von Schoenaus daughter, the beautiful
young Lady Margarita, whom he protects from the incivility of the rough peasantry of the district,
who are in rebellion against her father. Margarita is accompanied by a cousin of the Barons, the
Countess Wildenstein, a lady who is separated from her husband, and whose only child, a son, was
stolen by gipsies in his early childhood; and she is struck by the resemblance of Werner to her lost
child. Margarita and Werner fall in love with one another at first sight, and the former persuades
her father to appoint Werner as his trumpeter. The Baron agrees, being greatly pleased with the
young mans fine playing; but when the Countess Wildenstein later on discovers the new trumpeter
and the Lady Margarita indulging in a pretty love scene Werner is sternly forbidden to enter the
castle again. Meanwhile the Baron has arranged a marriage for his daughter with Count Damian,
the son of Count Wildenstein by his second wife; and, in spite of the suitor proving to be a weakminded,
foolish young fop, poor Margaritas approaching union with him is publicly announced at
a festival, and her protestations of everlasting fidelity to her beloved Werner are unheeded.
However, the castle is presently stormed by the peasant rebels; and upon the Baron calling upon
his future son-in-law to lead the retainers against them the weak Damian is terrified and proves