The Complete Opera Book The Stories of the Operas, together with 400 of the Leading Airs and Motives in Musical Notation

about to slay _Euryanthe_, who in vain protests her innocence. At that moment a huge serpent appears. _Euryanthe_ throws herself between it and _Adolar_ in order to save him. He...

Rostand's play was first produced, October, 1898, by Richard Mansfield, and repeated in subsequent seasons. In 1900 it was given in French by Bernhardt and Coquelin. The librett...

Gay the crowd that fills the square outside the arena where the bullfights are held. It cheers the first strains of music heard as the festival procession approaches, and it sho...

"Introduction to Act III." This is followed in the opera by the "Bridal Chorus," which, wherever heard--on stage or in church--falls with renewed freshness and significance upon...

Mozart agreed to hand over the finished score in time for the autumn season of 1787, for the sum of one hundred ducats ($240). Richard Strauss receives for a new opera a guarant...

disguised as a music teacher, and pretends that he has been sent by _Basilio_ to give a lesson in music, on account of the illness of the latter. He obtains the confidence of _B...

the world. Now he is in St. Petersburg at a ball given by _Prince Gremin_. There, if he sees aright, Princess Gremina, that accomplished woman of the world is "his" _Tatiana_. N...

island of Giudecca. In the right-hand corner an opened screen, behind which is a bed. Large porch at back, through which are seen the lagoon, and, in the distance, the square of...

flowing peacefully toward the sea and the innocent gambols of the _Rhinedaughters_. But "The Valkyr" opens in storm and stress. The peace and happiness of the first scene of the...

tormenting than the corporal disgrace or the laments of his companions are the reproaches in his own breast. Now the doors rattle. _Beadles_ come in to drag him to the Philistin...

suffered he intends to kill _Amelia_. Upon her plea she is allowed to embrace her son once more. He reflects that, after all, _Richard_ is much the more guilty of the two. He re...

number so familiar that detailed reference to it is scarcely necessary. The wild maidens of Walhalla coursing upon winged steeds through storm-clouds, their weapons flashing in...

character is brought out in bold relief. Hence the prelude develops what may be called three Sachs themes, two of them expressive of his twofold nature as poet and cobbler, the...

Isolde Motive, sadly prophetic of the desolation which broods over the scene to be disclosed when the curtain rises. On its third repetition it is continued in a long-drawn-out...

folding doors in the background and smaller ones on each side, above which are portraits of the _Duke_ and of the Duchess, a lady who, whether from a sense of delicacy or merely...

introduction of much beauty. Then, as in the play, with which I am supposing the reader to be at least fairly familiar, comes the brief dialogue between _Desdemona_ and _Emilia_...

punishment, the young hero has plenty of leisure to meditate on his deeds and their motives. The Band of the Good has sent _Friedhold_ to him in order that he may ask of him an...

When _Suzuki_ awakes, she persuades the poor little "wife" to go upstairs to rest, which _Butterfly_ does only upon _Suzuki's_ promise to awaken her as soon as _Pinkerton_ arriv...

in the forest primeval near a spot where the bank of the Rhine slopes toward the river. On the shore, above the stream, stands _Siegfried_. Baffled in the pursuit of game, he is...

Sword Motive, resolved into 9-8 time, the orchestra dashes into the Motive of Flight. The Sword Motive in this 9-8 rhythm closely resembles the Motive of the Valkyr's Ride, and...

which he has laid. The gods have decided that _Pamina_ shall become the wife of the noble youth _Tamino_. _Tamino_, however, must prove, by his own power, that he is worthy of a...

help of _Ariane_. She urges them to make the best use of their gifts. _Blue-Beard_ is approaching. The people are lying in wait for him. The wives watch his capture. Bound and w...

sacrifice of love. How easily she could compass the death of _Vasco_ and _Inez_! But she forgives. She persuades _Nelusko_ to provide the lovers with a ship and bids him meet he...

poised for the fatal thrust, when, through an exclamation uttered by _Orestes_, she recognizes him as her brother. The priestesses offer him obeisance as King. _Thoas_, however,...

the danseuse in a troop of acrobats. In his infatuation he allows himself to be induced to act in place of a drunken comedian. His parents and _Kezal_ surprise him while practis...

of head and beard, watches near the outskirts of the forest. One dawn finds him seated under a majestic tree. Two young _Esquires_ lie in slumber at his feet. Far off, from the...

_Don Pasquale_, who has suspected _Norina_ of having a rendezvous in the garden, rushes out of concealment with _Malatesta_. But _Ernesto_ is quick to hide, and _Norina_ pretend...

daylight. In song they mock the moon. A flash of light from the mystic mountain awakens what is like an answering gleam in the muck. They discover and drag out the body of _Iris...

with the big drum takes his position at the left angle of the theatre. _Beppe_ places benches for the spectators, who begin to assemble, while _Tonio_ beats the drum. _Silvio_ a...

Motive of the Ride of the Valkyrs accompanies the Motive of the Gods' Stress, the Compact, and the Erda motives. The introduction reaches its climax with the =Motive of the Dusk...

partly drawn. A window is shut in by inside shutters. Near the bed stands a tabouret with a bottle of water, a crystal cup, and different kinds of medicine on it. In the middle...

small inn, opens with a song in praise of porter, the "Canzone del Porter" by _Plunkett_, "Chi mi dirà?" (Will you tell me). The pièces de résistance of this act are the "M'appa...

part is an octagonal hall of gray stone. A grated door leads to a subterranean prison. Cries of a prisoner from there have disturbed Francesca. When she complains of this to the...

crossing the stage and intersected in the middle by a narrow, winding alley. There are thus two corner houses--on the right corner of the alley _Pogner's_, on the left _Sachs's_...

the second act. The curtain rises upon the exterior of the hall of the Gibichungs. To the right is the open entrance to the hall, to the left the bank of the Rhine, from which r...

however, is it that _Parsifal_ once more finds himself on the outskirts of the Grail forest. Clad from head to foot in black armour, his visor closed, the Holy Spear in his hand...

the plain near the River Scheldt, where the stream winds toward Antwerp. On an elevated seat under a huge oak sits _King Henry I._ On either side are his Saxon and Thuringian no...

she has lost _Æneas_ forever. She decides not to survive her loss. On the sea beach she orders a huge pyre erected. All the love tokens of the faithless one are fed to the flame...

factory. At the back, facing the audience, is a practicable bridge from one side of the stage to the other, and reached from the stage by a winding staircase on the right beyond...

stage, the events that transpired in Ireland before _Tristan_ was despatched thither to bring _Isolde_ as a bride to _King Marke_. The events, which led to the two meetings betw...

had intended to use _John_ only as an instrument to attain power for themselves. The German Emperor, who is moving on Münster with a large force, has promised them pardon if the...

The scene then changes back to Lammermoor, where the wedding guests still are feasting. Their revels are halted by _Raymond_, who, horror-stricken, announces to them that _Lucy_...

apartments is seen extending into the background. All are brilliantly lighted for the fête that is in progress. Courtiers and ladies are moving about in all directions. Pages ar...

A large window overlooks the palace courtyard. _Scarpia_ is seated at table supping. At intervals he breaks off to reflect. His manner is anxious. An orchestra is heard from a l...

_Colas_, now as brave as before, having been wounded in battle with the invading enemy, _Captain Gontran_ finds himself received as a severely wounded person. He loves his nurse...

of Austrian rule in Switzerland. Fittingly to celebrate the day _Gessler_ has ordered his hat to be placed on top of a pole. The Swiss are commanded to make obeisance to the hat...

nothing to add to what has been said of its action. _Ernani_ asks _Silva_ to spare him till his lips have tasted the chalice filled by love. He recounts his sad life: "Solingo,...

'Tis the night of the classic Sabbath. A band of young maidens appear, singing and dancing. _Mefistofele_, annoyed and confused, retires. _Helen_ enters with chorus, and, absorb...

second scene. _Loge_ and _Wotan_ place _Alberich_ on the ground and _Loge_ dances around the pinioned Nibelung, mockingly snapping his fingers at the prisoner. _Wotan_ joins _Lo...

_Gunther_, his sister _Gutrune_, and _Hagen_, their half-brother. _Gutrune_ is a maiden of fair mien, _Gunther_ a man of average strength and courage, _Hagen_ a sinister plotter...

Hôtel de Nesle, where the Huguenot leaders, ignorant of the massacre that has begun, are assembled, and summons them to battle. Already Coligny, their great commander, has falle...

Enter _Angelotti_. He has escaped from prison and is seeking a hiding place. Looking about, he recognizes a pillar shrine containing an image of the Virgin, and surmounting a re...

When "Lucrezia Borgia" was produced in Paris, in 1840, Victor Hugo, author of the drama upon which the libretto is based, objected. The French have long gone much further than w...

In Act III _Charlotte_ is at home alone. Her thoughts are with _Werther_ and she wonders how she could have sent him away. Suddenly _Werther_ returns and there is a passionate l...

The =Walhalla Motive= now heard is a motive of superb beauty. It greets us again and again in "Rhinegold" and frequently in the later music-dramas of the cycle. Walhalla is the...

In the music the club's motto, "Bandie xe le Done" (No Women Admitted) is repeated often enough to pass for a motif. The most melodious vocal passage is the duet for _Rosaura_ a...

men were repulsed, and he himself was captured and thrown into the dungeon tower of Aliaferia, where _Azucena_ was already enchained. The scene shows a wing of the palace of Ali...

compelled to proceed with the Princess. It is near a group of palms at the entrance to the city of Thebes that the _King_ has elected to give _Rhadames_ his triumph. Here stands...

first scene between _Isolde_ and _Brangäne_, constitutes a wonderful mood picture in music. Even Wagner's bitterest critic, Edward Hanslick, of Vienna, was forced to compare it...

his song, "Hulla, list to the Seas"), they drive off in _Tackleton's_ carriage. _John_ is told of _Dot's_ secret. Reconciliation, with the _Cricket_ chirping merrily. There is m...

_Figaro_ have come in very opportunely, has not given consent for his valet's wedding. He wishes to carry his own intrigue with _Susanna_, the genuineness of whose love for _Fig...

occupied by _Alfred_ and _Violetta_, who for him has deserted the allurements of her former life. _Alfred_ enters in sporting costume. He sings of his joy in possessing _Violett...

the very threshold of it we meet _Fafner_ in his motive, which is so clearly based on the Giant Motive that there is no necessity for quoting it. Through themes which are famili...

which, while they imitate with their hands the beating of drums, they sing their spirited "Rataplan." By contrast, the Catholic maidens, who accompany the bridal cortège of _Val...

the rising of the curtain there is complete solitude. After a few moments a smuggler appears on the summit of a rock, then two, then the whole band, descending and scrambling do...

celebrating the Feast of the Assumption. In the background is the tent of the strolling players. These players, _Canio_, _Nedda_, _Tonio_, and _Beppe_, in the costume of their c...

Half concealed in the foliage is the temple of Isis, from which issues the sound of women's voices, softly chanting. A boat approaches the shore and out of it steps _Amneris_ an...

gods, has released the hand of his bride and is hurrying on in advance of her urging her to follow. She, still not comprehending why he does not even cast a glance upon her, pro...

through the greater part of the act. It is employed as a background and as a connecting link, with the result that it imparts much exotic tone colour to the scenes. The prelude...

Nuremburg. The congregation is singing the final chorale of the service. Among the worshippers are _Eva_ and her maid, _Magdalena_. _Walther_ stands aside, and, by means of nods...

has given him the island he promised him in their travels; the most beautiful island in the world--the "Island of Dreams." In his delirium he sees _Dulcinée_. The lance falls fr...

In the inner keep of his tower, stone steps leading up to the battlemented parapet and down into a deep pit at the back, stands _Klingsor_, looking into a metal mirror, whose su...

and _Annina_, who are now in the service both of the _Baron_ and of _Octavian_, but are more prone to further the latter's plans because he pays them better, _Octavian_ has hire...

chorus of rejoicing at her approaching wedding. _Dulcamara_ brings out a piece of music, which he says is the latest thing from Venice, a barcarole for two voices. He and _Adina...

situation. In his extremity, _Lionel_ remembered about his ring and he asked _Plunkett_ to show it to the queen and plead his cause. The ring proved to have been the property of...

When the act opens, _Rudolph_ is at a table writing, and _Marcel_ is at work on a painting, "The Passage of the Red Sea." He remarks that, owing to lack of fuel for the garret s...

the knights is brilliantly illuminated and sounds of revelry issue from it, and lights shine from the kemenate, where _Elsa's_ maids-in-waiting are preparing her for the bridal...

race and the wheel turns rapidly. A slender wooden bridge, spanning the wheel, gives access from some dormer lights in the millroof to an old stone flight of steps leading down...

proscribed, seeks out _Elvira_. Her joy at seeing him again temporarily lifts the clouds from her mind, but renewed evidence of her disturbed mental state alarms her lover. He h...

_Siebel_ enters by the wicket. Stopping at one of the flower beds and about to pluck a nosegay, he sings the graceful "Faites-lui mes aveux" (Bear my avowal to her). But when he...

_Corregidor_, at least in so far as he receives a sound thrashing and becomes really humbled. In reality the miller also has not yet had his "revenge," but he is recognized and...

_Mignon_ and _Lothario_. _Mignon_ has been dangerously ill. A boating chorus is heard from the direction of a lake below. _Lothario_, standing by the door of _Mignon's_ sick-roo...

with white flowers all about her, and tapers at her head and feet. Around her, people of her country, young and old, make their moan, while from within the chapel voices of a ch...

charmingly coquettish little air for the latter (Comes a comely youth a-wooing). Then comes _Agathe's_ principal scene. She opens the window and, as the moonlight floods the roo...

spot on the road to Havre. _Des Grieux_ has been freed through the intercession of his father. _Manon_, however, with other women of her class, has been condemned to deportation...

decorated for festivities. At back, the Giant's Stairway, and the Portico della Carta, with doorway leading to the interior of the Church of St. Mark. On the left, the writing-t...

into two floors. The upper floor represents the interior of the Temple of Vulcan, resplendent with light and gold; the lower floor a subterranean hall and long rows of arcades w...

From the left enters _Archibaldo_. He is old with flowing white hair and beard, and he is blind. He is led in by his guide _Flaminio_, who is in the dress of the castle guard. A...

parchment the pompous _Sheriff_ had read the law by which all contracts for service made at the fair were binding for at least one year as soon as money had passed. Among those...

chains. To one side is the old cistern covered with rubbish. Musically the act opens with _Florestan's_ recitative and air, a fit companion piece to _Leonore's_ "Komm Hoffnung"...

table, a bench, and a stool. On the table are a lantern, a huge register book, and writing materials. Suspended on one of the walls are a crucifix and a votive lamp. Right, a tr...

Epilogue. Battlefield of Leipzig. Napoleon has been defeated. The great field is strewn with dead and dying. Among the latter, _Ricke_, still loving _Loewe_, finds him. He asks...

traditions of that house demanded a more elaborate ballet than the dance in the kermis scene afforded. Consequently the authors reached beyond the love story of _Faust_ and _Mar...

The _Count_ comes from his tent. He casts a lowering gaze at the stronghold from where his rival defies him. There is a commotion. Soldiers have captured a gypsy woman found pro...

It had been supposed that, after the invasion of Ethiopia by the Egyptians, the Ethiopians would be a long time in recovering from their defeat. But _Amonasro_, their king, has...

_Marcellina_, in which he urges her definitely to accept him and she cleverly puts him off. Left alone she expresses her regret for _Jacquino_, but wishes she were united with _...

little ones. An impulse to kill them comes over her. But motherhood triumphs over unrequited love. She will renounce her lover. _Adalgisa_ shall become the happy spouse of _Poll...

_Gennaro's_ smithy, an inn, and the little hut of _Biaso_, the scribe, among many other details. "It is the gorgeous afternoon of the festival of the Madonna, and the square swa...

_Frasquita_, _Mercedes_, and _Morales_ are with _Carmen_; also other officers, gypsies, etc. The officers are smoking. Two gypsies in a corner play the guitar and two others dan...

neither a Martha nor a Julia in the little farmhouse, while at the court of Queen Anne a certain _Lady Harriet_ and her maid _Nancy_ were congratulating themselves that, after a...

that his beloved is no more, breaks into the tomb. She, recovering from the effects of the philtre, finds him dying, plunges a dagger into her breast, and expires with him.

in which the gypsies, working at the forges, swing their hammers and bring them down on clanking metal in rhythm with the music; the chorus being followed immediately by _Azucen...

The simple fact is the _Lady Harriet_, like many others whose pleasures come so easily that they lack zest, was bored. Even the resourceful _Nancy_, a prize among maids, was at...

_King_ informs his minister that he has decided to heed the behest of the church and refrain from braving the Papal malediction. He bids _Gaspar_ send _Leonora_ to him, but, at...

_Pinkerton_ has left _Butterfly_ with the promise to return to her "when the robins nest." When the curtain rises, after an introduction, in which another Japanese theme is empl...

The act opens with a chorus. "Faust" has been given so often that this chorus probably is accepted by most people as a commonplace. In point of fact it is an admirable piece of...

shrieking _Mime_. The latter lets fall a helmet which _Alberich_ at once seizes. It is the Tarnhelmet, made of Rhinegold, the wearing of which enables the wearer to become invis...

on the left the first houses of a village. Heights in the background. Tyrolese peasants are grouped on rising ground, as if on the lookout. Their wives and daughters kneel befor...

the minuet and to sing classical airs. But in the midst of her singing she and _Sulpice_, whom the _Marquise_ also has brought to the castle, break out into the "Song of the Reg...

apartment is _Linda's_. In it she has been installed by _Charles_. The natural supposition, that it has been paid for by her virtue, is in this instance a mistake, but one, I am...

_Balthazar_, the Superior, that he desires to renounce his novitiate, because he has fallen in love, and cannot banish the woman of his affections from his thoughts. He describe...

curtain rises after an impassioned orchestral introduction which is supposed to depict _risqué_ incidents of the previous night suggested by the stage directions. These directio...

all sorts, and the Café Momus. The square is filled with a happy Christmas eve crowd. Somewhat aloof from this are _Rudolph_ and _Mimi_. _Colline_ stands near the shop of a clot...

joyfully greeted. _Charles_, who has been able to persuade his mother to permit him to wed _Linda_, has come in search of her. Incidentally he has brought solace for _Antonio_ a...

chorus for students and girls. _Lescaut_, _Geronte_, and _Manon_ arrive in a diligence. _Lescaut_ is taking his sister to a convent to complete her education, but finding her to...

harmonious picture. _Margiana_, _Bostana_, and the cadi rejoice: "He comes! he comes! oh, delightful pleasure." Of course the covetous old cadi is not thinking of young _Nureddi...

The Camorrists gather. They are men and women, all the latter of doubtful character. There is singing with dancing--the "Apache," the "Tarantella." _Stella_, _Concetta_, _Serena...

In 1882, thirty-four years after Donizetti's death, there was produced in Rome an opera by him entitled "Il Duca d'Alba" (The Duke of Alba). Scribe wrote the libretto for Rossin...

single staircase leads up to the battlements. It is afternoon. The sky is covered with changing, fleeting clouds. Trumpet blasts are heard from the valley. From the left comes _...

is longing for _Mimi_, of whom he has heard nothing, _Marcel_ for _Musetta_, who, having left him, is indulging in one of her gay intermezzos with one of her wealthy patrons. "A...

He ushers in _Wilhelm_ and _Mignon_, then withdraws. _Mignon_, pretending to fall asleep, watches _Wilhelm_ and _Filina_. While _Wilhelm_ hands to the actress various toilet acc...

garlands, endeavours to detain _Armide_, who, haunted by dark presentiment, wishes to consult with the powers of Hades. She leaves _Renaud_ to be entertained by a company of hap...

In Act IV _Chrysis_ goes to _Démétrios_ to receive the gifts and to bestow the reward. _Démétrios_, mad with passion, clasps her in his embrace. The clamour without reminds him...

In front, the deserted bank of an uninhabited island in the Fusina Lagoon. In the farthest distance, the sky and the lagoon. A few stars visible. On the right, a cloud, above wh...

apartments of the _Count di Luna_. _Ferrando_, the captain of the guard, and retainers, are reclining near the door. Armed men are standing guard in the background. It is night....

who have just arrived with the actresses _Poussette_, _Javotte_, and _Rosette_, are shouting for the innkeeper. Townspeople crowd about the entrance to the inn. They descry a co...

door, which opens into another salon. There are also side doors. On the left is a fireplace, over which is a mirror. In the centre of the apartment is a dining-table, elegantly...

_Carmela_, having cleared the table, goes into the house. _Gennaro_ starts in to warn _Maliella_. She says she will have freedom, rushes up the staircase to her room, where she...

with _Gérard_. She has bribed the _jailer_ to allow her to substitute for another woman prisoner. If she cannot live for her lover, she can, at least, die with him. Together she...

apartments of _Amneris_, the Princess adopts strategy to discover if _Aïda_ returns the passion which she suspects in _Rhadames_. Messengers have arrived from the front with new...

brief scene in which the approach of a galley with the Venetian ambassadors is announced, _Desdemona_ enters. Wholly unaware of the cause of _Othello's_ strange actions toward h...

make _Othello_ jealous of _Desdemona_, counsels _Cassio_ to induce the Moor's wife to plead for his reinstatement. _Cassio_ goes into a large garden at the back. _Iago_ sings hi...

conducted by _Lisa_. She is coquettish, he quite willing to meet her halfway in taking liberties with her. He learns from her that his identity as the lord of the castle has now...

He summons _Laura_. Nocturnal serenaders are heard singing without, as they wend their way in gondolas along the canal. _Alvise_ draws the curtains from before a doorway and poi...

_nouveau rich_ considers it a great distinction that the _Baron von Lerchenan_, a member of the old nobility, should apply for the hand of his daughter. That the _Baron_ only do...

still is filled with forebodings. She is attired for the test shooting which also will make her _Max's_ bride, if he is successful. Faith dispels her gloom. The bridesmaids ente...

eminence a church. _Antonio_ and _Madeline_ are poor villagers. _Linda_ is their daughter. She has fallen in love with an artist, _Charles_, who really is the _Viscount de Sirva...

lightly entered upon, was carrying them further than they had expected. To find themselves set down in a humble farmhouse, as they did soon after they left the fair, and to be t...

apartments. Portraits of the Silva family, surmounted by ducal coronets and coats-of-arms, are hung on the walls. Near each portrait is a complete suit of equestrian armour, cor...

water mill. In the distance mountains. As the curtain rises the villagers are making merry, for they are about to celebrate a nuptial contract between _Amina_, an orphan brought...

marriage with the _Sergeant_. But it is noticeable that she keeps putting off signing the marriage contract. _Nemorino_ awaits the effect of the elixir. To make sure of it, he b...

candles are burning low, the fire is dying out, _Catherine_ and _Lefebvre_ have a brief scene in which they deplore that they are powerless to prevent _Neipperg's_ execution. _C...

glory has come true. We learn, through a brief colloquy between _Alfonso_ and _Don Gaspar_, his minister, that the young officer has led the Spanish army to victory against the...

and priestesses; and afterwards _Rhadames_ are shown in the Temple of Vulcan at Memphis. A mysterious light descends from above. A long row of columns, one behind the other, is...

at the gate. To the left a tavern, from which, as a signboard hangs _Marcel's_ picture of the Red Sea. Several plane trees. It is February. Snow is on the ground. The hour is th...

Paris. _Des Grieux_ is writing at his desk. Discovering _Manon_ looking over his shoulder, he reads her what he has written--a letter to his father extolling her charms and aski...

she certainly expected him to kill himself for love of her. Enraged, he seizes her. She tries to stab him. He beats her without mercy. At last--and it seems about time--_Conchit...

dining-hall of the palace of _Massimelle_, the sans-culottes are lodged. _Favart_, under whose direction the castle has been stormed, is vexed at his report for which _Doris_, h...

room. No wonder _Méphistophélès_ laughed when he saw her in _Faust's_ arms. She has been betrayed and deserted. The faithful _Siebel_, however, still offers her his love--"Si la...

In this sad air _Lucy_ protests to her brother against the marriage which he has arranged for her with _Bucklaw_. _Henry_ then shows her the forged letter, which leads her to be...

a curtain, is seen the bronze foundry, the anxious _Teresa_ is assured by _Ascanio_ that her lover is safe. Soon he comes along himself, with a band of monks, to whom he describ...

_Faust_ despairs of solving the riddle of the universe. Aged, his pursuit of science vain, he seizes a flask of poison, pours it into a crystal goblet, and is about to drain it,...

Crowds of people of all conditions move in and out of the city gates. Among them appears a grey friar, an object of both reverence and dread to those near him. The aged _Dr. Fau...

The country is bare and undulating, the horizon is far distant, the sky is overcast. Night falls." Thus the libretto. The score is a long, sad duet between _Des Grieux_ and _Man...

travellers. _Lothario_, a wandering minstrel, sings, accompanying himself on his harp, "Fugitif et tremblant" (A lonely wanderer). _Filina_ and _Laertes_, on the way with their...

party, has invited friends to a banquet at his château. Among these is _Raoul de Nangis_, a Huguenot. He is accompanied by an old retainer, the Huguenot soldier, _Marcel_. In th...

his sick uncle, of whose property he takes possession after the uncle's sudden death. He has brought with him from the big city a profound satiety of all enjoyments and a deep c...

with the Druids to the sacred grove to beg of the gods to rouse the people to war and aid them to accomplish the destruction of the Romans. Scarcely have they gone than the Roma...

_de Nevers_, who has renewed his engagement with _Valentine_, is to take her in marriage. The nuptial cortège enters the building. The populace is restless, excited. Religious d...

Peasants from the suburbs have come to town for it. There is a suspicious agitation among them. _Konradin_ who is now in the service of the state has his hands full keeping orde...

the forester, at a prize shooting, a Schützenfest, maybe. _Max_, of course, should have won. Being a forester, accustomed to the use of fire-arms, it is disgraceful for him to h...

who, incidentally, is _Lucrezia's_ fourth husband, she having done away with his predecessors by poison, or other murderous means, is jealous of _Gennaro_. Like the youth himsel...

progress. The chorus sings gay measures. _Tybalt_ speaks to _Paris_ of _Juliet_, who at that moment appears with her father. _Capulet_ bids the guests welcome and to be of good...

Warwick_, is giving an audience. _Oscar_, a page, brings him the list of guests invited to a masked ball. _Richard_ is especially delighted at seeing on it the name of _Amelia_,...

Charlemagne in the Cathedral of Aix-la-Chapelle. The tomb is entered by a heavy door of bronze, upon which is carved in large characters the word "Charlemagne." Steps lead to th...

threats by the _Furies_. The scene, beginning with the chorus, "Who is this mortal?" is still considered a masterpiece of dramatic music. The _Furies_ call upon Cerberus, the tr...

adjacent to a garden, whose bright colours are seen through a pierced marble screen. A colloquy between _Francesca's_ brother _Ostasio_ and the notary _Ser Toldo Berardengo_ inf...

When the act opens _Despréaux_, the dancing master, _Gelsomino_, the valet, and _Leroy_, the ladies' tailor, are engaged in passing criticisms upon her. She enters, is as unconv...

Anabaptists. _John_, once a plain innkeeper of Leyden, has been swept along on the high tide of success and decides to have himself proclaimed Emperor. Meanwhile _Fides_ has bee...

heard of the ship of Bartholomew Diaz, the explorer. Among his officers was _Vasco da Gama_, the affianced of _Inez_, daughter of the powerful nobleman, _Don Diego_. _Vasco_ is...

in order to bid her farewell, before he goes into exile. The lingering _adieux_, the impassioned accents in which the despair of parting is expressed--these find eloquent uttera...

seems broken. The skein ravels. That is why one of the most profound works for the lyric stage, one of the most beautiful scores that has come out of Italy, is heard so rarely.

levee is taking place. This medley of laughable ceremonial and the practice of the highest refinement makes a sharp contrast with the wild ferment and discontent among the peopl...

throng of merry-making peasants. Full of longing for _Bertha_, _John_ is thinking of the morrow. The Anabaptists discover that he bears a remarkable resemblance to the picture o...

blooming garden in spring. And the most fragrant flowers in the garden are the lovely girls that play in it. Take care, _Lobetanz_; take care! Now that you have leaped over the...

young people, courtesans, philosophers, sailors, beggars, fruit-sellers. _Rhodis_ and _Myrto_ play on their flutes while _Théano_ dances. _Démétrios_ the sculptor approaches and...

assistants. He is happy in his love, for he places it even higher than fame, which alone heretofore he has courted. He must pledge his love in wine. Unfortunately the host will...

religious knightly Band of the Good. This band has set for itself the realization of the Christian idea of love for the soul. The brotherly union of all men, who shall be brough...

Through a heavy storm _Othello's_ ship is seen to be making port. Among the crowd of watchers, who exclaim upon the danger to the vessel, are _Iago_ and _Roderigo_. _Othello_ as...

in bed. _Arkel_, _Golo_, and the physician are conversing softly in the room. No; _Mélisande_ is not dying from the insignificant wound _Golo_ has given her. Perhaps her life wi...

footsteps, however, are followed by a spy. _Fedora_ learns that because of _Loris's_ act his brother has been thrown into prison and has died there. _Loris's_ mother has died of...

Nevers_, in her home. He wishes to be assured of the truth of what he has heard from the _Queen_. During their meeting footsteps are heard approaching and _Valentine_ barely has...

_Napoleon_ brusquely attacks her for her behaviour. She recalls his own humble origin, tells of her services to the army, and of the wound in the arm she received on the battlef...

receives _Valentine_, daughter of the _Count de St. Bris_. The _Queen_ knows of her rescue from the students by _Raoul_. Desiring to put an end to the differences between Huguen...

fine house. He ignores former friends and even is unkind to _Annetta_. He even berates the _Fairy_. Suddenly he is in a cavern. The _Fairy's_ head has turned into a skull. She h...

_Figaro_, who has left _Almaviva_ and come in from the street, tells her that the _Count_ is Signor Lindor, claims him as a cousin, and adds that the young man is deeply in love...

of straw, mentally wandering, and singing to herself. _Mefistofele_ and _Faust_ appear outside the grating. They converse hurriedly, and _Faust_ begs for the life of _Margaret_....

music depicts the passage from night into day. It rises to a crashing climax--the instrumentation including tamtams, cymbals, drums, and bells--while voices reiterate, "Calore!...

exacting. She laughs at the embarrassed courting of the true-hearted peasant lad, _Nemorino_; she laughs at the story of "Tristan and Isolde," and rejoices that there are now no...

_Selika_. In her native land she is a queen. Now she is a captive and a slave, her rank, of course, unknown to her captor, since she and _Nelusko_ carefully have kept it from th...

evening is sitting with his wife in their cozy room, there comes a knock at the door. It is the drunken court messenger, _Tonuelo_, who produces a warrant of arrest. _Tio Lucas_...

passage, under guard, of _Rhadames_ to the dungeon where the priests are to sit in judgment upon him. There is a duet between _Rhadames_ and this woman, who now bitterly repents...

Grandee of Spain, is desperately in love with _Rosina_, the ward of _Doctor Bartolo_. Accompanied by his servant Fiorello and a band of lutists, he serenades her with the smooth...

who have just attended religious service, are praising the sermon delivered by _Des Grieux_, who enters a little later attired in the garb of an abbé. The ladies withdraw, leavi...

Vienna, _Magdalena_ meets an evangelist in whom she recognizes _Matthias_, the friend of her youth. She herself is here caring for _Johannes_ who is ill. How has _Matthias_ beco...

Westphalia, before Münster. On a frozen lake people are skating. The people have risen against their oppressors. _John_ has been proclaimed a prophet of God. At the head of the...

castle of the Malatestas. The summit of the tower is crowned with engines of war and arms. There are heavy cross-bows, ballistas, a catapult, and other mediæval machinery of bat...

from an old tome, she is reading to her women the story of _Lancelot and Guenevere_. This episode has somewhat of the same charm as that which pervaded portions of the first act...

awakens. At first she thinks it is an awakening after death. But death brings paradise, while she is unhappy. _Osaka_, who has placed jewels beside her, comes to woo, but vainly...

_Balducci's_ daughter _Teresa_, however, thinks quite otherwise and is happy. For she has found a note from _Cellini_ in a bouquet that was thrown in to her from the street by a...

Garden of the Palace of Nevers. _Euryanthe_ sings of her longing for _Adolar_. _Eglantine_, the daughter of a rebellious subject who, made a prisoner, has, on _Euryanthe's_ plea...

apartment, and the balcony, upon which it gives. _Romeo's_ page, _Stephano_, a character introduced by the librettists, holds a ladder by which _Romeo_ ascends to the balcony. _...

Holland, peasants and mill hands are assembled. _Bertha_ and _Fides_ draw near. The latter is bringing to _Bertha_ a betrothal ring from her son _John_, who is to marry her on t...

must he be and so slip with hurrahs into the infernal abode." And they lead you to the gallows and tell you your sentence. And the _King_ and the people, the envious singers and...

Cromwell. _Lord Walton's_ daughter, _Elvira_, is in love with _Lord Arthur Talbot_, a cavalier and adherent of the Stuarts, but her father has promised her hand to _Sir Richard...

_Suzel's_ marriage has been decided on. _Fritz_ loses his temper; says he will forbid the bans. _Suzel_, pale and sad, comes in with a basket of fruit. When her wedding is menti...

forcing the Israelites to work. When the curtain is raised we see in the background the temple of Dagon, god of the Philistines. With the lamentations of the Jews is mixed the b...

awakens him. _Hector's Ghost_ appears to him. Troy is lost; far away, to Italy, must _Æneas_ go, there to found a new kingdom. The _Ghost_ disappears. The priest, _Pantheus_, ru...

coward. That is shown as it now behooves him to defend _Baron von Schönau's_ castle against the revolted peasants. The knights there would have been lost had not relief suddenly...

pass by without seeing each other. The miller comes to his mill. (Change of scene.) Everything is open. In the dust lies the appointment of the nephew; before the fire hang the...

member of the Royal Council, who is with the expedition, has become suspicious of _Nelusko_. Two ships of the squadron have already been lost. _Don Alvar_ fears for the safety o...

which Napoleon is undertaking against Russia in 1812, so many of the young men must take the field. Among the hardest hit are _Thérèse_ and _Christine_, the first a bride, the o...

which _Tell's_ house is situated. It is the day of the Shepherd Festival. According to ancient custom the grey-haired _Melcthal_ blesses the loving couples among them. But his o...

_Onegin_ goes there on _Lenski's_ invitation. The stupid company with their narrow views about him vex him so much that he seeks to revenge himself on _Lenski_ for it, for which...

the name of _Henry_; _Margaret_, _Mefistofele_, and _Martha_ stroll here and there in couples, chatting and love-making. Thence _Mefistofele_ takes _Faust_ to the heights of the...

teacher, do not correspond to the peaceful spectacle of the monastery of the Benedictine Abbey of St. Othmar. He is filled with a savage jealousy of his own brother, _Matthias_,...

praises his excellences so loudly? At any rate not with those of a young woman. Can _Kruschina's Marie_ love this stutterer and coxcomb? Never! Fortunately for her, he does not...

acknowledgment nevertheless would be very beautiful. But the old aunt is always at hand especially at the music lessons which _Werner_ gives to the young woman. A real piece of...

gloomy forebodings. Even her sprightly relative, _Aennchen_, is unable to cheer her up. At last _Max_, whom she has been awaiting, comes. Very soon, however, he says he is oblig...

the asylum of the young women consecrated to God in which _Sulamith_ has found rest from the deceitful world. _Assad_ staggers hither; a weary, banished man. And again the _Quee...

the thought of love as presented by him, will make use of the occasion to win the _Duke's_ heart for peace. The _Duke_, whose _clown_ has just irritated him, in a rage interrupt...

almost blind _King Arkel_ a letter which _Golo_ has written to his half-brother _Pelléas_. From this letter we learn that _Golo_ has already been married six months to the myste...

soldiers have been forbidden to sing their native songs especially the Kuhreigen or "Ranz des Vaches," because songs of their native land always awakened homesickness and had le...

_Blue-Beard_, is warned by voices of the crowd outside that _Blue-Beard_ has already murdered five wives. _Ariane_ has seven keys--six of silver and one of gold. When _Ariane_,...

beautiful wife, _Frasquita_. Her love is so true that jealousy, to which he is inclined, cannot thrive. Jealous? Yes, he has a bump of jealousy. True, the _Corregidor_, who eage...

to pluck the magic herb. _Richard_ arrives to protect her. _Amelia_ is unable to conceal her love for him. But who comes there? It is _Reinhart_. Concern for his master has call...

thanks _Renaud_ for his rescue. _Renaud_ has been banished from Godfrey's camp for the misdeed of another, whom he will not betray. _Artemidore_ warns him to beware the blandish...

_Guillot_, _Lescaut_, _Poussette_, _Javotte_, and _Rosette_ are of the company. Later _Manon_ and _Des Grieux_ come in. _Manon_, who has run through her lover's money, counsels...

church. _Marie_, daughter of the rich peasant _Kruschina_, is not happy for she must today accept a suitor picked out for her by her parents and she only loves _Hans_ although s...

very little of such youthful illnesses. _Margiana_ calls the invalid in a dream. _Margiana_ is the medicine that can cure him, _Margiana_, the marvellously glorious daughter of...

the reception of the _Queen of Sheba_. But nobody is more delighted than _Sulamith_, the daughter of the High Priest. _Assad_, who had gone to meet the foreign queen, returns. H...

meet. This evening he must see her. She promises to go in the park to the old fountain where she formerly lost the ring. It will be their last meeting. Yet _Mélisande_ does not...

that the savage Numidian King, Jarbas, has asked for her hand, but she has decided to live only for the memory of her dead husband. Today, however, shall be devoted to festive g...

Yes, her victim. She had never loved the enemy of her country. She hates him since he left her. And so the exhortation of the high priest to revenge is not needed. _Samson_ has...

popular fête. Stalls of traders are among the trees. There is a pavilion for dancing. After some lively preliminary episodes between the three actresses and _Guillot_, _De Bréti...

_Mélisande_ is standing combing her hair that she has let down. Then _Pelléas_ comes along the road that winds around under her window. _Pelléas_ is coming to say farewell. Earl...

the depths of the blackness on which the seventh door opened. There she finds the five wives still alive but emaciated and in rags. She tells them that she has obeyed a higher l...

ring. At the same hour that it fell in the fountain _Golo's_ horse shied while hunting so that he was hurt and now lies wounded in bed. _Mélisande_ is taking care of him. She te...

are praising the beauty of _Armide_. But she is depressed at her failure to vanquish the intrepid knight, _Renaud_, although all others have been vanquished by her. _Hidraot_, e...

her is consumed with longing for him. He comes and happy love unites them. Then the scene changes and shows the interior of the Temple. The wedding of _Assad_ and _Sulamith_ is...

uses all her arts of fascination in hope of securing proof of his guilt. He falls desperately in love with her, and she succeeds in drawing from him a confession of the murder....

feeling of disaster in the air. Only little _Yniold_ does not suffer this gripping burden. It is already growing dark when _Mélisande_ goes to _Pelléas_. And yet in their farewe...

The scene then changes to a square in the village. Here _Dr. Dulcamara_ makes his entry, singing his buffo air, "Udite, udite, o rustici" (Give ear, now, ye rustic ones). There...

in order to frighten _Ubalde_ and a _Danish Knight_, who have come in quest of _Renaud_. _Ubalde_ carries a magic shield and sceptre, to counteract the enchantments of _Armide_,...

sought _Romeo_, and thinking he still may be in concealment in _Capulet's_ garden, sings a ditty likely to rouse the temper of the Capulet household, and bring its retainers int...

cigar girls, recognizes _Mateo_, a wealthy Spaniard, who rescued her from the forced attentions of a policeman. She invites _Mateo_ to her home. The girl's mother, delighted tha...

_Azucena_ is seated near the fire. _Manrico_, enveloped in his mantle, is lying upon a mattress; his helmet is at his feet; in his hand he holds a sword, which he regards fixedl...

palace. Tropical landscape. Among those saved from the massacre is _Vasco_. He finds himself in the land which he has sought to discover--a tropical paradise. He is threatened w...

their princes at their head, are celebrating the return of peace. _Andromache_, however, sees no happiness for herself, since _Hector_ has fallen. Suddenly _Æneas_ hurries in wi...

offended the Revolutionists by denouncing Robespierre. A spy is watching _Bersi_, _Madeleine's_ old nurse, and sees her hand _Chénier_ a letter. It is from _Madeleine_. She love...

_Eglantine_ emerges from the tomb with the ring and reveals to him its secret. In the royal palace, before a brilliant assembly, _Lysiart_ claims to have won his wager, and, in...

_Norina's_, where she is reading a romance. She is singing "Quel guardo" (Glances so soft) and "So anch'io la virtù magica" (I, too, thy magic virtues know) in which she appears...

of the victor, _Æneas_. _Dido_ loves _Æneas_, who tells her of Andromache, and how, in spite of her grief over _Hector_, she has laid aside her mourning and given her hand to an...

dances. _Mateo_, who finds her after a long search, is astounded. He begs her to go away with him. She refuses, and executes a most daring dance for a group of visitors. _Mateo_...

Greek maidens, _Iphigénie_ tells of her dream that misfortune has come to her family in the distant country of her birth. _Thoas_, entering, calls for a human sacrifice to ward...

revolutionist, is secretly in love with _Madeleine_, the _Countess's_ daughter. Among the guests at a ball is _André Chénier_, a poet with revolutionary tendencies. _Madeleine_...

Grieux_ and _Lescaut_ attempt to free _Manon_ from imprisonment, but are foiled. There is much hubbub. Then the roll is called of the women, who are to be transported. As they s...

Opera in five acts. Music by Berlioz. Words by the composer. Produced, Paris, November 4, 1863, when it failed completely. Revived, 1890, in Karlsruhe, under the direction of Fe...

of his undying friendship for him. _Pylades_ is separated from _Orestes_, who temporarily loses his mind. _Iphigénie_ questions him. _Orestes_, under her influence, becomes calm...

singer, are in sore straits. _Don Asdrubale_, their landlord, who is a miser, is about to put them out for non-payment of rent, but hints that if _Annetta_ will respond to his s...

himself by saying that it was all only childishness. Jealousy devours his heart. So now he seeks with hypocritical calm his little son _Yniold_, offspring of his first marriage,...

The people of Troy, rejoicing at what they believe to be the raising of the siege, are bustling about the camp. Many of them, however, are standing amazed about a gigantic woode...

of _Romeo_ and _Juliet_, the good friar hoping that their union may lead to peace between the two great Veronese houses of Montague and Capulet. There are in this part of the ac...

make of him, that he shall release _Assad_. Why? He is nothing to her but she wants to see whether the king has regard for his guest. And _Solomon_ refuses the request of the de...

_Æneas_. But _Dido's_ faithful Minister knows that, although _Æneas_ is a kingly lover, it is the will of the gods that the Trojan proceed to Italy; and that to defy the gods is...

passed. _Loewe_, his aged mother, and _Ricke_ and _Jane_ have found refuge here from the victorious troops of Napoleon. _Worms_ is thought to be dead. _Loewe_ is to be married t...

following a wild boar and come to a place unknown to him. There he sees a woman sitting by a spring. She acts like a figure in a fairy tale and behaves like a person stranger to...

conquest of her heart by _Renaud_. _Phenice_ and _Sidonie_ come to her and urge her to abandon herself to love. They assure her that _Renaud_ cannot fail to be enchanted by her...

is the scene of the mock marriage, of _Norina's_ assumed display of temper and extravagance, _Don Pasquale's_ distraction, _Ernesto's_ amazement and enlightenment, and _Malatest...

_Chénier_ has been captured. _Gérard_ writes the indictment for his rival. _Madeleine_ pleads for her lover, finally promising to give herself to _Gérard_ if _Chénier_ is spared...

brought to life what was asleep deep within you. Now you may dream of what will be. And see, she comes to you, the sick _Princess_, to be restored to health by you. And she sits...

The villagers are proceeding to the castle to beg _Rodolpho_ to intercede with _Elvino_ for _Amina_. _Elvino_ meets _Amina_. Still enraged at what he considers her perfidy, he s...

_Cricket_, the guiding spirit of the house, _Dot_ confides her secret. She hopes soon to have a child. _May_, a pretty young girl, a toymaker, is to be married the next day to _...

her brother and, in order to save him from the sacrifice demanded by _Thoas_, charges him to deliver a letter to Electra. He declines to leave _Pylades_; nor until _Orestes_ aff...

praise in song. Into the midst of the throng ride _Don Quichotte_ and his comical companion, _Sancho_. Night and moonlight. _Don Quichotte_ serenades _Dulcinée_, arousing the je...

Opera in three acts, by Berlioz. Words by the composer, based upon a scenario furnished by Liszt's friend, the Princess Caroline Sayn-Wittgenstein. Produced, November 6, 1890, i...

_Golo_ by telling him that the ring has slipped from her hand into the sea. So _Pelléas_ must now lead her to this grotto in order that she may know at least the place in which...

_Mélisande's_ distress at the gloominess of the world into which she has wandered. _Pelléas_ too is there. He would like to go to see a distant friend who is ill but fate holds...

receives felicitations on his fortieth birthday. He invites his friends to dine with him. Among the guests is _Suzel_, his tenant's daughter, who presents him with a nosegay, an...

leads _Pelléas_ into these underground rooms where the breeze of death blows. Seized with shuddering they go out. On the terrace at the entrance to the vault _Golo_ in earnest w...

instead of admitting him, when he pleads his love, she turns and calls, as if to someone within, "Morenito!"--the name of a man he saw her dancing with at the dance hall. _Mateo...

have arrived at this thickly shaded spot. Is _Mélisande_ a Melusine-like creature? Water attracts her wonderfully. She bends over her reflection. Because she cannot reach it, sh...

makes _Tackleton_ jealous of the stranger, _Edward_, who, seeing that _May_ is only marrying _Tackleton_ because his wealth will save her old foster-father from want, reveals hi...

duty. They have determined to seek the land of their destiny without him. Finally _Æneas_ awakes from his infatuation and, when the voices of his illustrious dead remind him of...

pledge their love. _Arnold_ learns from _Tell_ and _Walter_ that his father has been slain by _Gessler's_ order. His thoughts turn to vengeance. The three men bind themselves by...

Quichotte_ and _Sancho_ put in their appearance. _Dulcinée_, overjoyed at the return of the necklace, embraces the Knight. He entreats her to marry him at once. Touched by his d...

chiefly with the exhibition of _Elvira's_ madness. But it has also the famous martial duet, "Suoni la tromba" (Sound the trumpet), in which _Sir George_ and _Sir Richard_ announ...

retreats. The Knight is captured. He expects to be put to death. But his courage, his grave courtesy, and his love for his _Dulcinée_, deeply impress the bandits. They free him...

mounts a ladder in the garden, picks cherries, and throws them down to _Fritz_, who is charmed. When _Rabbi David_ appears and tells him that he has found a suitable husband for...

_Princess Fedora_ awaits the coming of her betrothed, _Count Vladimir_, he is brought in, by _De Siriex_, mortally wounded. Suspicion for the murder falls upon _Count Loris_. _F...