The Standard Operaglass Part 49

When Herod appears on the terrace with his wife, to look for his step-daughter, he sees the young Syrian dead on the ground. He asks the reason of his death, but receives no satisfactory answer. However, he guesses the truth, seeing Salome sitting apart, absorbed in gloomy thoughts. Herod is more in love with his step-daughter than with his wife, whose first husband he killed, and this excites Herodias'

jealousy.

As a rule, Herod avoids the terrace, being afraid of Jokanaan's prophecies, in which he secretly believes. But now he desires Salome's presence to divert him, while she is in no mood to oblige him, and coldly refuses to eat and drink with him.

Then the prophet's voice is heard saying: "Lo! the time has come, the day which I prophesied has dawned." Herodias bids him be silent, but Herod is all the more impressed by the voice he fears. The Jews, who have been clamouring for six months for the prophet, again beg to have him delivered into their hands. When Jokanaan proclaims the Saviour of the world, the soldiers believe that he {499} means the Roman Caesar, with the exception of a Nazarene who knows that he refers to the Messiah, who is accomplis.h.i.+ng miracles and awakening the dead.

In order to drown his fears, Herod begs Salome to dance for him. He promises her all his finest jewels, his white peac.o.c.ks, and even half his kingdom, but she nevertheless still refuses to dance for him. Her mother entreats her not to dance, when suddenly Salome changes her mind. After having made the Tetrarch swear by his own life to grant her wish, whatever it might be, she is ready to comply with his wish.

Veils are brought, and Salome performs the dance of the Seven Veils, at the end of which she sinks down at Herod's feet.

"Tell me what you want, Queen of Beauty", says Herod. "I will grant you whatever you desire". "I want nothing more or less than Jokanaan's head on a silver dish", rejoins Salome, rising, with a cold smile.

While Herodias eagerly seconds this awful wish, Herod shrinks back in horror, but although he offers Salome every thing else which could please her, she only repeats her first wish.

At last Herod gives in, and drawing a ring from his finger, which gives the death-signal, he hands it to a soldier, who pa.s.ses it on to the executioner, and the latter goes down into the dungeon.

A death-like silence ensues, during which Salome vainly listens for a sound or a cry from the dungeon into which she is peering. Finally she can bear {500} the suspense no longer. Shrieking wildly she clamours for Jokanaan's head, and the executioner stretches forth a huge, black arm, holding a silver s.h.i.+eld, with Jokanaan's head upon it.

While Herod covers his face, Salome seizes Jokanaan's head, and devouring its beauty with her eyes, she utters rapturous exclamations, and at last pa.s.sionately kisses the lips she has so ardently coveted.

Herod, horrified by this monstrous spectacle, orders the torches to be put out, and turns to leave the dreadful place. When Salome exultingly cries, "I have kissed thy mouth, Jokanaan!", Herod turns, and seeing her, calls out loudly; "Kill this woman!" The soldiers rush forward, crus.h.i.+ng the princess beneath their s.h.i.+elds.

DIE SCHOeNEN VON FOGARAS.

(THE BEAUTIES OF FOGARAS.)

Comic Opera in three acts by ALFRED GRUeNFELD.

Words by VICTOR LEON, founded on the Hungarian novel of MIKSZATH, "Szehistye, the village without Men".

This opera was first performed in Dresden on September 7th, 1907.

Victor Leon's great talent to amuse his public shows itself as clearly here as it did in "Barfuessele". The libretto is a lively picture of the time of the Hungarian King Matthias Corvinus.

Gruenfeld's music is not deep, but delightfully fresh and naive. He is master in the instrumentation of miniature art. His vivid rythms display a grace, {501} an "entrain" and a piquancy, which remind one of Delibes and Ma.s.senet, without being imitations of these great masters.

The dances are perfectly original, full of life and fire, and the ballet in the second act is in itself a masterpiece, that will hold its own.

Besides this there are a roguish song by a goose-girl, a very pretty valse rondo, and last but not least many fine Hungarian songs.

The scene is laid in Transylvania in the year 1459.

The first act takes place in the Transylvanian village of Fogaras.

A long war has deprived the village of all its men, and the women of Fogaras are wildly lamenting their absence.

They have charged the governor ("Gespann") Paul Rosto to pet.i.tion the King, to restore their husbands, and when the young schoolmaster, Augustin Paradiser, the only man in the village besides Rosto appears on the scene, they bitterly complain to him of the governor's dilatoriousness.

Augustin tries to appease them, by a.s.suring them, that the pet.i.tion was duly sent, and soon Rosto himself comes to his a.s.sistance by presenting them with the King's answer to their appeal.

His Majesty graciously agrees to the right of the women of Fogaras to claim their respective husbands, fathers and sons, the King having only borrowed them for a time.

But as unfortunately most of them were slain in battle or taken captive, he is unable to return {502} them all, and therefore he declares himself ready to supply other men in their stead.

To this end it seems necessary to him, to see some of the Fogaras beauties, and therefore he decrees, that the town is to send him three specimen of the handsomest amongst them, a black haired, a brown haired and a fair haired beauty.

Should the women not be willing to comply with the King's command, they should be severely punished for having troubled his Majesty about nothing.

The women of Fogaras being all the reverse of pretty the governor finds himself in an awkward dilemma.

Fortunately for him the Countess Magdalen Honey has just returned home with her maid Marjunka.

The latter is at once surrounded by her old companions, and begins to tell them of their travels and adventures.--She relates how being at Buda ("Ofen") two years ago during the great coronation festival, King Matthias only danced with the Countess, and even kissed her before the whole a.s.sembly, and that Marjunka herself had also found a sweetheart in a first-rate violinist, and that everything had seemed to be turning out for the best, when they were suddenly summoned home to the old Countess's death-bed.

When, the year of mourning being pa.s.sed, they returned to Buda, they found the doors of the Kingly palace closed to them; and now they {503} have come home to their native village full of grief and sorrow.

Rosto, after having greeted the Countess, tells her of his difficulties about the three beautiful women, whom he cannot find; but the Countess smilingly points to her jet black hair and then to the pretty brunette Marjunka; and offers to drive with him to castle Varpalota, where the King resides.

Rosto is considerably relieved, as there is only the fair haired beauty still to be found.

At this moment the goose-girl Verona pa.s.ses with her geese.

She is the sweetheart of the schoolmaster, who now comes to meet her, after having had a rehearsal with the school children for the reception of Countess Magdalen.

Their charming love duet is interrupted by Rosto.--While the Countess is greeted by the singing children, Rosto no sooner perceives the flaxen haired Verona, than he rushes up to her crying: "I have her, thank G.o.d!--the fairest of the fair!"

Augustin interposes, but when Magdalen promises, not only to take care of the young maiden, but also to give the sweethearts a cottage, two pigs, a cow and some geese after their return from Varpalota, he is satisfied, and offers himself a coachman for the journey and they all drive away in high glee.--

The second act takes place at the King's hunting palace Varpalota. A band of Bohemian musicians is playing to the people a.s.sembled, and {504} their leader ("Primas") Czobor plays an exquisite solo to the royal cook Mujko, a most important person at court.

King Matthias tries to kill the time with all kinds of tricks and frolics,--he vainly strives to forget the sweet lady he saw but once, and whom he has sought for two years in vain.

He is on the eve of his twenty-fifth birthday, before which date he is either to choose a bride or to lose his crown.

When the Paladin comes up to remind him of the fact, the King answers: "Give me Magdalena Honey and I will marry her at once!" But the Paladin, who wants him to marry his niece Ilona Orszagh answers, that the Countess could not be found anywhere.

Meanwhile General Hunyadi sends a number of prisoners to the King, and the women of Fogaras being announced at the same time, Matthias orders all to be brought before him.

The wild idea has come into his head of turning his cook into the King, while he himself is to play the part of the cook.

The change is soon effected and a ludicrous scene ensues; the big cook appearing in comic majesty before his subjects. Then the whole court groups around the mock King, to receive the women of Fogaras, who drive up, clad in the rich costume of the Szekle peasants.

Mujko, the sham King, expresses his perfect satisfaction with the three beauties and begins to {505} flirt with them. Magdalen, perceiving at once that they are being deceived, recognises the true King in the disguise of the cook, while he is haunted by a dim recollection, without being able to recognise the Countess in her disguise.

The scene ends with a charming ballet.--