Opera Plots I - MDC Faculty Home Pages

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 Opera 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