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Melusine 1972

August 17 - 23, 1972

The legendary water-spirit, Melusine…

…is modernized to present day. She kills to protect nature, but her attempt to evade responsibility for man and nature is doomed to fail.

Music By
Aribert Reimann
Libretto By
Claus H. Henneberg, after Yvan Goll's play
English translation By
Maria Pelikan and Bodo Igesz

Synopsis

Act I

A modest villa in the vicinity of a town. Melusine leads an innocent, dreamy life with her husband, Oleander. She spends days and sometimes whole nights in the lovely park which surrounds their house. Her mother, Madame Lapérouse, criticizes her for this. But the park is sold to Count Lusignan, and when a surveyor comes to prepare the building of a castle in it he is driven wild by Melusine’s promise to be his if he will only leave the park untouched. He falls to his death from one of the surrounding walls.

Act II

Scene I: In the park. Melusine seeks counsel from Pythia, the ruler of the spirits of nature disguised as a fortune teller, as to how she can avert the destruction of the park. Pythia grants her the magic fish-tail, “…which will protect and sanctify you. It will make you irresistible to all men, but you will remain pure despite their excesses.” Pythia warns her, however, that only complete chastity will make the magic work to help her achieve her aims. A mason is driven mad by Melusine’s newly found powers.

Scene II: Near a lake in the park. The building of the castle is making no progress. Strange things are happening. The workers strike. The architect is in despair. Cries for help are heard from the lake. The architect rescues Melusine from drowning and falls in love with her.

Act III

Scene I: In front of the castle. The completion of the castle is being celebrated. Pythia and her accomplice Ogre appear. He lets himself be taken on as a lackey to be able to protect Melusine during the celebrations.

Scene II: A hall in the castle. Count Lusignan, who had the castle built, meets Melusine for the first time at the reception. They fall in love. The architect storms in and warns the Count of Melusine’s magic powers, but Ogre throws him out. Pythia witnesses the complete fascination of the Count and Melusine for each other.

Act IV

Scene I: A road in the park. Melusine meets the Count in the park.

Scene II: Bedroom in the castle. Melusine has lost her innocence and regrets it already. When the Count leaves for a moment, Ogre enters and curses Melusine for her betrayal. Pythia has set fire to the park and the castle so as to destroy them all. Melusine dashes into the flames to try to save her lover.

Scene III: The villa as in Act I. Oleander believes that the Count is putting on a fireworks display The Count’s secretary enters and, telling of the fire, says that the Count and his mistress have perished in the flames. Oleander realizes that she was none other than Melusine.

Artists

Susan Belling

Soprano

Melusine

George Shirley

Tenor

Oleander

Jean Kraft

Mezzo-soprano

Madame Lapérouse

Alan Titus

Alan Titus

Baritone

Count Lusignan

Betty Allen

Mezzo-soprano

Pythia

Leon Lishner

Bass-baritone

Ogre

Michael Devlin

Michael Devlin

Bass-baritone

The Surveyor

John Hall

Bass-baritone

The Mason

Michael Best

Tenor

The Architect

Stanley Wexler

Bass-baritone

The Foreman

Richard Crist

Bass-baritone

A Worker

Douglas Perry

Tenor

The Secretary

Ellen Vincent

Soprano

Guest

Bonnie Bradley

Mezzo-soprano

Guest

Sharon Edgemon

Mezzo-soprano

Guest

Stephen Dickson

Baritone

Guest

James Piper

Baritone

Guest

David Kuebler

Tenor

Guest

Christopher Keene

Conductor

Bodo Igesz

Director

Neil Peter Jampolis

Designer

Scenery, Costumes & Lighting

Robert Jones

Chorus Master