Opera Plots I - MDC Faculty Home Pages

fearing she has been deceived. When the King presently enters and makes love to her, she is filled
with horror at his infidelity to the Queen, whom she loves; and she proudly and firmly resists the
advances he makes, though inwardly full of fear at her helpless position. At this moment Don
Caesar, having learnt through Lazarillo of her whereabouts, bursts into the chamber, to the great
chagrin of the King, with whom he has a most amusing, though dramatic, interview. Finally, the
King is called away to the garden, to meet the Queen; and then Don Caesar and Maritana
recognising each other by their voices and failing promptly in love, are filled with joy at their
meeting, and indulge in their first love scene. The Kings infatuation for Maritana is, however, still
a menace to their happiness; but on proceeding to the garden, Don Caesar overhears the vile plans
of Don José, upon which he challenges him as a traitor, and kills him. He then returns to Maritana;
and upon the entrance of the King reveals to him the villainy of his scheming Minister; cunningly
adding that since he, Don Caesar, has thus preserved the Kings honour, surely the King can no
longer attack the honour of a loyal subject. Charles is now so impressed by the behaviour of Don
Caesar that, ashamed of his own ignoble designs, tie determines to renounce his own pleasure, and
places Maritanas hand in that of her eager husband, to whom he also presents a rich governorship.
He then departs to seek the pardon of his own neglected Queen; and the opera closes with the
joyful embrace of the now happy husband and wife.
196. EURYANTHE
Romantic Opera in Three Acts By Carl Maria Von Weber
Libretto By Helmina Von Chézy
First Produced Vienna, October, 1823
Chief Characters Euryanthe, Eglantine, Adolar, Lysiart, The King of France, Louis VI
THE scene is laid at the Court of King Louis VI of France, where Count Adolar gives vent to
enthusiastic praises of the beauty and fidelity of his flancée, the Lady Euryanthe, extolling her
virtue above that of all other maidens. His praises are met with contempt from the Count Lysiart, a
cynical, scheming courtier, who provokes the young lover so greatly by his refusal to believe in
the virtue of any woman, that he finally stakes his lands and all he possesses on the constancy of
his fair Euryanthe against Lysiarts declaration that he will shortly bring him a token which he has
himself won from the lady. The next scene takes place in the Castle of Nevers, where Euryanthe is
seen with Eglantine, a fugitive lady who has sought refuge there and been treated as a friend by
the former, who is indeed a gentle and virtuous maiden. Eglantine, however, is an ambitious
schemer; and having conceived a passion for Count Adolar, she plots to take him away from her
new friend. She therefore cunningly leads her to talk of secret matters which a stranger has no
right to pry into; and the innocent Euryanthe, led away by the others seeming sympathy, in a rash
moment, tells her of the secret sorrow which her lover has recently had to suffer and which he has
made her promise never to reveal. This secret refers to his dead sister, the Lady Emma, who
poisoned herself on the death of her lover in battle, having taken the poison from a certain ring
which is laid with her in the tomb, and which niust be wet with the tears shed by a pure and
constant maiden in her hour of deep sorrow, ere the suicides soul can find rest. The tomb of the
Lady Emma is not far distant from the Castle; and Eglantine determines to make use of this
information for her own needs, whilst Euryanthe is already filled with remorse at having, in an
unguarded moment, revealed her betrotheds secret to a stranger, and thus broken her promise to