Opera Plots I - MDC Faculty Home Pages

26. ODYSSEUS' RETURN
Grand Opera in Three Acts with Prologue By August Bungert
Libretto, adapted from Homer's "Odyssey."
First Produced Dresden, December, 1896
Chief Characters Penelope, Pallas Athene, Odysseus, Hyperion, Telemachus, Eurymachus,
Laertes, Eumaeus
THIS dramatic opera forms the second part of Bungert's great "Tetralogy," of which the first part
is entitled " Circe." The prologue opens with the song of Pallas Athene, who is still watching over
the hero, Odysseus, who is even now returning to his home, unknown to all his friends. As the
goddess vanishes, we see the importunate suitors of Penelope in the royal palace of Ithaca, who
are hatching a plot to kill the Queen's hero son, Telemachus, whom they regard as their enemy,
since he stoutly defends his mother from their undesired attentions. Telemachus, believing that his
long-lost father is not far away, sets forth in a vessel to search for him in the waters round about;
and before leaving he begs his friend, Hyperion, to remain behind in his place to protect the
Queen, having no knowledge of the fact that Hyperion is himself in love with the gentle and
virtuous Penelope. The first act takes, us to a lonely part of the coast of Ithaca, where Odysseus
has landed after his many years' absence, and has fallen into a deep slumber, during which he is
visited by Pallas Athene, who leaves at his side a beggar's cloak, in which she had enveloped
herself. On awakening, and with joy recognising his whereabouts, Odysseus wraps himself in the
beggar's cloak, and approaching an old man, whom he finds to be his own old steward, Eumaeus,
he learns from him how the Queen Penelope is closely persecuted by her undesired lovers, and
how her son Telemachus is even now being attacked by the conspirators, as he is about to set forth
in search of his lost father. Odysseus is full of joy on hearing that his beloved Penelope has
remained faithful to him all these years; and, still preserving his incognito, he makes the old man
promise to lead him to the palace that night. Whilst they are speaking, the vessel of Telemachus,
closely pursued by another filled with his enemies, draws near to the shore; and seeing his brave
young son likely to be overpowered by superior numbers, the returned hero dashes into the water,
springs on to the youth's boat, and carries him back to the shore in safety. Here they are met by the
hero's aged father, Laertes, who prophesies the return of the long-lost King; and Odysseus,
overcome with joy at finding his father yet alive, but still not choosing to reveal himself,
announces that he will overcome the persecutors of the unprotected Queen. In Act 2 Penelope is
found bemoaning her sad fate, and im-ploring the gods to protect her brave young son, whom she
knows to be in danger. She is not left to her prayers long; for first Hyperion enters, and
passionately declares his love for her. On being checked by the harassed Queen, however, he tells
her of the plot to kill her son; and whilst the distracted Penelope is bewailing her helplessness, the
impatient suitors all crowd into her chamber, insolently demand-ing that she shall choose one of
them as her husband, since they declare that Odysseus will never return. In order to keep them at a
distance, even until now, Penelope has been weaving a robe for old Laertes for many years, having
given out that when it was done she would indeed choose one of them; but this excuse will now no
longer satisfy them, since they declare she unravels at night all the web she has been weaving
during the day-time. Seeing that her ruse is discovered, Penelope can no longer keep her
unwelcome lovers back, who declare they will cer-tainly kill Telemachus unless she yields to
them. At this moment, however, Telemachus enters with Odysseus, who still retains his disguise.