some lady, it matters not whom. In the dénouement it is revealed that a
Ruddygore baron can only die through refusing to commit the daily crime,
but that such a refusal is tantamount to suicide. Hence none of the
ancestors ought to have died at all, and they come back to life greatly
to the delight of the professional bridesmaids, and Rose and Robin are at
last united.

The principal numbers in the first act are the weird legend, "Sir Rupert
Murgatroyd, his Leisure and his Riches," sung by Hannah; Richard's breezy
sea song, "I shipped, d' ye see, in a Revenue Sloop"; the very tuneful
chorus of the bridesmaids, "Hail the Bridegroom, hail the Bride"; Mad
Margaret's whimsical song, "Cheerily carols the Lark"; the melodious
chorus of the bucks and blades, "When thoroughly tired of being admired";
Sir Despard's song, with its alternating choral refrains, "Oh, why am I
moody and sad"; the madrigal, "Where the Buds are blossoming," written in
the early English style, and supported by the chorus; and the charming
gavotte leading to the finale, which contains some admirable duet and
trio numbers. The leading numbers of the second act are the opening duet
for Robin and Adam, "I once was as meek as a New-born Lamb," with a most
melodramatic "Ha ha," followed by another charming duet for Richard and
Rose, with choral refrain, "Happily coupled are we"; the weird song of
Sir Roderic, "When the Night Wind howls in the Chimney Cowls," which is
finely artistic in construction; the patter trio for Robin, Despard, and
Margaret, "My Eyes are fully open to my Awful Situation"; Hannah's pretty
ballad, "There grew a Little Flower"; and the brilliant finale, beginning
with Robin's number, "Having been a Wicked Baronet a Week."

        The Yeoman of the Guard; or, The Merry Man and his Maid.

  [Comic opera, in two acts; text by Gilbert. First produced at the Savoy
  Theatre, October 3, 1888.]

                              PERSONAGES.

    Sir Richard Cholmondeley, lieutenant of the Tower.
    Col. Fairfax, under sentence of death.
    Sergt. Meryll, of the Yeomen of the Guard.
    Leonard Meryll, his son.
    Jack Point, a strolling jester.
    Wilfred Shadbolt, head jailer of the Tower.
    Headsman.
    Elsie Maynard, a strolling singer.
    Phoebe Meryll, Sergt. Meryll's daughter.
    Dame Carruthers, housekeeper to the Tower.
    Kate, her niece.

  [Yeomen of the guard, gentlemen, citizens, etc.]

  The scene is laid at Tower Green, London; time, the sixteenth century.

Although "The Yeomen of the Guard" has not enjoyed the popularity of some
others of Sullivan's works, the composer himself believed it to be the
best of his operas. The music is in some numbers a parody of the old
English; the story is melodramatic. Colonel Fairfax has been sentenced to
death for sorcery. As he has twice saved the life of Sergeant Meryll in
battle, the latter and his daughter, Phoebe, are anxious to save him
also. The chance comes when the brother of Phoebe, who has been appointed
a yeoman of the Guard, is induced to let Fairfax take his place in the
ranks. The latter is brought in to the lieutenant of the Tower and
declares his readiness to die, but asks, as he has been condemned for
sorcery through the machinations of one of his kinsmen who will succeed
to the estate in case he dies unmarried, that he will find him some one
whom he can marry at once. Elsie Maynard, a strolling singer, happens
along with Jack Point, a jester, and she agrees for a money consideration
to be married blindfolded to Fairfax, provided she can leave immediately
after the ceremony. She marries him, and then the question arises how to
get the yeoman suit to Fairfax in his cell and let him escape, as the
keys are in the possession of Wilfred, the head jailer, who is in love
with Phoebe. The problem is solved by Phoebe, who steals the keys,
releases Fairfax, and returns them before Wilfred discovers their
absence. The executioner comes forward, and the first act closes as he is
waiting for his victim.

The second act discloses the civilians and Dame Carruthers denouncing the
warders for permitting their prisoner to escape. Point arranges with
Wilfred that if he will discharge his arquebus and state that he has
killed Fairfax he shall be a jester. When the shot is heard, Wilfred and
Point notify the governor that Fairfax is dead. Dame Carruthers enters
and informs Meryll that from what she has heard Elsie mutter in her sleep
she is sure Fairfax is the man she married. Fairfax, in order to test
her, makes love to Elsie in Point's interests, but ends by falling in
love with her himself. In the dénouement, Leonard, son of Sergeant
Meryll, arrives with a pardon which had been kept back by Fairfax's
kinsmen. Now that he is free, Fairfax claims Elsie, Phoebe consents to
marry Wilfred, and the sergeant surrenders to Dame Carruthers.

The music is in humorous imitation of the antique, in which kind of work
Sullivan is always happy. The choruses are interesting, especially the
opening double one, "Tower Warders under Orders," which is swinging and
tuneful. The principal numbers in the first act are Dame Carruthers' song
with chorus, "When our Gallant Norman Foes"; Fairfax's sentimental song,
"Is Life a Boon"; the irresistibly funny chorus, both in music and words,
"Here's a Man of Jollity, jibe, joke, jollify; give us of your Quality,
come, Fool, follify"; the extremely melodramatic duet for Elsie and
Point, "I have a Song to sing"; Point's recitative and song, "I've Jest
and Joke"; Elsie's pretty ballad, "'Tis done! I am a Bride"; Phoebe's
graceful song, "Were I thy Bride"; and the trio in the finale, "To thy
Fraternal Care." The leading numbers of the second act are Point's
rollicking song, "Oh! a Private Buffoon is a Light-hearted Loon";
Fairfax's ballad, "Free from his Fetters Grim"; the quartette, "Strange
Adventure! Maiden wedded"; the trio, "If he's made the Best Use of his
Time," and the quartette, "When a Wooer goes a-wooing," which leads
through a melodramatic ensemble to the finale,

  "Heighdy! heighdy!
  Misery me, lackadaydee!
  He sipped no sup and he craved no crumb,
  As he sighed for the love of a ladyee."

               The Gondoliers; or, The King of Barataria.

  [Comic opera, in two acts; text by Gilbert. First produced at the Savoy
  Theatre, London, December 7, 1889.]

                              PERSONAGES.

    Duke of Plaza-Toro, a grandee of Spain.
    Luiz, his attendant.
    Don Alhambra del Bolero, the Grand Inquisitor.
    Duchess of Plaza-Toro.
    Casilda, her daughter.

  [Gondoliers, contadine, men-at-arms, heralds, and pages.]

  The scene is laid in Venice; time, the year 1750.

"The Gondoliers" will always bring a feeling of regret to the admirers of
the Gilbert and Sullivan operas, as it was their last joint production.
It was during its run at the London theatre that their partnership was
dissolved after the extraordinary collaboration of twenty-three years.
Both were at their best in their Swan Song. "The Gondoliers" is not so
much melodrama or pleasant satire as it is genuine comedy. Among all the
Gilbert books which he furnished the composer, none is more delightful or
more full of his rollicking humor than this. The story opens in Venice.
The contadine are weaving garlands for the two favorite gondoliers, Marco
and Giuseppe, who, as they have no preference, make their choice
blindfolded, and secure Tessa and Gianetta for their brides. As all gayly
dance off, a gondola arrives with the Spanish Duke of Plaza-Toro, the
Duchess, their daughter Casilda, and Luiz, their attendant. While waiting
for an audience with the Grand Inquisitor, the Duke tells Casilda the
object of their visit. When she was an infant she was married by proxy to
the infant son of the King of Barataria. When the latter abandoned the
creed of his fathers and became a Methodist, the Inquisitor had the young
husband stolen and taken to Venice. Now that the King is dead, they have
come to find the husband, and proclaim Casilda queen. During the audience
the Inquisitor announces that the husband is a gondolier, and that the
person who brought him up had "such a terrible taste for tippling" that
he was never certain which child had been intrusted to him, his own or
the other. The nurse, however, who is Luiz's mother, would know, and he
would induce her to tell in the torture chamber. Shortly afterwards the
Inquisitor meets the newly wedded gondoliers, Marco and Giuseppe, and
decides that one or the other of them is the new King, but as he cannot
tell which, he arranges that both of them shall rule until the nurse can
be found and made to settle the matter. Thereupon they bid their wives
good-by, and sail away for Barataria.

The second act discloses the two Kings upon the thrones. While they are
cleaning the crown and sceptre, and their friends, the gondoliers, are
playing cards, contadine arrive with Tessa and Gianetta. The delighted
Kings give them a grand banquet and ball, but the dance is interrupted by
the Inquisitor, who informs them that the ducal party will shortly
arrive, and that Casilda will claim one of them for her husband. When
Tessa and Gianetta realize that neither of them can be Queen, they begin
to weep, but are somewhat comforted when the Inquisitor assures them they
will not be kept long in suspense as the foster-mother is in the torture
chamber. In the dénouement she confesses that the late King intrusted the
Prince to her, and when traitors came to steal him she substituted her
own son and kept the Prince in hiding, and that Luiz is the real Prince.
Thereupon Luiz ascends the throne with Casilda as his queen, and Marco
and Guiseppe sail joyfully back to Venice with Tessa and Gianetta.

The music is of Sullivan's best. He has reproduced in the score the old
Italian forms, employs the legitimate modern ballad and song styles, and
introduces also the "patter" songs and the "chant" songs which are so
common in his other operas. Besides this, he has given strong local color
with fandangoes, boleros, cachucas, and other dance rhythms. The best
numbers are the ensemble for Marco and Giuseppe, "We're called
Gondolieri"; the pompous song of the Duke, "In Enterprise of Martial
Kind"; the serious duet for Casilda and Luiz, "There was a Time"; the
Inquisitor's song, "I stab the Prince"; Tessa's beautiful song, "When a
Merry Maiden marries"; the frolicsome quartette, "Then one of us will be
a Queen"; the song of Marco with chorus, "For every one who feels
inclined"; the characteristic song of Giuseppe, "Rising early in the
Morning"; the gay and fascinating ensemble, "We will dance a Cachuca,"
with the brilliant dance music that follows it; the song of the
Inquisitor, "There lived a King"; the ensemble, "In a Contemplative
Fashion," a quiet movement with alternating comments by chorus, reaching
a crescendo and then returning to the original movement, one of the most
effective numbers in the opera; the Duchess' song, "On the Day when I was
Wedded"; and the quintette in the finale, "I am a Courtier Grave and
Serious."

                           SUPPÉ, FRANZ VON.

                               Fatinitza.

  [Opéra comique, in three acts; text by Zell and Genée. First produced
  in Vienna, January 5, 1876.]

                              PERSONAGES.

    Count Timofey Gavrilovich Kantschakoff, Russian General.
    Princess Lydia Imanovna, his niece.
    Izzet Pasha, governor of Rustchuk fortress.
    Capt. Vasil Staravieff.
    Lieut. Ossipp Safonoff.
    Steipann, a sergeant.
    Vladimir Samoiloff, lieutenant of cavalry.
    Julian, special war correspondent.
    Hassan Bey, leader of Bashi-Bazouks.
    Mustapha, guardian of the harem.
    Vuika, a Bulgarian.
    Hanna, his wife.

  [Soldiers, Bashi-Bazouks, Cossacks, slaves, moujiks, etc.]

  The scene is laid at Rustchuk and near Odessa; time, the last century.

Franz Von Suppé has been styled the German Offenbach, though the styles
of the two composers differ widely. His operas are more purely comic
operas, or operettas, than burlesques. He made his first success with an
operetta, "Das Mädchen vom Lande" ("The Country Girl"), produced in
Vienna in 1847, and his next work, a musical comedy called "Paragraph 3,"
made him known all over Germany. His entire list of light operas, musical
farces, and vaudevilles includes over one hundred and sixty titles, but
of these only two or three are well known in this country. "Fatinitza" is
the best known, and is universally popular.

The story is an interesting one. Vladimir Samoiloff, a young lieutenant
in the Russian army, while masquerading in girl's costume under the name
of Fatinitza, encounters a Russian general, Count Timofey Kantschakoff,
who falls desperately in love with him. He manages to escape from him,
and subsequently meets the General's niece, the Princess Lydia, whom he
knows only as Lydia, and the two fall in love. Hearing of the attachment,
the General transfers the young officer to the Russian outposts. The
first act opens in camp at Rustchuk. Julian, a war correspondent, has
just been brought in as a spy, but is recognized by Vladimir as an old
friend. They plan private theatricals, in which Vladimir takes a female
part. The General unexpectedly appears at the play, and recognizes
Vladimir as his Fatinitza. When the opportunity presents itself, he
resumes his love-making, but it is interrupted by the arrival of Lydia,
whose noble rank Vladimir learns for the first time. Any danger of
recognition, however, is averted by the correspondent, who tells Lydia
that Fatinitza is Vladimir's sister. The doting old General commends
Fatinitza to the Princess, and goes off to inspect his troops. In his
absence some Bashi-Bazouks surprise the camp and capture Lydia, Vladimir,
and Julian, leaving the latter behind to arrange a ransom.

The second act opens in the harem of Izzet Pasha, governor of the Turkish
fortress. Vladimir, in his female attire, and Lydia are brought in as
captives, and the Pasha announces to his four wives that Lydia will be
the fifth. Julian then arrives with the Russian sergeant, Steipann, to
arrange for the release of his friends. The Pasha offers to give up
Fatinitza, but declares he will retain Lydia. Steipann returns to the
General with the Pasha's terms, carrying also a secret message from
Julian, who has discovered how the Russians may capture the Turks. Julian
remains with the Pasha, who gives him many entertainments, among them a
shadow pantomime, during which the General and his soldiers rush in and
rescue their friends.

The third act opens in the General's summer palace at Odessa. He has
promised his niece to an old and crippled friend of his, but Julian once
more straightens out matters by convincing the General that the real
Fatinitza has died of grief because she was separated from him. Thereupon
he consents to his niece's union with Fatinitza's brother, Vladimir.

The principal numbers of the first act are Vladimir's romance, in the
sentimental vein, "Lost is the Dream that bound me"; the reporter's
(Julian) jolly descriptive song, "With my Notebook in my Hand"; the
pompously martial entrance song of General Kantschakoff, "Thunder!
Lightning! who goes there?" which forcibly recalls General Boum's "Pif,
paf, pouf" song in Offenbach's "Grand Duchess"; Lydia's sleighing-song,
"When the Snow a Veil is flinging"; and the quartette in the next scene,
"Not a Look shall tell," in the mock Italian style. The second act opens
with the characteristic toilet chorus in the harem, "Washing, dressing,
brushing, combing." The remaining most striking numbers are Izzet's song
and dance, "I pine but for Progress"; the pretty duet for Vladimir and
Lydia, "New Doubts, New Fears"; the effective sextette, "'Tis well; then
learn that this young Russian"; the brilliant kismet duet for Izzet and
Julian, "We are simply what Fortune pleases"; the sextette in the finale,
"Silver Tinklings, ringing brightly," known as the Bell Sextette; and the
characteristic music to the Karagois, or Turkish shadow pantomime, which
forms a second finale. The leading numbers of the last act are Lydia's
bell song, "Chime, ye Bells," accompanied by the ringing of bells on the
stage, and distant shots; the trio for Lydia, Vladimir, and Julian,
"Again, Love, we meet," which is one of the most effective bits in the
opera; and the brilliant closing chorus, "Joy, Joy, Joy, to the Bride."

                               Boccaccio.

  [Opéra comique, in three acts; text by Zell and Genée. First produced
  at the Carl Theatre, Vienna, February 1, 1879.]

                              PERSONAGES.

    Boccaccio, novelist and poet.
    Leonetto, his friend and student.
    Pietro, Prince of Palermo.
    Lutteringhi, a cooper.
    Lambertuccio, a grocer.
    Scalza, a barber.
    Fratelli, a bookseller.
    Checco, a beggar.
    Fresco, the cooper's apprentice.
    Fiametta, Lambertuccio's adopted daughter.
    Beatrice, Scalza's daughter.
    Isabella, Lutteringhi's wife.
    Peronella, Lambertuccio's sister.
    Filippa.
    Oretta.

  [Beggars, students, citizens, coopers, courtiers, etc.]

  The scene is laid in Florence; time, near the close of the fourteenth
  century.

Suppé is fond of introducing real characters among the personages of his
operas, and in this one, which has become such a favorite, sharing
equally in popularity with "Fatinitza," we find Boccaccio of the
"Decameron," and the Fiametta whom he has immortalized in it (the
Princess Maria of Naples, with whom he fell violently in love)
masquerading as the adopted daughter of Lambertuccio, the grocer. In the
opera he is rewarded with her hand in the finale. In reality, Maria, the
Fiametta of the "Decameron," was already the wife of another when
Boccaccio was enamoured of her. She died long before her lover, but her
memory was cherished by him, as in the case of Beatrice and Dante, and to
her we owe undoubtedly the collection of tales in the "Decameron" which
furnished such abundant material to subsequent poets, story-tellers, and
dramatists.

The story of the opera is a simple one. Pietro, the Prince of Palermo, is
to be married to Fiametta in accordance with the wishes of his father,
and goes to Florence for that purpose. The Duke, her father, for reasons
of his own, has had her reared as the adopted daughter of Lambertuccio, a
grocer, who was not aware of her royal birth and intends that she shall
marry Pietro, to whom she was betrothed in infancy. On his way to
Florence Pietro falls in with a madcap lot of students, whose leader is
Boccaccio, and he joins them in many of their pranks. Boccaccio himself
has incurred the anger of the Florentine men for having ridiculed them in
his stories, and he too is in love with Fiametta. Pietro among his other
adventures has made love to a married woman whom the students induced him
to believe was the niece instead of the wife of Lutteringhi, the cooper.
He has the misfortune before presenting himself to the Duke and Fiametta
to be mistaken for Boccaccio and to receive a sound beating. In the
dénouement, when he is about to be united to Fiametta for reasons of
state, Boccaccio, knowing that he is loved by her, arranges a play in
which the misdeeds of Pietro are set forth in such strong light that she
refuses the latter and gives her hand to the poet.

The most popular numbers in the opera are the serenade to Beatrice,
"Lovely Charmer, hear these Sounds"; Boccaccio's song with chorus, "I see
a Gay Young Fellow standing nigh"; the charming duet for Fiametta and
Peronetta, "Listen to the Bells' Sweet Chime"; Fiametta's romanza, "If I
have but Affection"; the duet for Boccaccio and Fiametta, "A Poor Blind
Man implores your Aid"; Leonetto's song, opening the second act, "The
Girl of my Heart's a Treasure"; the cooper's rollicking song, "My Wife
has a Scolding Tongue"; the coquette song by Isabella, "Young Maidens
must beware"; the "cretin" song by Boccaccio, "When they ask me for the
News"; the graceful waltz song by Fiametta, "Blissful Tidings,
reassuring"; the rollicking drinking-song of Pietro, "See the Goblet
flash and sparkle"; the duet for Boccaccio and Fiametta, "Mia bella
fiorentina," in the Italian style; and the sextette, "Ye Foolish Men,"
which leads up to the finale of the last act.

                         The Beautiful Galatea.

  [Opéra comique, in two acts; text by Zell and Genée. First produced in
  Vienna, 1865.]

                              PERSONAGES.

    Galatea, the statue.
    Ganymede, Greek boy.
    Pygmalion, sculptor.
    Midas, art patron.

  [Chorus of Grecians.]

  The scene is laid in Greece; time, mythological.

The opera of "Die Schöne Galatea" ("The Beautiful Galatea"), though of
slight construction, is one of Suppé's most melodious works, while the
story is a clever setting of the familiar mythological romance in a
somewhat modern frame, in which respect it resembles the stories of Helen
of Troy and Orpheus and Eurydice, which Offenbach so cleverly travestied.
The first act opens with a graceful chorus of Grecians on their way to
worship at the temple of Venus, at dawn ("Aurora is awaking in Heaven
above"). Ganymede, Pygmalion's servant, declines to go with them,
preferring to sleep, and bids them good-by with a lullaby ("With Violets,
with Roses, let the Temple be decked"). His master, Pygmalion, who has
finished a statue of Galatea, his ideal, also goes to the temple, and
Ganymede decides to take a nap. His slumbers are interrupted, however, by
Midas, a professional art patron, who has heard of the statue and informs
Ganymede that he is ready to buy it, but first wishes to see it. The
servant declares it is impossible, as his master is in love with it.
Midas makes a further appeal to him in a long descriptive arietta ("My
Dear Father Gordias") in which he boasts of his abilities, his patronage,
and his conquests. He finally bribes Ganymede to show it to him, and as
he stands gazing at it and praising its loveliness, Pygmalion, who has
suddenly returned, enters and upbraids them. After a spirited trio,
"Boiling Rage I feel within me," Ganymede takes to his heels and Midas is
driven out. When Pygmalion is alone with the statue, a sudden impulse
moves him to destroy it because it has been polluted by Midas's glances,
but his hand is stayed as he hears the chorus of the returning
worshippers, and he makes an impassioned appeal to Venus ("Venus, oh,
see, I fly to thee") to give life to the marble. Venus answers his
prayer. The statue comes to life, and Galatea falls in love with
Pygmalion, the first man she has seen, which gives an opportunity for a
charming number, the Awakening Duet ("I feel so warm, so sweet"), and for
a solo closing the act ("Lightly sways and gently sweeps").

The second act opens with the couplets of Ganymede ("We Grecians"), at
the close of which he espies Galatea gathering flowers. As soon as the
fickle Galatea sees Ganymede, she falls in love with him because he is
younger and handsomer than Pygmalion. As they are discoursing admiringly,
Midas appears and recognizes Galatea, and proceeds to woo her with offers
of jewels. A pretty trio follows, "See the Trinkets I have brought you."
She accepts his trinkets and his money, but declines to accept him. As
they are negotiating, Pygmalion returns. Ganymede once more takes to his
heels, and Galatea conceals Midas by putting him on the pedestal behind
the screen where she had stood. She then hides her jewels, and tells
Pygmalion she is hungry. Ganymede is summoned and arranges the table, and
they sit down, the servant with them at Galatea's request. She sings a
brilliant drinking-song ("Bright in Glass the Foaming Fluid pass"), in
which Pygmalion and Ganymede join. During the banquet Midas is discovered
behind the screen, and Pygmalion also learns of Galatea's fickle conduct
later, when he surprises her and Ganymede in a pretty love scene ("Ah,
I'm drawn to Thee"). By this time Pygmalion is so enraged that he prays
Venus to let her become a statue again. The goddess graciously consents,
and the sculptor promptly gets rid of Galatea by selling her to Midas.

                       THOMAS, CHARLES AMBROISE.

                                Mignon.

  [Opéra comique, in three acts; text by Barbier and Carré. First
  produced at the Opéra Comique, Paris, November 17, 1866.]

                              PERSONAGES.

    Mignon.
    Wilhelm Meister, a student.
    Laertes, an actor.
    Frederic, an admirer of Filina.
    Lotario, Mignon's father in disguise of a harper.
    Filina, an actress.

  [Actors, gypsies, etc.]

  The scene is laid in Germany and Italy; time, the last century.

The story of "Mignon," Thomas's universally popular opera, is based upon
Goethe's "Wilhelm Meister." Mignon, the heroine, who is of noble birth,
was stolen in her childhood by gypsies. Her mother died shortly
afterwards, and her father, disguised as Lotario, the harper, has long
and vainly sought for her. At the opening of the opera, a strolling band
of actors, among them Filina and Laertes, arrive at a German inn on their
way to the castle of a neighboring prince, where they are to perform. At
the same time a gypsy band appears and arranges to give the guests an
entertainment. Mignon, who is with the band, is ordered to dance, but
being tired, she refuses. The leader of the band rushes at her, but
Lotario, the old harper, intercedes in her behalf, whereupon he is
singled out for assault, but is saved by the wandering student, Wilhelm
Meister. To spare her any further persecution, he engages her as his
page, and they follow on in the suite of Filina, to whom he is devoted.
Touched by his kindness to her, Mignon falls in love with him; but he,
ignorant of her passion, becomes more and more a victim to the actress's
fascinations. When they arrive at the castle, all enter except Mignon,
who is left outside. Maddened by jealousy, she is about to drown herself,
but is restrained by the notes of Lotario's harp. She rushes to him for
counsel, and invokes vengeance upon all in the castle. After the
entertainment the guests come out, and Filina sends Mignon in for some
flowers she has left. Suddenly flames appear in the window. Lotario has
fired the castle. Wilhelm rushes in and brings out the insensible Mignon
in his arms. In the dénouement Wilhelm discovers her attachment to him,
and frees himself from Filina's fascinations. A casket containing a
girdle Mignon had worn in childhood, a prayer which she repeats, and the
picture of her mother convince Lotario that she is his daughter, and
Wilhelm and Mignon are united.

The leading numbers of the first act are the quintette immediately
following the rescue of Mignon by Wilhelm; the romanza, "Non conosci il
bel suol" ("Know'st thou the Land"), a song full of tender beauty and
rare expression; the duet which immediately follows it, "Leggiadre
rondinelli" ("Oh, Swallows Blithe"), known as the Swallow Duet, and of
almost equal beauty with the romanza: and the graceful aria, "Grazia al
gentil signore" ("You'll come with us"), in which Filina invites Wilhelm
to join them. The best numbers in the second act are the trio, "Ohimè
quell' acre riso" ("Alas! her Bitter Laugh"); Filina's gay, coquettish
aria, "Gai complimenti" ("Brilliant Compliments"); Mignon's exquisite and
characteristic song, "Conosco un zingarello" ("A Gypsy Lad I well do
know"), which the composer himself calls the "Styrienne"; a bewitching
rondo-gavotte, "Ci sono" ("I'm here at last"), sung by the love-lorn
Frederic; Wilhelm's pathetic farewell to Mignon, "Addio, Mignon! fa core"
("Farewell, Mignon, take Heart"); the beautiful duet for Mignon and
Lotario, "Sofferto hai tu" ("Hast thou e'er suffered"); and the polacca
in the fourth scene, which is a perfect _feu de joie_ of sparkling music,
closing with an extremely brilliant cadenza. The last act is more
dramatic than musical, though it contains a few delightful numbers. Among
them are the chorus barcarole in the first scene, "Orsù, scioglian le
vele" ("Quick, the Sails unfurl"); a song by Wilhelm, "Ah, non credea"
("Ah, little Thought"), and the love duet, "Ah, son felice" ("Ah, I am
happy"), in which is heard again the cadenza of Filina's polacca.

                       WALLACE, WILLIAM VINCENT.

                               Maritana.

  [Romantic opera, in three acts; text by Fitzball. First produced at
  Drury Lane Theatre, London, November 15, 1845.]

                              PERSONAGES.

    Charles the Second, King of Spain.
    Don Jose de Santarem, his minister.
    Don Cæsar de Bazan.
    Marquis de Montefiori.
    Lazarillo.
    Maritana, a gitana.
    Marchioness de Montefiori.

  [Nobles, alquazils, soldiers, gypsies, populace, etc.]

  The scene is laid in Madrid; time of Charles the Second.

The story of "Maritana" is founded upon the well-known play of "Don Cæsar
de Bazan." At the opening of the first act a band of gypsies, Maritana
among them, are singing to the people. The young King Charles listening
to her is fascinated by her beauty. Don José, for reasons of his own,
extols her charms and arouses her hopes for a brilliant future. At this
point Don Cæsar de Bazan, a reckless, rollicking cavalier, once a friend
of Don José, makes his appearance. He has parted with the last of his
money to gamblers, and while he is relating his misfortunes to Don José,
Lazarillo, a forlorn lad who has just tried to make away with himself,
accosts Don Cæsar and tells him a piteous tale. The Don befriends, and
thereby becomes involved in a duel. This leads to his arrest for duelling
in Holy Week, which is forbidden on pain of death. While Don Cæsar sets
off for the prison, Don José promises Maritana speedy marriage and
presentation at court.

The second act opens in the prison. Don José enters, and professes great
sympathy for Don Cæsar. When asked if he has any last request, he begs to
die like a soldier. Don José agrees that he shall not die an ignominious
death if he will marry. He consents, and is also treated to a banquet,
during which Lazarillo delivers a paper to Don José containing the royal
pardon of Don Cæsar, but Don José conceals it. Maritana, her features
disguised by a veil, is married to the Don, but at the expiration of an
hour he is led out to meet his fate. The soldiers fire at him, but he
escapes, as Lazarillo has managed to abstract the bullets from their
guns. He feigns death, and when the opportunity presents itself hurries
to a ball at the Montefiori palace, and arrives just as the Marquis, who
has had his instructions from Don José, is introducing Maritana as his
niece. Don Cæsar demands his bride, but Don José arranges with the
Marquis to present him with the Marchioness closely veiled. The scheme
does not work, as Don Cæsar hears Maritana's voice and claims her, but
she is quickly spirited away.

The last act finds Maritana in a royal apartment. Don José carries out
his plot by introducing the King to her as her husband. At this juncture
Don Cæsar rushes in. The King in a rage demands to know his errand. He
replies that he is seeking the Countess de Bazan, and with equal rage
demands to know who he (the King) is. When the King in confusion answers
that he is Don Cæsar, the latter promptly replies, "Then I am the King of
Spain." Before further explanations can be made, the King is summoned by
the Queen. Don Cæsar and Maritana consult together, and he decides to
appeal to the Queen. While waiting for her in the palace garden, he
overhears Don José telling her that the King is to meet his mistress that
night. Don Cæsar denounces him as a traitor, and slays him. The King,
when he hears of Don Cæsar's loyalty, consigns Maritana to him, and
appoints him Governor of Valencia.

The opera is full of bright, melodious music. The principal numbers in
the first act are Maritana's song, "It was a Knight of Princely Mien";
the romanza which she sings for Don José, "'Tis the Harp in the Air"; the
duet between Don José and Maritana, "Of Fairy Wand had I the Power"; Don
Cæsar's rollicking drinking-song, "All the World over"; and the
delightful chorus, "Pretty Gitana, tell us what the Fates decree." The
first scene of the second act is a mine of charming songs, including
Lazarillo's, "Alas! those Chimes"; the trio, "Turn on, Old Time, thine
Hourglass"; Don Cæsar's stirring martial air, "Yes, let me like a Soldier
fall"; the sentimental ballad, "In Happy Moments, Day by Day"; and the
quartette and chorus closing the scene, "Health to the Lady, the Lovely
Bride." The next scene contains a pretty chorus in waltz time, "Ah! what
Pleasure," followed by an aria sung by the King, "The Mariner in his
Bark," and the act closes with a very dramatic ensemble, "What Mystery
must now control." The leading numbers of the last act are Maritana's
song, "Scenes that are Brightest," one of the most admired of all English
songs; the love duet between Don Cæsar and Maritana, "This Heart with
Bliss O'erflowing"; and Don Cæsar's song, "There is a Flower that
bloometh," which is in the sentimental ballad style.

                                Lurline.

  [Romantic opera, in three acts; text by Fitzball. First produced at
  Covent Garden Theatre, London, February 23, 1860.]

                              PERSONAGES.

    Count Rudolph, a young nobleman.
    Wilhelm, his friend.
    Rhineberg, the river King.
    Baron Truenfels.
    Zelleck, a gnome.
    Conrad.
    Adolph.
    Lurline, nymph of the Lurlei-Berg.
    Ghiva, the Baron's daughter.
    Liba, a spirit of the Rhine.

  [Vassals, conspirators, pages, water spirits.]

  The scene is laid on the banks and in the waters of the Rhine; time,
  the present.

The story of "Lurline" closely follows the old legend of the "Lorelei."
Count Rudolph, having dissipated his fortune, proposes marriage with
Ghiva, daughter of a neighboring baron, to recoup himself. The Baron,
however, turns out to be as poor as the Count, and nothing comes of the
proposition. Meanwhile Lurline, the Rhine nymph, has seen the Count
sailing on the river and fallen in love with him. At the last banquet he
and his companions give in the old castle, she appears, weaves spells
about him, places a magic ring on his finger, and then disappears. When
he comes to his reason, he finds himself enamoured of her, follows the
notes of her harp on the Rhine, and is engulfed in the whirlpool to which
Lurline allures her victims.

The second act opens in Lurline's cavern under the Rhine, and Rudolph is
there by virtue of his magic ring. He hears his friends singing and
mourning his loss as they sail on the river, and is so touched by it that
he implores permission to return to them for a short time. Lurline
consents to his absence for three days, and agrees to wait for him on the
summit of the Lurlei-Berg at moonrise on the third evening. She also
prevails upon her father, the Rhine King, to give him treasures, with
which he embarks in a fairy skiff, leaving Lurline dejected.

In the last act Rudolph discloses to the Baron and his daughter, as well
as to his companions, the secret of his wealth. The Baron once more
encourages his suit, and the crafty Ghiva steals the magic ring and
throws it into the Rhine. In the mean time Lurline waits nightly on the
Lurlei-Berg for the return of her lover, and there a gnome brings to her
the ring, token of his infidelity. Distracted between grief and anger,
she determines to reproach him with his perfidy at a banquet in the
castle; she suddenly appears, and demands her ring from him. A scene of
bitter reproaches ensues, ending with her denunciation of his companions'
treachery. Growing envious of the Count's wealth, they had conspired to
destroy him and then plunder the castle. Ghiva and her father,
overhearing the plot, reveal it to the Count and urge him to escape by
flight. Rudolph, however, preferring death near Lurline, confronts the
assassins. Love returns to Lurline once more. She strikes her harp and
invokes the Rhine, which rises and engulfs the conspirators. When the
waves subside, the Rhine King appears and gives the hand of his daughter
to the Count.

The principal numbers of the first act are Rhineberg's invocation aria,
"Idle Spirit, wildly dreaming"; Lurline's beautiful romanzas with harp
accompaniment, "Flow on, flow on, O Silver Rhine," and "When the Night
Winds sweep the Wave"; the melodious chorus, "Sail, sail, sail on the
Midnight Gale"; the drinking-song, "Drain the Cup of Pleasure"; the
quaint tenor song, "Our Bark in Moonlight beaming"; and the vigorous
chorus of the gnomes in the finale, "Vengeance, Vengeance." The second
act opens with the gnomes' song, "Behold Wedges of Gold." The remaining
conspicuous numbers are the Count's song, "Sweet Form that on my Dreamy
Gaze"; Lurline's brilliant drinking-song with chorus, "Take this Cup of
Sparkling Wine"; Ghiva's ballad, for contralto, "Troubadour Enchanting";
the breezy hunting-chorus, "Away to the Chase, come away"; Rhineberg's
sentimental song, "The Nectar Cup may yield Delight"; and the ensemble in
the finale, which is in the genuine Italian style. The third act is
specially noticeable for the ballad sung by Rudolph, "My Home, my Heart's
first Home"; Lurline's song on the Lurlei-Berg, "Sweet Spirit, hear my
Prayer," which has been a great favorite on the concert stage; the
unaccompanied quartette, "Though the World with Transport bless me"; the
grand duet, "Lurline, my Naiad Queen," and the incantation music and
closing chorus, "Flow on, thou Lovely Rhine."

                           By GEORGE P. UPTON

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                          Transcriber's Notes

  Silently corrected a few typos.
  Relocated promotional material to the end of the text.
  Generated a new cover image, provided for free use with this eBook.
  Included copyright information from the original printed book (this
eBook is public-domain in the country of publication.)

End of Project Gutenberg's The Standard Light Operas, by George Upton