Opera Plots I - MDC Faculty Home Pages

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SIEGLINDE and Siegmund are the twin children of Wotan by a mortal amour, and have been separated by misfortune since childhood, having both married in the interval; and in Act 1 they meet again. Siegmund, flying from an enemy, takes refuge during a stormy evening in the hut of another enemy, Hunding, a warrior, whose wife is Sieglinde, from whom the refugee begs refreshment and rest. The pair, not recognising each other, fall in love; and though their guilty passion is noticed by Hunding, he is bound by the sacred laws of hospitality not to harm his guest until morning. During the night, however, Sieglinde, having given her husband a drug to make him sleep heavily, comes down to the waiting Siegmund, who has just pulled out from a tree trunk in the room a mighty sword left here by Wotan when he wooed his mortal spouse, and which he had declared should only be plucked out by his offspring; and the pair thus discover themselves sister and brother and the twin children of Wotan. The passion they have conceived for each other, however, is so overwhelming that they are powerless to resist it; and, folded in a happy embrace, the guilty lovers step forth into the night, full of joy, and regardless of the sin they are committing, and of the wrath of the abandoned husband. In Act 2 Fricka, who is the goddess and defender of Marriage, has an angry scene with the fickle Wotan for suffering such disregard of her laws; and she forces him to refrain from protecting the runaway, Siegmund-which he is eager to do - and to break the magic sword he carries. Wotan, therefore, reluctantly recalls his favourite Valkyrie, Brünnhilde - one of a race of strong and heroic war-maidens, the children of Wotan, who employs them to bring the corpses of warriors who fall in battle to dwell in glory in Valhalla-whom he had despatched to the assistance of the lovers, who are now flying from the righteous wrath of the pursuing Hunding. Brünnhilde, however, has much pity for the sad plight of the hunted lovers, and is so attracted by the courage of the hero that she disobeys the commands laid upon her; and when Hunding overtakes the pair she helps Siegmund against his enemy. Wotan now appears; and though in sympathy with his disobedient daughter, he is bound by his promise to Fricka to the opposite course, and so joins in the combat, and, breaking the magic sword, he causes the death of Siegmund. Full of grief for the loss of the hero, he continues the fight with the wronged Hunding, and slays him; and then he pursues the disobedient Valkyrie, who has snatched up the exhausted and terrified Sieglinde, and, mounting her horse, has ridden away with her burden. In Act 3 Brünnhilde meets with a band of her sister Valkyries, and begs their assistance. Finding them afraid to offend the mighty All-Father by so doing, she directs Sieglinde to a place of hiding near the cave of Fafner the giant, who, in the form of a dragon, still guards the Magic Ring; and she tells her that she shall become the mother of a mighty and glorious hero, Siegfried, who shall reforge the broken sword of Siegmund, the pieces of which she gives her. As Sieglinde totters away Brünnhilde awaits courageously the coming of Wotan, and hears his reproaches unflinchingly. As the punishment for her disobedience, the god commands her to lie upon a neighbouring rock in a charmed sleep, to be the prize of any passer-by; but upon Brünnhilde passionately pleading for protection from such indignity, he relents so far as to concede to her a barrier of fire around her resting-place, through which none but the greatest and noblest of heroes would dare to penetrate. Full of gratitude for this concession, which will ensure that she can only be awakened by one worthy of a pure virgins love, the penitent Valkyrie stretches herself upon the rock and falls into a charmed sleep; and, after kissing his beloved child tenderly, Wotan invokes Loge, the God of Fire, at whose command flames spring out on every side. The god then departs; and the beautiful Brünnhilde is left sleeping upon the rock, surrounded by the protecting wall of
leaping flames-to be awakened by the unborn hero, Siegfried, in the years to come. PART III. SIEGFRIED Music Drama in Three Acts By Richard Wagner Chief Characters-Brünnhilde, Erda, Siegfried, Wotan (the Wanderer), Mimi, Fafner IN Act 1 the young hero, Siegfried, is shown in the abode of Mimi, the gnome ,who, having found the dying Sieglinde in the forest, has since taken charge of the child whose birth cost the despairing fugitive her life. The youthful Siegfried is young and enthusiastic, and soon proves his superiority over the dwarf, whom he despises and compels to serve him; and, regarding with contempt the weapons made for him by the gnome, he sets to work to forge the broken pieces of his fathers magic sword, which Sieglinde had given into the charge of Mimi when dying. On beholding the bright, finished sword, Mimi is filled with fear, the forging of it being a task he has himself many times tried to perform and failed; and, recognising the strong and beautiful youth before him as one destined to be a mighty hero, he is filled with jealousy, and endeavours to think out a plan for his destruction. In Act 2, therefore, he entices Siegfried into the forest and leads him to the cave of Fafner the giant, who, in the form of a dragon, still guards the Magic Ring and Nibelungs treasures; but the young hero boldly attacks the terrible beast, and slays it with his magic sword, taking possession of the treasures and the Magic Ring. Then, accidentally tasting the dead dragons blood, he gains the power of understanding the language of the forest birds; and from these feathered friends he learns of Mimis contemplated treachery. He therefore slays the offending dwarf; and then, hearing from the birds the story of the beautiful Valkyrie who lies sleeping on the fire encircled rock waiting for a hero to awaken and claim her as his bride, the radiant hero sets forth eagerly to win the prize, being guided to the spot by the singing-birds. On his way he is intercepted by Wotan, the father of the gods, who has come forth as a wanderer to seek advice from Erda, Goddess of the Earth; and, meeting the dazzling hero and knowing his quest, he seeks to detain him, since the heros quickly-developing powers and achievements will bring his own approaching fate nearer. Siegfried, however, quickly overcomes the stranger in his path, breaking his opponents spear with his own magic sword; and the defeated Wotan, realising that his once mighty power has vanished, gloomily retires to Valhalla to await his end, knowing that the Dusk of the Gods is now not far away. Siegfried, exulting in his victory, hastens forward with eager expectation; and on arriving at the fire-encircled rock, he fearlessly dashes through the flames and awakens the beautiful Valkyrie, Brünnhilde, with a kiss. The pair fall in love with each other; and thus the hero woos and wins the dazzling bride who has been kept in a charmed sleep ever since his birth, waiting for him to awaken her to love and joy once more. PART IV. THE DUSK OF THE GODS Music Drama in Three Acts By Richard Wagner
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TWO HUNDRED OPERA PLOTS By Gladys D
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56. Iphigenia in Aulis 57. Iphigeni
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Offenbach 118. La Belle Hélène Pa
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Wagner (Richard) 180. The Flying Du
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Madame de la Tour, and wishing to p
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his suspicions thus confirmed, and
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7. THE CROWN DIAMONDS Opera Comique
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challenges the Marquis to fight wit
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Bertrand; and the unhappy young wif
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they desire in order to compromise
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had two sons. At the opening of the
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circumstance a means of avenging he
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establish his identity. When the Ca
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Romantic Opera in One Act By George
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ings forth the hidden treasure, tog
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Libretto By Mosenthal, adapted from
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26. ODYSSEUS' RETURN Grand Opera in
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y Despoina, who has managed to esca
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insults upon her, she is unable to
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ing the lady to be La Duclos, they
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lovers, asks the irate father to co
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35. THE KING HAS SAID IT Opera Comi
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moment,. the angry Nilakantha appea
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partner, and willingly hands her ov
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takes her to some luxurious rooms,
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amongst the guests, and has also sw
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Court, where he sees Lady Henrietta
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First Produced Dresden, October, 18
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50. NANON Opera Comique in Three Ac
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part). Elizabeth is horrorstruck at
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condemned to death. He has, however
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obtained the love she craved for, t
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Grand Opera in Three Acts By Christ
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stand with his sweetheart, May. The
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plot having been evolved by the lib
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Gringoire suddenly appears with Pho
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with remorse and grief, since her l
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Bertram becomes more jealous of him
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calling himself Samuel, and thus ma
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eloved ones are in greater danger t
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74 THE FOLKUNGS Grand Opera in Five
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elease of the noble prisoner; and F
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78. MAIA Opera in Three Acts By R.
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First Produced Hamburg, 1846 Chief
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Here he sees Undine, a lovely but m
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victim; and whilst the flames leap
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defend her; and though Brian, now r
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88. CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA Tragic Ope
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trick which has been played upon hi
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is overlooked by the King, who best
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the convent as a brother and re-nou
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since he has the means to provide h
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Chief Characters Charlotte, Sophia,
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two of the inhabitants, a male and
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etween the Catholics and Huguenots
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and despairing Bertha to the tyrant
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lovers. 106. THE STAR OF THE NORTH
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108. MUGUETTE Opera Comique in Four
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fact that he is pursued by another
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however, their trials are not over,
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determination to die rather than be
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himself an arrant coward. The situa
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good looks and gallant bearing of a
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In Act 2 we are taken to Venice, wh
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it to the test. When he has gone, R
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her. The disguised Prince obeys wit
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First Produced Turin, February, 189
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jealous anger of her rough friends
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husband, and trustfully expecting h
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131. LA TOSCA Tragic Opera in Three
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sent to tempt him from is enterpris
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Page 149 and 150: Opera in Three Acts By Max Schillin
Page 151 and 152: Chief Characters Mary, Agnes Micha,
Page 153 and 154: 146. JESSONDA Opera in Three Acts B
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Page 157 and 158: 151. THE QUEENS LACE HANDKERCHIEF O
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Page 163 and 164: Comic Opera in Two Acts By Sir Arth
Page 165 and 166: Chief Characters Yum-Yum, Pitti-Sin
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Page 169 and 170: disguise, however, is presently pen
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Page 173 and 174: Leonard, who manages to slip out of
Page 175 and 176: In Act 5 the funeral procession of
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Page 181 and 182: him. Adelia, on searching for the m
Page 183 and 184: and he bribes Sparafucile, a bravo,
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Page 187 and 188: scheming Telramund, whom he defeats
Page 189 and 190: 183. PARSIFAL Sacred Festival Music
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Page 193: symbol of Evil; and in revenge for
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Page 199 and 200: from Brangaena, and come at once to
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Page 203 and 204: THE story is founded on an old Germ
Page 205 and 206: fearing she has been deceived. When
Page 207 and 208: to be Chief Ranger, but also covets
Page 209 and 210: First Produced Berlin, March, 1821
Page 211 and 212: Aïda Verdi Alceste Gluck Amber Wit
Page 213 and 214: Gioconda, La Ponchielli Gipsy Baron
Page 215 and 216: Mikado, The Sullivan Moloch Schilli
Page 217: Trumpeter of Säkkingen, The Nessle
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