EURYANTHE " Euryanthe," a romantic opera in four acts with music by Carl Maria von Weber and book by Mme. Helmine von Chezy, based upon an old French story, was produced at the Karnthnerthor Theatre, Vienna, Oct. 25, 1823.
King Louis.
Adolar, Count of Nevers. Lysiart, Count of Forest. Rudolph, a Knight.
Euryanthe of Savoy.
Eglantine of Puiset.
Bertha.
Ladies, nobles, knights, hunters and peasants.
Euryanthe is a beautiful maiden who is betrothed to Adolar, Count of Nevers, but is also loved by another young nobleman, Lysiart, Count of Forest. At a royal festival arranged to welcome the knight from the battle-field, Adolar celebrates her beauty, purity and faithfulness in rapturous song. Lysiart mocks his panegyrics, declaring that " faith can ne'er in woman's heart abide " and wagers all " the fairest of his father's land in France " that he can win Euryanthe's love. Adolar gladly accepts the challenge, risking all his wealth upon the maiden's fidelity. Lysiart departs, boasting that he will return with a love-token.
In the second scene, Eglantine, a befriended outcast, coaxes a secret from Euryanthe, promising with extravagant expression of affection never to reveal it. It is that she communes with the spirit of Emma, Adolar's sister, who when her lover Lido fell in strife, pressed a poisoned ring to her lips. She has told how the gates of heaven are closed against her for this deed and how they never will be opened until the ring from which she tasted death is bathed in tears of injured innocence. Eglantine, who is in love with Adolar, plans to use Euryanthe's secret for her own evil purposes. Meantime Lysiart comes with many fair words to invite Euryanthe to grace the festival of King Louis.
In Act II, we find Lysiart bewailing the fact that he has had no success in winning the favor of Euryanthe. He is inspired with fresh hope by the appearance of Eglantine, who has visited the tomb to steal the ring from the dead hand of Emma and proposes that it shall be used as a proof, not only of Euryanthe's unfaithfulness in love but also of that of which she is really guilty — the revelation of the secret known only to her and Adolar. For thus assisting him in his designs, Lysiart promises to marry Eglantine.
Euryanthe arrives at the feast and is warmly greeted by King Louis and his knights, who have small doubt of her trustworthiness. Great is the consternation when Lysiart
announces that he has his proof and produces the ring. Adolar can see in it only an evidence of her utter perfidy and, relinquishing all his possessions, declares his intention of being henceforth a wanderer.
In the next act, Adolar leads Euryanthe into the forest to slay her. A huge serpent confronts them and Euryanthe tries to save her lover by throwing herself in front of it. He destroys the frightful creature and, remembering that Euryanthe would have died for him, refuses now to kill her but leaves her alone in its depths. Here the huge slain serpent and the distracted maiden are discoverd by the king and his hunters. In answer to the king's questioning, she relates the story of Eglantine's perfidy. He is convinced of her innocence and promises that she shall yet be united to Adolar.
Adolar returns to Nevers, where a bridal procession is leaving the castle, descending the terrace, and crossing the drawbridge. Eglantine and Lysiart, richly clad, are the prospective bride and groom. Meanwhile Bertha tells Adolar that Euryanthe is innocent, and that Eglantine, who is about to marry Lysiart and to reign as supreme mistress over the country, is the guilty one. The peasants stand aside, and among them can be heard mutterings of dissatisfaction. Eglantine is half fainting, for she imag ines she sees Emma's spirit, and that she is demanding justice and asking for the ring. She becomes a prey to dreadful remorse, and divulges the whole wicked plot, whereat Adolar advances and denounces the couple as " Das Frevlerpaar " (" The wicked pair "). Lysiart com mands his followers to seize the intruder and carry him away to prison, but Adolar raises his visor, and the knights, seeing who he is, refuse to touch him, and a great shout of welcome rises from the crowds. This rouses Eglan tine from her stupor, and she cries "It is he, in his glory and beauty. Woe is me!" and then swoons. Lysiart is maddened by the turn affairs have taken, and as his follow ers threaten him with God's wrath in a magnificent quar tet "Defy not Heaven, misguided one," he calls down curses upon their heads. Adolar, believing Euryanthe dead, demands a meeting with Lysiart, but the King now en tering, declares that the law must decide the quarrel.