The Complete Opera Book Part 34

"Who can prove it?" _Elvino_ asks in agonized tones.

"Who? She herself!--See there!" exclaims _Rodolpho_.

For at that very moment _Amina_, in her nightdress, lamp in hand, emerges from a window in the mill roof. She pa.s.ses along, still asleep, to the lightly built bridge spanning the mill wheel, which is still turning round quickly. Now she sets foot on the narrow, insecure bridge. The villagers fall on their knees in prayer that she may cross safely. _Rodolpho_ stands among them, head uncovered. As _Amina_ crosses the bridge a rotting plank breaks under her footsteps. The lamp falls from her hand into the torrent beneath. She, however, reaches the other side, and gains the stone steps, which she descends.

Still walking in her sleep, she advances to where stand the villagers and _Rodolpho_. She kneels and prays for _Elvino_. Then rising, she speaks of the ring he has taken from her, and draws from her bosom the flowers given to her by him on the previous day. "Ah! non credea mirarti s presto estinto, o fiore" (Scarcely could I believe it that so soon thou would'st wither, O blossoms).

[Music: Ah! non credea mirarti s presto estinto, o fiore,]

Gently _Elvino_ replaces the ring upon her finger, and kneels before her. "Viva Amina!" cry the villagers. She awakens. Instead of sorrow, she sees joy all around her, and _Elvino_, with arms outstretched, waiting to beg her forgiveness and lead her to the altar.

"Ah! non giunge uman pensiero Al contento ond'io son piena"

(Mingle not an earthly sorrow With the rapture now o'er me stealing).

[Music:

Ah! non giunge uman pensiero Al contento ond'io son piena]

It ends with this brilliant pa.s.sage:

[Music]

The "Ah! non giunge" is one of the show-pieces of Italian opera. Nor is its brilliance hard and glittering. It is the brightness of a tender soul rejoicing at being enabled to cast off sorrow. Indeed, there is about the entire opera a sweetness and a gentle charm, that go far to account for its having endured so long in the repertoire, out of which so many works far more ambitious have been dropped.

Opera-goers of the old Academy of Music days will recall the bell-like tones of Etelka Gerster's voice in "Ah! non giunge"; nor will they ever forget the bird-like, spontaneous singing in this role of Adelina Patti, gifted with a voice and an art such as those who had the privilege of hearing her in her prime have not heard since, nor are likely to hear again. Admirers of Mme. Sembrich's art also are justly numerous, and it is fortunate for habitues of the Metropolitan that she was so long in the company singing at that house. She was a charming _Amina_. Tetrazzini was brilliant in "La Sonnambula."

_Elvino_ is a stick of a role for tenor. _Rodolpho_ has the redeeming grace of chivalry. _Amina_ is gentle, charming, appealing.

The story of "Sonnambula" is simple and thoroughly intelligible, which cannot be said for all opera plots. The mainspring of the action is the interesting psycho-physical manifestation of somnambulism. This is effectively worked out. The crossing of the bridge in the last scene is a tense moment in the simple story. It calls for an interesting stage "property"--the plank that breaks without precipitating _Amina_, who sometimes may have more embonpoint than voice, into the mill-race.

All these elements contribute to the success of "La Sonnambula,"

which, produced in 1831, still is a good evening's entertainment.

_Amina_ was one of Jenny Lind's favourite roles. There is a beautiful portrait of her in the character by Eichens. It shows her, in the last act, kneeling and singing "Ah! non credea," and is somewhat of a rarity. A copy of it is in the print department of the New York Public Library. It is far more interesting than her better known portraits.

NORMA

Opera in two acts, by Bellini; words by Felice Romani, based on an old French story. Produced, December 26, 1831, Milan.

King's Theatre, June 20, 1833, in Italian; Drury Lane, June 24, 1837, in English. Paris, Theatre des Italiens, 1833.

New York, February 25, 1841, at the Park Theatre; October 2, 1854, for the opening of the Academy of Music, with Grisi, Mario, and Susini; December 19, 1891, Metropolitan Opera House, with Lilli Lehmann as _Norma_.

CHARACTERS

POLLIONE, Roman Pro-consul in Gaul _Tenor_ OROVESO, Archdruid, father of Norma _Ba.s.s_ NORMA, High-priestess of the druidical temple of Esus _Soprano_ ADALGISA, a virgin of the temple _Contralto_ CLOTILDA, Norma's confidante _Soprano_ FLAVIUS, a centurion _Tenor_

Priests, Officers of the Temple, Gallic Warriors, Priestesses and Virgins of the Temple, and Two Children of Norma and Pollione.

_Time_--Roman Occupation, about 50 B.C.

_Place_--Gaul.

Act I. Sacred grove of the Druids. The high priest _Oroveso_ comes with the Druids to the sacred grove to beg of the G.o.ds to rouse the people to war and aid them to accomplish the destruction of the Romans. Scarcely have they gone than the Roman Pro-consul _Pollione_ appears and confides to his Centurion, _Flavius_, that he no longer loves _Norma_, although she has broken her vows of chast.i.ty for him and has borne him two sons. He has seen _Adalgisa_ and loves her.

At the sound of the sacred instrument of bronze that calls the Druids to the temple, the Romans disappear. The priests and priestesses approach the altar. _Norma_, the high-priestess, daughter of _Oroveso_, ascends the steps of the altar. No one suspects her intimacy with the Roman enemy. But she loves the faithless man and therefore seeks to avert the danger that threatens him, should Gaul rise against the Romans, by prophesying that Rome will fall through its own weakness, and declaring that it is not yet the will of the G.o.ds that Gaul shall go to war. She also prays to the "chaste G.o.ddess"

for the return of the Roman leader, who has left her. Another priestess is kneeling in deep prayer. This is _Adalgisa_, who also loves _Pollione_.

The scene changes and shows _Norma's_ dwelling. The priestess is steeped in deep sadness, for she knows that _Pollione_ plans to desert her and their offspring, although she is not yet aware of her rival's ident.i.ty. _Adalgisa_ comes to her to unburden her heart to her superior. She confesses that to her faith she has become untrue through love--and love for a Roman. _Norma_, thinking of her own unfaithfulness to her vows, is about to free _Adalgisa_ from hers, when _Pollione_ appears. Now she learns who the beloved Roman of _Adalgisa_ is. But the latter turns from _Pollione_. She loves _Norma_ too well to go away with the betrayer of the high-priestess.

Act II. _Norma_, filled with despair, is beside the cradle of her 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 _Pollione_, but shall promise to take the place of mother to her children. _Adalgisa_, however, will not hear of treachery to _Norma_. She goes to _Pollione_, but only to remind him of his duty.

The scene changes again to a wooded region of the temple in which the warriors of Gaul have gathered. _Norma_ awaits the result of _Adalgisa's_ plea to _Pollione_; then learns that she has failed and has come back to the grove to pa.s.s her life as a priestess. _Norma's_ wrath is now beyond control. Three times she strikes the brazen shield; and, when the warriors have gathered, they joyfully hear her message: War against the Romans! But with their deep war song now mingles the sound of tumult from the temple. A Roman has broken into the sacred edifice. He has been captured. It is _Pollione_, who she knows has sought to carry off _Adalgisa_. The penalty for his intrusion is death. But _Norma_, moved by love to pity, and still hoping to save her recreant lover, submits a new victim to the enraged Gauls--a perjured virgin of the priesthood.

"Speak, then, and name her!" they cry.

To their amazement she utters her own name, then confesses all to her father, and to his care confides her children.

A pyre has been erected. She mounts it, but not alone. _Pollione_, his love rekindled at the spectacle of her greatness of soul, joins her.

In the flames he, too, will atone for their offences before G.o.d.

The ambition of every dramatic soprano of old was to don the robes of a priestess, bind her brow with the mystic vervain, take in her hand a golden sickle, and appear in the sacred grove of the Druids, there to invoke the chaste G.o.ddess of the moon in the famous "Casta diva."

Prima donnas of a later period found further inspiration thereto in the beautiful portrait of Grisi as _Norma_. Perhaps the last to yield to the temptation was Lilli Lehmann, who, not content with having demonstrated her greatness as _Brunnhilde_ and _Isolde_, desired in 1891, to demonstrate that she was also a great _Norma_, a demonstration which did not cause her audience to become unduly demonstrative. The fact is, it would be difficult to revive successfully "Norma" as a whole, although there is not the slightest doubt that "Casta diva, che in argenti" (Chaste G.o.ddess, may thy silver beam), is one of the most exquisite gems of Italian song.

[Music: Casta Diva,]

It is followed immediately by "Ah! bello a me ritorna" (Beloved, return unto me), which, being an allegro, contrasts effectively with the long, flowing measures of "Casta diva."

Before this in the opera there has occurred another familiar number, the opening march and chorus of the Druids, "Dell'aura tua profetica"

(With thy prophetic oracle).

[Music]

There is a fine trio for _Norma_, _Adalgisa_, and _Pollione_, at the end of the first act, "Oh! di qual sei tu vittima" (O, how his art deceived you).

[Music: Oh! di qual sei tu vittima]

In the scene between _Norma_ and _Adalgisa_, in the second act, is the duet, "Mira, O, Norma!" (Hear me, Norma).

[Music: Mira, o, Norma! a' tuoi ginocchi,]

Among the melodious pa.s.sages in the opera, this is second in beauty only to "Casta diva."

I PURITANI

THE PURITANS

Opera in three acts, by Bellini; words by Count Pepoli.

Produced, Paris, Theatre des Italiens, January 25, 1835, with Grisi as _Elvira_, Rubini as _Arturo_, Tamburini as _Riccardo_ and Lablache as _Giorgio_. London, King's Theatre, May 21, 1835, in Italian (I Puritani ed i Cavalieri). New York, February 3, 1844; Academy of Music, 1883, with Gerster; Manhattan Opera House, December 3, 1906, with Bonci as _Arturo_, and Pinkert as _Elvira_; and in 1909 with Tetrazzini as _Elvira_.