The Standard Operaglass Part 52

His wife Kate returning to the foot of the terrace, sweetly repeats her wish to adopt the little boy, when b.u.t.terfly, emerging from the inner room, comes to look for her long lost husband, whose presence she feels with the divination of love.

Seeing Sharpless standing by a foreign lady and Suzuki in tears the truth suddenly bursts upon her. "Is he alive?" she asks, and when Suzuki answers "yes", she knows that he has forsaken her.--

{518}

Turned to stone she listens to Kate's humble apologies and to her offer to take the child.--By a supreme effort she controls herself.

"I will give up my child to him only; let him come and take him; I shall by ready in half an hour," she answers brokenly.

When Sharpless and Kate have left her, b.u.t.terfly sends Suzuki into another room with the child. Then seizing her father's long knife she takes her white veil, throwing it over the folding screen. Kissing the blade she reads its inscription. "Honourably he dies, who no longer lives in honour," and raises it to her throat.

At this moment the door opens and her child runs up to his mother with outstretched arms. s.n.a.t.c.hing him to her bosom she devours him with kisses, then sends him into the garden.

Seizing the knife once more b.u.t.terfly disappears behind the screen and shortly afterward the knife is heard to fall.

When Linkerton's call "b.u.t.terfly" is heard, she emerges once more from the background and drags herself to the door; but there her strength fails her and she sinks dead to the ground.--

ACTE.

Music-Drama in four Acts. Text and Music by JOAN MANEN.

It is only a few years since the young Spanish composer has begun to be known beyond his own country.

{519}

He was an infant prodigy, whose musical genius revealed itself in his earliest childhood. He began to play the piano at the age of three, and at seven he knew twenty-four of Bach's fugues by heart.

His fame began to be spoken of during his tours in Spain and all over America, where he appeared not only as virtuoso on the piano and on the violin, but also as director in difficult orchestral pieces.--When he was thirteen he devoted himself entirely to the violin and to composition, both of which studies occupied his early years completely.

Acte was produced at Barcelona in 1903, and its first performance out of Spain took place in Dresden on January 24th 1908.

It was received with general approval, due, it must be confessed, not so much to its dramatic effect as to its gorgeous and artistic staging.

Though the opera shows great talent, fine orchestration, a distinct sense of local colour and some beautiful melodies, it lacks depth and dramatic power.--

It is more like one of those old stage operas of Verdi and Bellini, though it does not imitate them and contains, Wagner like, a number of leading motives. The same want is also to be found in the libretto, which fails to show us Nero, the many-sided; depicting him almost exclusively as a lover.--But considering the composer's youth, (he was just nineteen, when he wrote Acte), it promises much and is well worth hearing--and seeing.

The scene is laid in Rome during the reign of Nero.

{520}

The first Act takes place in the Palatine, where Agrippina, Nero's mother, is haunted by evil forebodings, suggested by the story of Clytemnestra's fate, sung by a chorus of her attendants.

Nero appears, and seeing his mother restless and uneasy, tries to soothe her with a.s.surances of his filial devotion. Agrippina reminds him of all she has done for him, and how she has committed crimes to pave his way to the throne.--To rea.s.sure her, he begs her to ask any favour she desires. On this she demands his separation from the Greek slave Acte, whom he has freed, and whom he loves to distraction, Acte being in fact the only woman he ever loved.

Nero of course indignantly refuses to make this sacrifice.--Agrippina persists in her demands and carried away by her violent temper and her contempt for her false and treacherous son she commands him, either to give up Acte, or to give back the imperial power to his mother, as she alone made him, what he is.--Nero enraged shows himself as the ruler and the despot and so terrifies her, that she tries to retract her evil words and begs his pardon.

Tigellinus, Nero's friend and confidant, has heard her last words. He excites his master's hatred against his false mother still more, and they decide to take vengeance on her at some favourable time.

Hearing Acte singing in the vestibule Tigellinus leaves Nero, who receives his lady with open arms. A charming love-duet closes the first Act.--

{521}

In the second Act Marcus, an old Christian Patriarch, meets Acte in the gardens of the Palatine at night and wins her over to his faith. She promises to join the Christians, and to this purpose calls her slave Parthos, whom she persuades to guide her to the cave of Marcus.--After having given him a ring, Nero's love-token, to deliver to Caesar, she bribes Parthos, to swear, not to betray her secret, by making over to him all her worldly goods.--

Unfortunately this interview has been witnessed by Agrippina from her hiding place in the bushes, and she decides to make use of her discovery against her son.

When day breaks a grand festival takes place in the gardens. Agrippina hails her son, and seeing him alone she sweetly asks where his faithful companion Acte is.--Nero at once sends Tigellinus in search of her.

A beautiful ballet is now danced, and afterwards Caesar himself takes his lute and sings a hymn in praise of Venus, the G.o.ddess of love.--He has hardly ended, when Tigellinus rushes in and exclaims that Acte is not to be found.

Nero storms and Agrippina, pretending to know nothing, suggests that Parthos should be questioned. The poor slave is dragged forward; he denies any knowledge of Acte's whereabouts, but her ring is found upon him. This he tremblingly gives to Nero, declaring that Acte gave it to him to return to Caesar.--Tigellinus says, that the slave evidently {522} knows more than this, and Nero orders him to be tortured. While the wretched Parthos is being led away Agrippina declares defiantly, that she alone knows where Acte is, and offers to tell Nero on the condition, that he will restore to her the imperial power, that she covets. Nero, enraged beyond measure orders Tigellinus to keep his mother as a prisoner, until she reveals Acte's hiding-place.

He then turns to the frightened spectators and with the words "My will is law, I am Caesar and will remain so for ever" the Act closes.

In the third Act Nero accompanied by Tigellinus leads his Pretorian guards to the hiding-place of the Christians.--This he has found out from the confessions of Parthos.--Nero hears Acte's voice singing a Miserere, but commands his guards to conceal themselves.--

The Christians, among them Acte and Marcus, believing themselves safe in the stormy night, at last emerge from the mountain caves, and at a sign from Nero are surrounded by the Pretorian guards.

Nero seizes Acte and tries to win back her love, but Acte remains firm, and she so infuriates her royal lover, that he threatens her with his dagger.--Old Marcus stepping between, only rouses the Emperor's anger to a higher pitch, while Tigellinus denounces the old man as Nero's rival and the cause of Acte's flight. Both are led away as captives with their Christian brethren to Rome.

The last Act takes place on the terrace of the Palatine.

{523}

Lovely dances beguile the weary hours for Nero, lying on his couch, a prey to love and hatred. Tigellinus tries to rouse his pride by relating to him the last interview between Marcus and Acte overheard by him.

He describes the old man's exhortations and glowing promises of a better life, and Acte's calm courage and deep faith, and Nero cries: "She must be mine, or she dies!"--At this moment the Christians are heard, greeting Caesar as they pa.s.s the palace on their way to death.--Acte is not with them, she is now brought before Nero with Marcus, for whom she implores Nero's pardon.--But it is in vain; Nero falls upon the originator of his woes, and kills him with his own hands.--

In this moment flames are seen leaping up in the streets of Rome.

Tigellinus hurries in, exclaiming that the people accuse their Emperor of having set the city on fire, and already their furious cry is heard: "Death to the red Caesar!"

Beside himself with rage and fear Nero seizes Acte, and throwing her down from the terrace amongst the people, he accuses the Christians of having set fire to the town. Acte perishes a victim to the fury of the people, while Nero cries out: "Burn O Rome, burn, Nero greets Thee!"

{524}

EUGENE ONEGIN.

Lyric Scenes in three acts by P. J. TSCHAIKOWSKY.

Text after Puschkin's poem of the same name.