HUGUENOTS, The, a dramatic opera in five acts by Giacomo Meyerheer, libretto by Augustin Scribe and Deschamps. This is re garded as the best of Meyerbeer's operatic compositions, the music being intensely dra matic, with brilliant orchestration and fine themes. The subject is the persecution of the Protestants by the Catholics in France in 1572. The opening scene represents the interior of the castle of the Count of Nevers, where the Catholic noblemen receive Raoul de Nangis. a Huguenot, recently promoted captain. During the toasts at the banquet each member of the party is called on to give the name of his lady love, when Raoul informs the company that he once rescued a beautiful girl who in her sedan chair was molested by students. She had thanked him for his gallantry and, though he did not know her name, he had lost his heart to her. Marcel, an old retainer of Raoul and a Protestant, warns his master of the danger he is courting by drinking with the noblemen. A lady is announced, and Raoul recognizes her as his unknown charmer. She turns out to be Valentine, daughter of St. Bris, betrothed to the Count of Nevers. She has come to beg the Count to release her from her promise, to which he reluctantly agrees. A page brings a note to Raoul, in which he is commanded to attend a lady, unknown to him. The others, however, recognize the seal of Queen Margaret of Valois; regarding Raoul as an important person, they endeavor to win his friendship. The second act shows Raoul in the presence of the Queen, who is striving to reconcile the warring religious factions. With this object she desires Raoul the Protestant to marry Valentine, her maid of honor and a Catholic. The girl had told her mistress of her meeting with the dashing cavalier and of her love for him Raoul, asyet not knowing that he is speaking to the Queen, willingly vows to be Margaret's knight and promises St. Bris to wed his daughter. When, however, he finds that that daughter is his unknown lady, about whom he entertained certain doubts, he revokes his promise and makes an enemy of the offended father. On behalf of Raoul, Marcel later car
ries a challenge to St. Bris, who accepts it, but a fanatical noble named Maurevert advises St. Bris to crush his enemy by other means. Notwithstanding her disappointment with Raoul, Valentine determines to save him and tells Marcel to warn his master not to meet his opponent alone. In the presence of four witnesses the duel takes place, during which a quarrel breaks out between Catholic and Protestant citizens. The Queen intervenes and listens to the mutual recriminations, not know ing which side to believe, when Valentine enters to bear witness. Raoul now learns the object of her interview with Nevers — to regain her freedom. But too late, for her father has again promised her to Nevers, who arrives on the scene accompanied by wedding guests. In the fourth and fifth acts the dreadful Saint Bar tholomew's night is shown. Raoul takes a last farewell of Valentine in her room when her father breaks in with a party of Catholics. Raoul hides and hears the details of the great conspiracy to destroy the Protestants, to begin with the murder of their leader, the great Coligny. While all the assembled Catholics agree to the plot, Nevers alone declines to soil his honor by murder, but is willing to fight in honest battle. Raoul resolves to warn his brethren; despite Valentine's entreaties he rushes forth. At the end the Queen and her husband, Henry of Navarre, are seated in the hall surrounded by courtiers when Raoul rushes in pale and blood-stained, describes the horrors being perpetrated outside and implores the royal help. It is too late. Valentine and Raoul meet again; she implores him to accept her faith and thus save his life. He remains firm, how ever; nothing can move him. Then Valentine decides to remain. She accepts his creed and they meet death together.