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Tragic <strong>Opera</strong> in Four Acts By Georges Bizet Libretto By Meilhac and Halévy, drawn from Merimée's romance of the same name First Produced Opéra Comique, Paris, 1875 Chief Characters Carmen, Micaela, Don José, Escamillo (The Toreador) THE scene is laid in Seville, where a number of soldiers are lounging in the public square, being under the command of Don José, their lieutenant. Whilst they are laughing and joking, Micaela, a peasant girl, appears, asking for Don José, for whom she has brought a message from his mother; but though the village maiden was his sweetheart when at home he pays her no attention now, all his interest being for Carmen, a beautiful and wayward gipsy-girl, who has recently joined a cigarette factory close by. As he speaks with Micaela, the factory girls enter the square, Carmen being with them; and the lovely gipsy, singling out Don José as her new sweetheart, throws him the rose from her breast, filling the young man with delight. He falls desperately in love with her; and when the bold girl is presently arrested on a charge of wounding one of her companions he arranges her escape, and promises to meet her at a certain lonely country inn she names. In Act 2 Don José arrives at the inn, where he finds Carmen with a number of her gipsy friends, who are in reality a band of desperate smugglers. Before the arrival of Don José, Carmen has been flirting with Escamillo, the most popular toreador in Spain, who is also one of her admirers; and he and her gipsy followers persuade her to tempt the amorous lieutenant to desert his regiment and join the smugglers. They then depart, and when Don José arrives Carmen uses all her fascinating arts to coerce him from the path of duty; and the young man is so enthralled by the wiles of the handsome coquette that when his superior officer presently appears and orders him to fall into rank he joins in the ensuing scrimmage arranged by the clever Carmen, and finally escapes with her to the mountains. Here Act 3 finds him in the haunt of the smugglers, still desperately enamoured of the way-ward beauty, whose love for him, however, is rapidly cooling, her roving fancy having by this time settled upon the handsome toreador, Escamillo, who pres-ently appears on the scene. Escamillo soon reveals himself as a rival to Don José, who, full of jealousy, challenges him to fight; but the pair are quickly separated by the smugglers, and Escamillo departs, inviting them all to attend the coming bull-fight in Seville, where he expects to gain further laurels. Micaela, who follows her faithless lover as a guardian angel, now appears, and endeavours to wean him away from the careless Carmen, whose love she knows to be but evanescent; and on learning from the gentle maiden that his mother is well-nigh dying, he is filled with remorse for his neglect of her, and returns to his home for a short time. Act 4 opens upon the ante-chamber of the circus arena, where Escamillo is making love to the willing Carmen, who has already ceased to think about her last lover; but, as the toreador is called to the arena to join in the bull fight which is now beginning, the faithless gipsy is confronted by the angry and desperate Don José, who reproaches her for her desertion, and endeavours to revive her dead love for him. Carmen, however, scornfully repulses him; and then Don José, mad with jealousy, and enraged at her reckless taunts, seizes his dagger, and stabs her to the heart, just at the moment when the triumphant toreador issues forth from the arena. Escamillo hastens forward to greet his beautiful sweetheart; but his triumph is quickly changed to grief and despair as he beholds the proud gipsy dead at his feet. 20. DJAMILEH
Romantic <strong>Opera</strong> in One Act By Georges Bizet Libretto By Louis Gallet First Produced Paris, 1872 Chief Characters Djamileh, Haroun, Splendiano THE simple story of this charming romantic opera is laid in the East. Haroun, a handsome young Turk, being blessed with great riches and power, determines to enjoy everything that such good fortune can offer him. He lives the wildest and most luxurious lifefeasting, gaming, and lovemaking; but in spite of all his pleasures and excitements he is not satisfied, but finds even the granting of his every wish of no avail to bring him contentment and real happiness. He continues to indulge in his gorgeous excesses, however; and, as an additional indulgence, he gives orders to his chief steward to purchase a new and handsome girl-slave for him every month, at the end of which time he has had all the pleasure he can enjoy from her beauty and accomplishments, and the human toy is cast aside as incapable of amusing him further. This extravagant mode of life makes serious inroads into his fortune, so that his means are quickly vanishing; and at the opening of the opera the young lord is listening with utter disinterest to a lecture from his secretary and steward, Splendiano, who reproaches him for his extravagance; but Haroun 's only answer is to bid the officer to seek out his new monthly slave, since he has already tired of his last love, Djamileh. Splendiano is astounded that the exceptional beauty and talents of Djamileh were powerless to secure a firmer hold on her capricious master; but having a great admiration for the girl himself he begs Haroun to permit him to take the discarded slave himself. This Haroun carelessly agrees to; and Splendiano hurries away to bring the slave-dealer to the house with his human wares, so that he may enjoy his own prize the sooner. After he has gone Djamileh enters, looking sad and unhappy; for she has conceived a passionate love for her master, and is rendered wretched by his careless indifference to her efforts to please him. Haroun, however, has more regard for this girl than for any of his other slaves; and seeing her unhappy looks, and divining the reason, he endeavours to comfort her by a gift of jewels and her freedom. Then, fear-ing lest the girl's enthralling beauty and joy at his generosity should enchain him against his will, he gladly welcomes a company of his boon companions who now arrive, deliberately leaving Djamileh unveiled, and exposed to their unwelcome admiration. Seeing the poor girl weeping and distressed, Splendiano endeavours to comfort her by the offer of his own heart, and at the same moment informing her that her master is about to cast her aside. Djamileh is heartbroken on hearing this, and implores the steward to permit her to disguise herself and impersonate the new slave that night, so that she may have at least one more private interview with her beloved master; and Splendiano is so touched by her distress that, though disappointed at the hopelessness of his own chances of winning the girl's love, he agrees to her request. The slave-dealer now brings a selection of his most valuable maidens, who dance before the bored and world-sick Haroun, who, however, finally purchases the most beautiful of them all, a fair Almée, who, in her frantic efforts to please, dances until she drops to the ground exhausted. Djamileh, with the help of Splendiano, is enabled to exchange clothes with the new slave; and thus dis-guised and closely veiled she is brought to Haroun 's chamber at night. The young man's interest is aroused by the seeming reluctance of his new pur-chase to approach him or accept his caresses; and when she finally unveils and reveals herself as the cast-off Djamileh, declaring herself unable to live apart from him, and entreating him to take back her freedom, he is amazed at her action. Her devotion and genuine passion, however, touch him very deeply; and feeling a true and pure love dawning in his own heart for the first time, he admits that she has conquered his lower nature, and taught him the
Page 1 and 2: TWO HUNDRED OPERA PLOTS By Gladys D
Page 3 and 4: 56. Iphigenia in Aulis 57. Iphigeni
Page 5 and 6: Offenbach 118. La Belle Hélène Pa
Page 7 and 8: Wagner (Richard) 180. The Flying Du
Page 9 and 10: Madame de la Tour, and wishing to p
Page 11 and 12: his suspicions thus confirmed, and
Page 13 and 14: 7. THE CROWN DIAMONDS Opera Comique
Page 15 and 16: challenges the Marquis to fight wit
Page 17 and 18: Bertrand; and the unhappy young wif
Page 19 and 20: they desire in order to compromise
Page 21 and 22: had two sons. At the opening of the
Page 23 and 24: circumstance a means of avenging he
Page 25: establish his identity. When the Ca
Page 29 and 30: ings forth the hidden treasure, tog
Page 31 and 32: Libretto By Mosenthal, adapted from
Page 33 and 34: 26. ODYSSEUS' RETURN Grand Opera in
Page 35 and 36: y Despoina, who has managed to esca
Page 37 and 38: insults upon her, she is unable to
Page 39 and 40: ing the lady to be La Duclos, they
Page 41 and 42: lovers, asks the irate father to co
Page 43 and 44: 35. THE KING HAS SAID IT Opera Comi
Page 45 and 46: moment,. the angry Nilakantha appea
Page 47 and 48: partner, and willingly hands her ov
Page 49 and 50: takes her to some luxurious rooms,
Page 51 and 52: amongst the guests, and has also sw
Page 53 and 54: Court, where he sees Lady Henrietta
Page 55 and 56: First Produced Dresden, October, 18
Page 57 and 58: 50. NANON Opera Comique in Three Ac
Page 59 and 60: part). Elizabeth is horrorstruck at
Page 61 and 62: condemned to death. He has, however
Page 63 and 64: obtained the love she craved for, t
Page 65 and 66: Grand Opera in Three Acts By Christ
Page 67 and 68: stand with his sweetheart, May. The
Page 69 and 70: plot having been evolved by the lib
Page 71 and 72: Gringoire suddenly appears with Pho
Page 73 and 74: with remorse and grief, since her l
Page 75 and 76: Bertram becomes more jealous of him
Page 77 and 78:
calling himself Samuel, and thus ma
Page 79 and 80:
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
Page 89 and 90:
Here he sees Undine, a lovely but m
Page 91 and 92:
victim; and whilst the flames leap
Page 93 and 94:
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
Page 101 and 102:
the convent as a brother and re-nou
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since he has the means to provide h
Page 105 and 106:
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
Page 119 and 120:
however, their trials are not over,
Page 121 and 122:
determination to die rather than be
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himself an arrant coward. The situa
Page 125 and 126:
good looks and gallant bearing of a
Page 127 and 128:
In Act 2 we are taken to Venice, wh
Page 129 and 130:
it to the test. When he has gone, R
Page 131 and 132:
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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her transitory suspicions, and next
Page 145 and 146:
character, and is herself leading a
Page 147 and 148:
shackles of Rome and proclaims hims
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Opera in Three Acts By Max Schillin
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Chief Characters Mary, Agnes Micha,
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146. JESSONDA Opera in Three Acts B
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een sentenced to a weeks imprisonme
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151. THE QUEENS LACE HANDKERCHIEF O
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chamber window she listens to his p
Page 161 and 162:
lineage, they are desperately poor
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Comic Opera in Two Acts By Sir Arth
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Chief Characters Yum-Yum, Pitti-Sin
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everyday young man " at once, on pa
Page 169 and 170:
disguise, however, is presently pen
Page 171 and 172:
considerations of rank, wealth or a
Page 173 and 174:
Leonard, who manages to slip out of
Page 175 and 176:
In Act 5 the funeral procession of
Page 177 and 178:
in this beautiful and charming lady
Page 179 and 180:
a plan to elope with the willing El
Page 181 and 182:
him. Adelia, on searching for the m
Page 183 and 184:
and he bribes Sparafucile, a bravo,
Page 185 and 186:
prisoner and thrust into a dungeon
Page 187 and 188:
scheming Telramund, whom he defeats
Page 189 and 190:
183. PARSIFAL Sacred Festival Music
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Loving One who shall crush his own
Page 193 and 194:
symbol of Evil; and in revenge for
Page 195 and 196:
leaping flames-to be awakened by th
Page 197 and 198:
as they exultingly carry it away a
Page 199 and 200:
from Brangaena, and come at once to
Page 201 and 202:
match, unable to conquer her passio
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
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First Produced Berlin, March, 1821
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Aïda Verdi Alceste Gluck Amber Wit
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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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