Opera Plots I - MDC Faculty Home Pages

Opera in Three Acts By Max Schillings
Libretto By Emil Gerhaeuser Adapted from Hebbel s "Moloch"
First Produced Dresden, December, 1906
Chief Characters Theoda, Velleda, Teut, Hiram (a Carthaginian Priest), The King of Thule
THE scene is laid in the island of Thule, just after the fall of Carthage. Hiram, the Carthaginian
Priest, has made his way to Thule, bearing with him the idol, Moloch, by means of which he hopes
to gain great power in his new land, and to entice the people to make war upon the hated Romans.
At first the people of Thule will have nothing to do with the new god offered them; but at last
Teut, the Kings son, comes to believe in the supposed power of Moloch, and accepts Hiram as a
great teacher. By degrees Hiram gets other converts; and by teaching the novices the more
advanced social arts known to Carthage, he gradually gains great influence in the land. The old
King, however, will not forsake his ancient religion, and is greatly grieved and angered by his sons
acceptance of the new god; and also his mother, Velleda, and his sweetheart, Theoda, and his
friend, Wolf, all plead in vain with the royal youth to give up his apostasy.
In Act 2 Hiram has gained such ascendancy over the people that he has built a fine temple for the
idol Moloch; and he forbids them to approach the sacred building at night on pain of instant death
at the hands of the god. He next proceeds to cut down the ancient and sacred yew-tree of Thule,
which is closely bound up in the old religion of the people. Then the old King appears, and sternly
forbids Hiram and Teut to touch the yew-tree; and as Hiram disdains the command, the king is
about to stab him, when he is prevented by Teut, who wrestles with him, and finally overpowers
him. In despair the old King goes out into the wilderness as an exile; and here he is joined by
Theoda. The Queen, Velleda, on hearing of her sons undutiful conduct, flings herself into the sea.
In Act 3 the harvest is being celebrated, and Wolf appears to announce that the King has gathered
his most loyal subjects together and is about to make war upon Hiram and Teut, who have now
made ready some fine ships in which to sail against Rome. When darkness falls, Teut, being on
guard at some little distance from the Temple of Moloch, hears a womans voice calling; and,
drawing nearer, he recognises Theoda, who is standing close to the building. In horror lest Hirams
threat of the gods wrath shall fall upon the maiden he loves, Teut rushes to her side to rescue her;
but the joy of the lovers at thus meeting once more makes them forget all danger, and they talk
happily together. Then, when the first joy of meeting is over, and Teut sees that the dreadful fate
foretold for those who ventured near the temple at night has never come to pass, but that they have
come to no harm, he realises that the idol has no power after all, and that Hiram is a false teacher.
He therefore denounces Hiram, who, in despair at thus losing the power he has gained, casts
himself from the rocks into the sea. The Kings party now appear, and Wolf, not knowing that Teut
has forsaken the false religion of Moloch, falls upon him as a traitor and stabs him. Theoda is in
despair when, on presently appearing with the old King, she finds her lover lying fatally wounded;
and as she reaches his side and embraces him, he expires in her arms, whilst the grief-stricken
father commands his followers to break up the hideous idol, Moloch, which has brought such
disaster upon him.
143. GENOVEVA