Melusine 1972

Synopsis
Artists

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

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.

Synopsis

Act I

Act II

Act III

Act IV

Artists

Susan Belling

Susan Belling

George Shirley

George Shirley

Jean Kraft

Jean Kraft

Alan Titus

Alan Titus

Betty Allen

Betty Allen

Leon Lishner

Leon Lishner

Michael Devlin

Michael Devlin

John Hall

John Hall

Michael Best

Michael Best

Stanley Wexler

Stanley Wexler

Richard Crist

Richard Crist

Douglas Perry

Douglas Perry

Ellen Vincent

Ellen Vincent

Bonnie Bradley

Bonnie Bradley

Sharon Edgemon

Sharon Edgemon

Stephen Dickson

Stephen Dickson

James Piper

James Piper

David Kuebler

David Kuebler

Christopher Keene

Christopher Keene

Bodo Igesz

Bodo Igesz

Neil Peter Jampolis

Neil Peter Jampolis

Robert Jones

Robert Jones

Melusine 1972