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us to the wedding of Anna with Conrad, at which Hans Heiling appears, announcing that he will be the bridegroom; and when Conrad attacks him, his sword is broken asunder by the magic of his rival. Hans is just about to overcome his rival utterly, when the Queen of the Gnomes appears with her subjects, and persuades him to have pity upon these true mortal lovers. Hans listens to her plead-ing, his heart is touched; and having bestowed his forgiveness upon the human pair who had thwarted him, he departs with his gnomes to the underground life for ever, leaving the bridal party to rejoice. 85. THE TEMPLAR AND THE JEWESS Romantic <strong>Opera</strong> in Three Acts By Heinrich Marschner Libretto, adapted from Scott's Romance By W. A. Wöhlbruck First Produced London, 1830 Chief Characters Rebecca, Lady Rowena, Brian de Bois-Guilbert (The Templar), Ivanhoe, Richard Coeur de Lion (The Black Knight), Cedric of Rotherwood, Locksley (Robin Hood) THE story follows on the lines of Scott's romance pretty closely, though of course much condensed in action and dealing more particularly with the struggle between Rebecca and the Templar. In Act 1 Rebecca, the beautiful Jewish maiden, is a captive in the castle of the Knight Templar, Brian de Bois-Guilbert, who has fallen in love with her; and, being unscrupulous and tyrannical, he does not hesitate to use violence for the gratifying of his passion. Rebecca, however, is in love with Ivanhoe, the wounded knight whom she has nursed after his great achievements in a recent tournament, where he was the victor, the Queen of Love and Beauty being the lovely Lady Rowena, his cousin, the ward of the Saxon knight, Cedric of Rotherwood; and though her love is not returned Ivanhoe having bestowed his affections upon Rowena she indignantly refuses to listen to the Templar's declaration of passion for her. When her captor waxes bolder and threatens force, she springs through the open window on to the parapet of the Castle, firmly announcing her determination to fling herself to the ground beneath rather than submit to the embraces of one whom she loathes and despises; and the Templar is forced to retire, baffled, and leave the gentle but brave maiden the victor. Meanwhile, the Saxon lord, Cedric, and his fair ward, Rowena, have also been captured and imprisoned in the unscrupulous Templar's Castle; but Rebecca is assured by her patient Ivanhoe that a relief party has been organised to come to their aid. These friends in need consist of the outlaws of Sherwood, headed by a stranger calling himself the Black Knight, who is in reality Richard Coeur de Lion, who, having just returned from the Crusades, is wandering in disguise through this part of the country, and thus learning of the misrule of his brother, Prince John, whom he had left in charge. He has met the famous Robin Hood, who goes by the name of Locksley, and hearing of the unjust seizure of the Saxon family he joins the outlaw band and leads them to the rescue. They gain the victory, and release the Saxon captives; but unfortunately, the Jewish maiden is again seized by Bois-Guilbert, who carries her away to the Preceptory of the Knights Templars, and continues his unwelcome love-making. Still finding her obdurate, however, he causes her to be accused by the Templars of sorcery, and of seducing him by her wiles to the performance of the violent deeds of which he has himself recently been justly accused; and the militant brethren, willing enough of an excuse to declare their companion innocent, find Rebecca guilty of the charges laid against her, and condemn her to be burnt at the stake as a witch. The unfortunate Jewess, however, demands her right to seek a champion to
defend her; and though Brian, now remorseful, offers himself to save her from her awful fate, she scornfully refuses his help, knowing the reward he would claim, which she cannot grant, all her love being given to the honourable knight Ivanhoe, to whom, though she is aware he will never return her affection, she is yet determined to remain faithful. She is allowed one day in which to find a champion; and just as evening falls, and her execution is about to take place, Ivanhoe himself arrives, having heard of the danger of the gentle maiden who had tended him so well when wounded, and he gladly offers himself as her champion. Brian de Bois-Guilbert is his adversary in the duel; and after a struggle the false Templar falls to the ground dead, even before Ivanhoe's death-thrust is given. This is regarded as the judgment of Heaven, and Rebecca is restored to liberty; and the opera ends with the arrival of Coeur de Lion, no longer disguised as the Black Knight, who comes to announce his determination to bring justice into the land once more. Ivanhoe receives the hand of Rowena, the lady of his choice; and the noble Jewish maiden retires to comfort her old father, Isaac, and to bury in filial duty the beautiful gift of a faithful love which fate has decreed shall remain unrequited. 86. THE VAMPIRE Romantic <strong>Opera</strong> in Two Acts By Heinrich Marschner Libretto, adapted from Lord Byron's Story By W. A. Wöhlbruck First Produced Leipzig, 1828 Chief Characters Janthe, Malvina, Emma, Lord Ruthven (The Vampire), Edgar Aubry, the Laird of Davenant, Sir John Berkeley THE story is taken from the old Northern legend of the Vampire, an inhuman demon-monster which depends for existence upon sucking the blood of mortals. The scene is laid in Scotland, where Lord Ruthven, a secret Vampire, who has sold his soul to the Devil, is seeking three young girls as victims to his Demon Master, who has granted him a year's respite on condition that he secures three fair brides for the sake of their life's blood, lie first gains the love of Sir John Berkeley's daughter, Janthe, whom he lures to his secret den amidst the mountain caves, and then slays and proceeds to drain her heart's blood. He is interrupted in his horrible orgy by the bereaved father, who, finding his beloved child lifeless, stabs her murderer, and rushes from the cave in despair. The Vampire is mortally wounded, and knowing that he can only be restored by the rays of the moon shining upon him he also is in despair, when a youth named Edgar Aubry enters the cave by accident. He implores the youth to carry him to the mountain side for air, telling him of the terrible curse he is under; and Edgar, feeling pity for the ill-fated Vampire, and thinking him about to die, complies with his request, even promising the dying monster to keep secret the story of their meeting. When Edgar has departed, however, Ruthven recovers, and sets about seeking out his other two victim's. Meanwhile, the young Aubry meets his sweetheart, Malvina, daughter of the Laird of Davenant, who desires her to accept as her suitor the Earl of Marsden, a stranger to the neighbourhood. Malvina begs her father to consent to her union with Aubry; but the Laird, having already promised her to the stranger, refuses to with-draw from his contract, and calls forward the Earl of Marsden, who has been waiting in the background. Aubry at once recognises in the stranger the Vampire monster whom he had carried out to die on the hillside, and is about to denounce him when Ruthven reminds him of his oath to preserve the dreadful secret, threatening that should he break his promise the young man himself will become a Vampire. The despairing
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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
Page 41 and 42: lovers, asks the irate father to co
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Page 45 and 46: moment,. the angry Nilakantha appea
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Page 49 and 50: takes her to some luxurious rooms,
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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
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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
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Page 73 and 74: with remorse and grief, since her l
Page 75 and 76: Bertram becomes more jealous of him
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Page 81 and 82: 74 THE FOLKUNGS Grand Opera in Five
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Page 85 and 86: 78. MAIA Opera in Three Acts By R.
Page 87 and 88: First Produced Hamburg, 1846 Chief
Page 89 and 90: Here he sees Undine, a lovely but m
Page 91: victim; and whilst the flames leap
Page 95 and 96: 88. CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA Tragic Ope
Page 97 and 98: trick which has been played upon hi
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Page 105 and 106: Chief Characters Charlotte, Sophia,
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Page 115 and 116: 108. MUGUETTE Opera Comique in Four
Page 117 and 118: fact that he is pursued by another
Page 119 and 120: however, their trials are not over,
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Page 127 and 128: In Act 2 we are taken to Venice, wh
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Page 131 and 132: her. The disguised Prince obeys wit
Page 133 and 134: First Produced Turin, February, 189
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Page 139 and 140: 131. LA TOSCA Tragic Opera in Three
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her transitory suspicions, and next
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character, and is herself leading a
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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
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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
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disguise, however, is presently pen
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considerations of rank, wealth or a
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Leonard, who manages to slip out of
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In Act 5 the funeral procession of
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in this beautiful and charming lady
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a plan to elope with the willing El
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him. Adelia, on searching for the m
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and he bribes Sparafucile, a bravo,
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prisoner and thrust into a dungeon
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scheming Telramund, whom he defeats
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183. PARSIFAL Sacred Festival Music
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Loving One who shall crush his own
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symbol of Evil; and in revenge for
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leaping flames-to be awakened by th
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as they exultingly carry it away a
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from Brangaena, and come at once to
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match, unable to conquer her passio
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THE story is founded on an old Germ
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fearing she has been deceived. When
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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
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Mikado, The Sullivan Moloch Schilli
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Trumpeter of Säkkingen, The Nessle
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