determined to establish his identity at all costs, and to claim his
wife; and for this purpose he sought the assistance of the most famous
lawyer in Paris.
Nearly a dozen times that day had he called at the offices of Derville,
only to find the great man absent, or engaged; and when he finally
appeared again as midnight was about to strike, old Boucard was highly
indignant, and wished to deny him admission, since he did not approve
of his wild and wretched looks and his beggarly garments.
Godeschal, however, was interested in the stranger, and bade him
enter; and as the haggard client came forward with feverish eagerness,
the ex-sergeant stared at him curiously, trying to chase some elusive
recollection as to where he had seen those scarred and worn features
before, since he felt sure the man was no stranger to him, though he
could not yet place him in his book of memory. His musings, however,
were cut short by the entrance of Derville, who sent both clerks into
an adjoining room, and sat down at once to interview his strange client.
No sooner did the ragged late-comer declare himself to be the famous
Chabert so long believed to be dead, than the young lawyer became
intensely interested; for the beautiful Comtesse Rosine, the supposed
widow of Chabert and the wife of Comte Ferraud, was also his client,
and one of the most fascinating of his many lady admirers. He,
therefore, invited the unhappy man before him to tell him his whole
story; and by the time the heart-rending recital had come to an end, he
felt entirely convinced that the stranger was indeed the Chabert who
had been mourned as dead.
At this moment, Godeschal entered to inform his master that the
Comtesse Rosine had unexpectedly arrived and desired an immediate
interview; and upon hearing that his beloved one was about to enter the
room, Chabert became violently agitated, forgetting, for the instant,
that she was now the wife of another man, and only longing to clasp her
in his arms.
Derville, however, though now more than ever satisfied as to the
truth of the story which had been told to him, thrust Chabert into an
adjoining chamber, bidding him to possess himself in patience a little
while longer; and then he gave orders for the Comtesse to be admitted,
at the same time scolding Godeschal for staring after the mysterious
ragged stranger--for the old sergeant had started violently on hearing
the raised voice of Chabert, and it had brought back to him a flood of
recollections. Half dazed, he admitted the Comtesse Rosine, retiring
from the room as she entered; and Derville turned readily to receive
his beautiful client, kissing her hand with his usual charming courtesy
and leading her to a seat.
That Rosine was agitated, he could easily perceive; and though she
began her interview by an attempted flirtation with the handsome young
lawyer, Derville skillfully evaded her advances and led her to relate
her troubles to him.
He was not greatly surprised to learn that Chabert was the cause of
her late visit; and he soon discovered that, though terrified, Rosine
desired him to believe that she was merely annoyed by the threats of
a blackmailer. She declared that an impostor calling himself Chabert
had written to her many letters, in which he claimed to be her first
husband who had had a wonderful escape from death and burial; and she
added that this person had now come to Paris and begun to haunt her
house.
Derville's quick brain instantly realised that the Comtesse secretly
believed the so-called impostor to be indeed her first husband, since
she had, doubtless, recognised his handwriting on the letters, but
that she was determined to refuse to acknowledge his identity; and the
truth of his surmise was instantly forthcoming, for Chabert, unable to
restrain himself longer, now burst into the room, and seizing Rosine's
trembling hands in his, greeted her as his wife in passionate tones of
love.
Rosine turned deadly pale, and, thus taken unawares, unconsciously
proved to the watchful Derville the identity of Chabert by her instant
shrinking away from his embrace, and by the hoarse murmur of his name
under her breath; but the next moment, full of despair at the thought
of losing her beloved Ferraud, she passionately denounced him as an
impostor and utterly repudiated the idea that she had ever beheld him
before.
Chabert, crushed again by her unexpected denial of him, feverishly
recounted to her all that he had done for her in the past--how he
had found her, an orphaned, destitute young girl, on the banks of
the Seine, about to drown herself; how he had saved her, and, loving
her from the first, had married her; and how, until the time of his
departure to the wars, he had loaded her with every kindness and sought
nothing but her happiness.
To all this, Rosine still stubbornly refused to admit any confirmation
whatever; but, in spite of her repudiation, undeniable proof of the
stranger's identity was again accorded by the sudden entry of old
Godeschal, who, full of emotion, flung himself at the feet of Chabert
and tearfully addressed him as his beloved Colonel, whom he now
completely recognised, in spite of his scars and haggard looks.
Finding herself thus defeated, Rosine uttered a distracted cry and
rushed out of the office, determined to cling to her beloved Ferraud
whilst she might; and when Chabert, now furious at her cruel denial of
him, would have followed with intent to kill her, Derville held him
back, and proceeded to calm his rage and to lay before him plans for
his next action.
Meanwhile, Rosine reached her home, and passed a restless, anxious
night, trying to seek a loophole from her terrible position. She dared
not yet make any statement to Ferraud, without whose love she felt she
could not exist; and next day, as she sat alone in one of the large
palatial rooms of her beautiful home, she determined to make an appeal
to Chabert himself to forego his claim, for she saw that he loved
her still and selfishly thought that he might be willing to put her
happiness before his own.
Elated by this idea, she was about to order her carriage and seek
Chabert, when Derville entered the room, unannounced.
Rosine, though last evening willing enough to win to her side the
handsome young lawyer by exercising her arts of fascination, now
resented his intrusion; for she knew that he had never for an instant
believed in her denial of Chabert's identity, that he even suspected
her of further deceit, and she feared him accordingly.
Her fears were well-founded; for Derville declared that he had come
to acquaint the Comte Ferraud with the fact of her first husband's
existence. Once again, Rosine indignantly denied that his ragged
client of last night was Chabert; but, next moment, she was completely
nonplussed by Derville calmly accusing her of having received all the
imploring letters which Chabert had sent to her during his wretched
wanderings, and of even having been in possession of his first
communication before her marriage with Ferraud took place.
Closely the lawyer watched the effect of his accusing words upon the
white face of Rosine; then, seeking a proof from herself of the truth
of his assertion, he added mercilessly: "I have proof of all this!"
Rosine fell into his trap at once; for, knowing that he spoke the
truth, she quickly determined to purchase his silence by the offer of
gold, and drawing from her writing-table a bag containing a thousand
louis d'or, she entreated him to take it and leave her in peace.
But Derville was not to be bought; and he sternly bade the agitated
woman to put back her gold, declaring that though he had held no proof
before of his suspicions, she had herself now revealed to him the truth
of his accusation by her foolish attempt to buy his silence.
The self-accused Rosine bowed her head in humiliation; but upon
Ferraud's entry into the room at that moment, she still endeavoured to
avert the blow she knew must fall.
Ferraud, young, handsome, and full of gaiety, had brought in flowers
from the garden for his beloved wife, whom he greeted tenderly, at the
same time extending a hearty greeting to Derville; but soon realising
that something was wrong, he demanded an explanation. In reply,
Derville, ignoring Rosine's imploring glances, asked for an interview;
and as the two men retired into Ferraud's study and closed the door,
the distracted wife listened outside, with her ear to the keyhole, for
the words that should seal her doom.
She heard Derville relating the story of her first husband's return;
and when the pair came out of the room, and the lawyer had departed to
fetch Chabert, she hastened, sobbing, to Ferraud, who clasped her in
his arms in a passionate embrace. To her joy, she found that Ferraud
refused to believe the story he had been told; and the pair remained
for a few happy minutes in their lovers' paradise, until interrupted
by the return of Derville with Chabert and the faithful ex-sergeant,
Godeschal, who refused to leave his newly-found and well-beloved
Colonel, fearing lest some conspiracy might be made against his life.
Ferraud met the newcomers with dignity, and haughtily challenged
Chabert to substantiate his claim to be the famous Colonel of whose
death and burial definite reports had been received and believed; and
upon Rosine again doggedly repudiating the fact that the changed man
before them was indeed her first husband, old Godeschal sprang forward
and furiously denounced the unhappy woman as a traitress, accusing her
of having been in possession of Chabert's first letter announcing his
escape before she was married to the Comte Ferraud.
Derville, out of pity for the harassed wife, had withheld the latter
information from Ferraud, who was thunderstruck on hearing the terrible
words of Godeschal; and seizing Rosine's hands in an agitated grip, he
commanded her to answer on oath that the accusation was false. In vain
Rosine, half-fainting, endeavoured to utter the words of denial that
Ferraud longed to hear; but, conscience-stricken, she could not swear
on oath that which she knew to be untrue, and, with bowed head, she
now admitted that the returned stranger was indeed her first husband,
Chabert, and that she had known him to be alive on the very day on
which she had been married to Ferraud.
She entreated the latter to forgive her, since her deep love for him
had been the reason for her guilty silence; but Ferraud, crushed by
the blow which must lay his family honour and pride in the dust, and
furious at the deception which had been practised upon him, flung the
weeping Rosine into the arms of Chabert, announcing to the latter that
he thus restored to him all that he had unwittingly robbed him of.
The wretched Rosine entreated him not to cast her off, again declaring
her love for him; but Ferraud, though moved by her grief, rushed out
into the open air, and Chabert and his despairing wife were left alone.
Rosine, half-dazed, remained silent for a long time; and then, on
awakening to the full realisation of her awful position, she pleaded
passionately to Chabert to resign his claim to her and to declare
himself an impostor. Presently seeing her two children by Ferraud
approaching, she called them in, fondling them with loving embraces,
and, tearfully bewailing the dishonour that must fall upon their
innocent heads should her own unhappy story become known, she entreated
once more to be recognised as their father's wife.
Chabert was deeply moved at the sight of the pretty children; and
Rosine, perceiving this, now used her last shaft and declared boldly
that she had never loved him, but that her regard for him in the past
had been merely gratitude for his kindness to her, and that the real
love of her life had been given to Ferraud, the father of her children.
Entirely crushed by thus realising that his deep faithful love had
never been returned, Chabert staggered from the room for a few moments
to recover his senses; and Rosine seized the opportunity to take out
from a secret drawer in her writing-desk a phial containing a deadly
poison, determining to swallow it and die rather than be compelled to
leave her beloved Ferraud.
Ere the poison reached her lips, however, Chabert returned, and seeing
what she was about to do, snatched the phial from her trembling hand
and thrust it into his breast pocket.
Rosine, baulked in her purpose, repeated again the cruel statement that
she had never loved any man but Ferraud; and then taking her children
by the hand, she hurried with them from the room.
Chabert, left alone, became a prey to the gloomiest thoughts; and,
completely broken as he realised the fact that Rosine had never loved
him, but that he must himself yet love her to the end of his days,
he determined to go back to the oblivion of death and thus interfere
with her happiness no more. Deliberately, he sat at the desk and wrote
a note, in which he declared himself to be an impostor who had posed
as Chabert for blackmailing purposes, but who was in reality merely
Hyacinth the Beggar; and then, feeling for his pistol, he stepped
out into the garden, cautiously hiding himself behind the bushes and
keeping from the sight of the watchful Godeschal.
Meanwhile, Rosine had met with Ferraud once more, and had implored him
again not to cast her off, but to keep her story from public knowledge
for the sake of their children; but Ferraud, though deeply suffering
himself, gently but firmly declared that his honour could only be
satisfied by restoring to Chabert his rightful position.
Just then, a pistol shot rang out from the garden; and, fearing the
worst, Derville and Godeschal, followed by Ferraud, hastened outside to
look for Chabert, whose body they found amongst the bushes, slain by
his own hand.
Reverently they bore the corpse into the house; and Rosine,
horror-struck at the tragedy, was overcome with grief and remorse as
she now realised that Chabert had died for love of her, and despairing
because her own deceptions had alienated Ferraud's affections, she
flung herself upon the prostrate body, and feeling for the phial of
poison he had taken from her, swallowed the contents, before Ferraud
could stay her hand.
Overcome with horror and grief, the Comte rushed forward to catch her
swaying body as it fell; and Rosine, with Chabert's name on her lips,
uttered a deep sigh and expired in his arms.
THE JEWELS OF THE MADONNA
(_I Gioielli della Madonna_)
It was the day of the Festival of the Madonna; and all the
pleasure-loving folk of Naples had turned out to enjoy the holiday in
honour of the event, quite early in the day taking up their stands in
the best vantage-grounds, in order to get a good view of the great
Church Procession and to join in the wild Carnival fun.
In one of the public squares facing the sea, a more than usually merry
crowd had collected, to the great delight and amusement of old Biaso,
the Scribe, and to the annoyance of young Gennaro, the blacksmith.
Old Biaso had brought his pens and paper to a table outside his mean
little hut; and here he plied a busy trade, since many of the pretty
girls in the crowd gladly gave him commissions to write love-letters
for them to their various sweethearts.
Young Gennaro, however, found the boisterous crowd far from his liking,
since he had no intention of joining in the Carnival pranks, and only
desired to pursue his usual daily work in peace and quietness, having
many disturbing thoughts to occupy his mind on this particular day.
For Gennaro was in love; and the object of his adoration was a wild,
wilful maiden, whose beauty and charm enthralled him to distraction,
but who could not be persuaded to look upon him in any other light
than that of a brother--and as a brother, moreover, whose prudence and
restraining authority she scorned.
The lovely Maliella longed for excitement and light pleasures; and her
high spirit resented the wise restraints imposed upon her by Gennaro
and his worthy mother, Carmela, with whom she had lived since earliest
childhood.
Only too well did Gennaro know this; and he was just now torn between
his brotherly sense of duty in keeping the madcap girl from the
temptations of frivolity, and his lover's longing to grant her every
desire. The former had prevailed to-day, so far, his mother and he
having determined to keep Maliella within doors, so that she might
not be exposed to the careless licence of the Festival crowds; but as
Gennaro plied his work outside the house, he knew that Carmela had
her hands full in keeping the disappointed and angry girl occupied
with the domestic tasks she abhorred. He was, therefore, more than
usually irritated by the amusing cries of the street-venders and by the
pandemonium that reigned supreme amongst the giddy holiday folk, who,
however, cared nothing for the harassed looks of the pale youth who
seemed so determined to work whilst they played.
In the distance, the church bells were ringing merrily, and the sound
of singing proclaimed the fact that the great procession of the Madonna
was already formed and parading the streets; and presently some
gaily-decorated boats drew up to the quay and disembarked a number of
pretty little boys decorated in festival clothes as Children of St.
John, who were followed by little flower-girls garbed in white, all
marching through the square to the accompaniment of musical instruments.
The appearance of the children gave greater animation than ever to the
scene; and most of the merry-makers followed in their wake to join the
approaching procession.
The square was thus left somewhat quieter for a short time; and
Gennaro, at last overcome by his conflicting feelings, had just seized
this opportunity of a peaceful moment to sink upon his knees beside the
anvil and offer up a short prayer to the Virgin for guidance in his
dilemma, when the beautiful Maliella herself impetuously burst forth
from the house beyond, closely followed by the distracted Carmela,
who held in her hand a comb with which she had been endeavouring to
straighten the girl's untidy locks.
But Maliella was in a rebellious mood and refused to allow her guardian
to make her neat and presentable if her fair looks were to be kept
hidden from the appreciative eyes of the outside world. She had roughly
broken away from Carmela's restraining hands, and now appeared in the
square with disordered dress and her jet-black hair streaming over
her shoulders, calling out passionately:--"No! No! You shall not make
me look fair for the benefit of my mirror only! I am beautiful, and I
long for love and pleasure! This is a Festival Day, and I mean to enjoy
myself with all these merry folk! I will be held in no longer!"
Shocked and pained, Gennaro ran to expostulate with the wilful girl,
only to receive fiery words of scorn in reply; and in spite of his and
Carmela's entreaties, Maliella flitted here and there about the square,
sticking on her head a paper cap dropped by one of the holiday-makers,
and, spurred on in her rebellion by the encouraging cheers of old Biaso
and the lively youths who had now returned to behold the approach
of the procession, she struck a coquettish attitude and called out
audaciously:--"Here am I, young and pretty, and longing for kisses! Who
will oblige me?"
Instantly, there was a rush to seize the seductive and mischievous
young beauty, all the youths being eager to accept her invitation; but
Maliella merrily eluded them all and ran out of the square, only to be
closely followed by her new admirers.
A band of Camorrists now appeared on the scene, headed by a handsome
youth, Rafaele, their dashing leader; and quickly taking in the
enticing situation, they joined in the pursuit of the fair truant.
Gennaro sought comfort from his shocked and dismayed mother, from whom
he learnt that Maliella had been adopted when a foundling baby by
Carmela as a mark of her gratitude to the Virgin for having preserved
the life of her beloved son when laid low by some childish complaint;
and bidding him think no more about the unruly girl, Carmela advised
him instead to seek guidance by praying before the approaching statue
of the Madonna.
No sooner had Gennaro departed to join in the procession than Maliella
appeared in the square once more, closely pursued by the handsome
Camorrist leader, Rafaele, whose ardent nature had been instantly
magnetised by her unusual beauty, and who was already in love with the
pleasure-seeking girl, whose tantalising elusiveness fanned his sudden
passion at every turn.
Hoping to please their leader, the Camorrist followers began to dance
in a circle around the pair, calling merrily upon the girl to redeem
the invitation she had given; but Maliella, now somewhat alarmed by
the situation in which her saucy audacity had placed her, still tried
to escape from the inevitable embrace of the enamoured Rafaele, even
though at the same time elated and pleased by the hot words of love
and admiration which he poured upon her when at last, by a skillful
manœuvre, he seized her in his arms. Then, ere the victorious youth
had time to snatch the kiss he hungered for, Maliella pulled out a
long, dagger-like pin from her hair, and dared him to the deed at his
peril.
Not to be put off by such a threat, Rafaele boldly seized her round
the waist, only to receive a sharp stab in the hand from Maliella's
stiletto-pin. The girl's daring, however, but inflamed his passion the
more; and after kissing the bleeding wound in his hand, he seized the
opportunity of Maliella's hands being engaged in replacing the pin in
her hair, to thrust a red rose into the loosened bodice of her gown.
Determined not to admit herself won, even though secretly responsive
to the advances of the handsome youth, Maliella plucked out the flower
and flung it to the ground; but the procession at that moment appearing
in the square, she allowed Rafaele to help her on to a chair that she
might get a better view of the dazzling spectacle.
Rafaele never ceased his pleading for her to heed his words of love and
to return his passion; and incensed by her haughty scorn and seeming
indifference, he cried out passionately as the Statue of the Madonna
was borne by: "What, then, can one do to please you? Must one thieve
and do evil to win a kindly glance, since protestations of love and
good-will are naught to you? I will do any deed to satisfy you, if you
will but name it--even to the committing of sacrilege! Would you wear
the dazzling Jewels of the Madonna? I will snatch them from the passing
statue now, if it will cause you to smile on me!"
But Maliella was now terrified at this outburst, and uttered a cry of
horror at this last daring suggestion made by Rafaele, who, however,
only laughed aloud at her alarm; and at this moment the girl was again
accosted by Gennaro, who once more begged her to return to the house,
and upbraided her for holding converse with the Camorrist leader,
declaring him to be the most notorious law-breaker in Naples and not a
fit companion for a young girl.
Still resenting his interference, Maliella pertly bade Gennaro mind
his own business; and yielding herself more and more to the fascination
of Rafaele, she now permitted the Camorrist leader to see that his
attentions were pleasing to her. Her unmistakable coquetries and
roguish glances stung the already jealous Gennaro to madness; and he
would have fought with Rafaele then and there had not the return of the
procession with the Madonna statue in its midst compelled him, with the
entire crowd of merry-makers, to sink upon his knees in prayer.
As the procession passed on its way to the accompaniment of the
Carnival rejoicings, Rafaele flung his red rose a second time at the
feet of Maliella, who now picked it up, kissed it, and flashing a
tender glance at the eagerly expectant Camorrist, fled into the house
with a joyous laugh, followed quickly by the unhappy Gennaro.
Later on, as the three members of the household sat after supper in the
back garden, Carmela, anxious for the peace of her home, endeavoured to
persuade Maliella to retire to rest early in the evening, even though
the festive sounds of the Carnival were still to be heard without; but
neither Maliella nor Gennaro heeded her words, both keeping a sullen
silence until Carmela, with a deep sigh, bade them good-night and
retired to her own chamber.
No sooner had the elder woman departed than the two young people
renewed their dispute; and Maliella, again crying out against the
restraints of her life, declared she would endure such an existence no
longer, but would run away that night and seek a home elsewhere.
The young blacksmith, half stupefied by this unexpected announcement,
begged her to give him a farewell kiss; and when Maliella reluctantly
offered him her cheek, he clasped her in his arms and passionately
poured forth the tale of his own love and devotion for her. Maliella,
utterly unable to regard Gennaro in any other light than that of a
brotherly protector, repulsed him with laughing scorn and unbelief;
but failing to prevent his further protestations and entreaties for
reciprocation, she boldly declared her love for Rafaele, and when
Gennaro, with jealousy raging at his heart, turned aside with disdain
at the mention of the outlaw Camorrist's name, she passionately
announced her preference for one whose love for her was so deep that
he was even willing to risk his immortal soul by offering to steal the
Jewels of the Madonna for her adornment.
Staggered at such a suggestion of sacrilege, Gennaro renewed his
efforts to prevent the departure of Maliella, who now tried to escape
from the garden; and after a fierce struggle, the girl was compelled
to retreat, and ran up a little outside staircase to her room with a
jaunty step and a carelessly defiant laugh.
Darkness had now fallen; and, left to his own devices, Gennaro gave
himself up to the gloom and misery engendered by his unrequited love.
Then, suddenly, one tempting thought began to seize hold of his
imagination until his whole being became obsessed with the taunting
suggestion.
Had not she expressed her admiration for one who would even commit
sacrilege for her sake? The Camorrist, in spite of his boast, had not
yet proved his audacity by committing the deed; then, why should not
Gennaro himself steal the Jewels of the Madonna this very night, and by
laying them at the feet of his adored one, win her love and admiration
away from his rival?
In his present feverish state of mind, Gennaro was utterly unable
to resist the temptation of this overwhelming thought; and crushing
down his horror at the sacrilege he would thus commit, and thinking
only of the joy of winning approbation from his beloved Maliella, the
passion-racked youth staggered to his tool-chest, seized some files and
other necessary implements, and made his way out from the garden by a
seldom-used postern-door, which, however, he carefully locked behind
him.
Almost immediately after Gennaro's departure, a band of the Camorrists
appeared on the outside of the large, securely-fastened garden gate,
headed by the dashing Rafaele, who had brought his companions thither
to assist him in serenading his newly-found lady-love; and on hearing
sounds of seductive music, Maliella presently appeared on the little
staircase that led down from her chamber window. She was now clad in
loose white garments, over which she had flung a scarlet shawl; and
seeing who the serenaders were, she hastily ran down the stairs and
made her way to the gate.
Rafaele greeted Maliella with rapturous delight; and his renewed
protestations of love and his eager invitation for her to leave her
present dull abode and join him in the haunts of the Camorrists were
so enticing that she could no longer restrain the responsive chords in
her own heart, and was overwhelmed with joy when her lover embraced
her through the bars of the gate. The thought that Gennaro might be
lurking near, however, filled her with alarm; and entreating Rafaele to
depart at once and promising to visit him in the Camorrist abode on the
morrow, she tore herself from his embrace.
As Rafaele withdrew with his companions, she stood for a moment as
though in a reverie, still feeling the joyous thrill engendered by her
lover's presence; then, hearing the sound of approaching steps, she
turned hastily and cried out in alarm at the sight of Gennaro, who now
stumbled into the garden through the little postern-door, his face
white and haggard, and his whole appearance strangely wild.
On beholding Maliella, Gennaro's sunken eyes lighted up with passionate
adoration; and approaching her with trembling, uncertain steps, and
sinking upon his knees, he flung a bundle at her feet, murmuring
brokenly: "For you! For you I did it!"
But Maliella sprang back, horror-struck; for the silvery moonlight
showed her that the bundle contained the glittering Jewels of the
Madonna!
Full of awe, she gazed upon the sparkling gems until she became
fascinated by their rich colour and beauty; and whilst Gennaro poured
forth the story of how he had broken into the church and secured the
treasures, explaining that he believed the Madonna had already forgiven
his sacrilege in consideration of his overwhelming love, the half-dazed
girl mechanically began to array herself in the ornaments, placing the
diadem on her head, and hanging the chains and bracelets upon her white
neck and arms. The form of the kneeling Gennaro seemed to fade away
from her sight altogether, and the glittering jewels conjured up before
her mental vision the picture of her beloved Rafaele only; and, as in
a trance, she began to murmur words of love, bidding her sweetheart
admire her dazzling appearance, as though he were indeed at her side.
Gennaro, in his own over-wrought state of mind, now believed that
the tender smiles and gentle love-phrases of the entranced girl were
addressed to himself; and, full of joy that, as he imagined, his
passion was at last returned, he clasped the jewel-decked form in his
arms in a loving embrace.
Maliella, still under the strange spell of the mental vision of Rafaele
which her vivid imagination and passionate desire had conjured up,
yielded herself unresistingly to the mystical atmosphere of love
which enveloped her senses; and as Gennaro, quite unsuspicious of her
mistake, and almost mad with the unexpected joy of possession, held her
in a close embrace, the half-dreaming girl, lost to her surroundings,
uttered a deep sigh of unconscious content and swooned in his arms.
Meanwhile, Rafaele and his companions had returned to the meeting-place
of the Camorrists; and here, in a lonely house on the outskirts of the
city, a merry throng of outlaws had gathered to pass the remainder of
the Festival night in an orgy of feasting, dancing and love-making.
On the entrance of the serenaders, a bevy of bold, pretty maidens
surrounded the handsome Rafaele and endeavoured to win kisses and
favours from him by their rival attentions; but, to their surprise
and disappointment, the Camorrist leader was in no mood for their
importunities, and instead of bestowing the eagerly-expected kisses, he
chose instead to sing to them a happy love-song, in which he set before
them the charms of his beautiful Maliella.
The Camorrist girls, piqued at his preference for a chance stranger,
teased him unmercifully because he had not yet succeeded in carrying
off his fair lady-love; but Rafaele, caring little for their spiteful
taunts, bade them proceed with their revels, and noise and laughter
soon reigned supreme.
Just as the hilarity was at its height, there came a sudden
interruption; for, hearing a cry for help from without, Rafaele bade
one of the revellers open the door. His command was instantly obeyed;
and, to the astonishment of all, in rushed Maliella, still in her night
attire and adorned with the Jewels of the Madonna.
On awakening from her swoon and finding herself in the arms of Gennaro,
she had been filled with dismay on realising that she had, unwittingly,
yielded herself to the passion of one suitor when her love was given
to another; and, overcome with shame at this discovery, and still
horrified at the recollection of the sacrilege which had been committed
for her sake, she had struggled free from the detaining embrace of the
young blacksmith, and, escaping from the garden, had hastened with all
speed to seek protection and comfort from Rafaele.
So exhausted was the girl by her strong emotion and hasty flight,
that, on finding herself at last in the presence of her real lover,
she had only strength left to announce that she had fled from Gennaro
who was even now following her, when she fell fainting to the floor;
and as Rafaele bent over her in concern, he commanded a party of his
companions to seek for Gennaro and bring him in, alive or dead.
Stung by the curious glances cast upon him by the saucy Camorrist
maidens, Rafaele quickly succeeded in rousing Maliella; and upon his
stern demand for an explanation of her present distraught condition,
the unhappy girl was compelled to confess how she had, unconsciously,
yielded herself to the passion of Gennaro whilst under the spell of her
thoughts of Rafaele.
On hearing this strange story, derisive laughter arose on every side
from the girls whose kisses the Camorrist leader had refused a short
time before; and, stung to madness by their sneers and ridicule, and
believing that he had been fooled purposely by Maliella, Rafaele
spurned the wretched girl, thrusting her from him with such force that
she fell to the ground, thus revealing more conspicuously the dazzling
jewels she still wore.
At sight of the Madonna Jewels, and realising that an act of sacrilege
had been committed, an awed silence fell upon the revellers; but
on hearing the distant voice of the now approaching Gennaro as his
pursuers chased him, Maliella declared that the Jewels had been stolen
by him for her sake from the sacred statue.
Full of horror at such a deed, the women and most of the men fled from
the house; and as Gennaro staggered in, closely pursued, Rafaele sprang
forward to slay him, but suddenly recoiled again superstitiously from
one whom he now believed to be accursed.
Maliella, distracted by the sin which had been committed for her sake,
and full of despair because Rafaele now disdained her love, poured
forth passionate words of reproach upon the wretched Gennaro; and
snatching from her neck and arms the flashing Jewels of the Madonna,
she flung them to the ground at his feet and rushed from the house,
demented, crying wildly: "To the sea! To the sea!"
Rafaele and all the revellers had by this time left the house,
shudderingly, as though it had been visited by the plague, for wild and
lawless though they were, their superstitious beliefs still had power
to fill them with terror because of the sacrilegious deed that had been
committed; and Gennaro was thus left alone for the time being, though
some of the bolder spirits amongst the Camorrists intended to return
later to deal him his death-blow.
But Gennaro cared not whether he died by the hands of the Camorrists
or not; for his whole being was now enveloped in horror for the deed of
which he was guilty. Full of repentance and only longing for pardon,
he crawled upon his knees towards a fresco figure of the Virgin which
appeared upon one of the walls of the room, and prostrating himself
before it, prayed earnestly for forgiveness.
A streak of rosy light from the rising sun at that moment pierced the
gloomy twilight; and taking this as a miraculous sign sent to him in
answer to his prayers as a token of the Madonna's forgiveness, Gennaro
uttered a cry of thanksgiving.
Then, still not deeming himself worthy to live after his deed of
sacrilege, and overwhelmed by the despairing hopelessness of his
unhappy love passion, he seized a knife from a table close at hand and
plunged it into his heart.
At this moment, some of the Camorrists, accompanied by an angry mob
of the townsfolk who had just discovered the crime that had been
committed, burst into the house to wreak their vengeance upon the
committer of sacrilege; but one and all stopped suddenly upon the
threshold and dropped their weapons in silence as they gazed upon the
limp form of the unhappy Gennaro lying dead beside the scattered Jewels
of the Madonna.
SHORT BIOGRAPHIES OF THE COMPOSERS
AUBER
DANIEL FRANÇOIS ESPRIT AUBER was born at Caen, Normandy, 29th
January, 1782; died at Paris, 13th May, 1871. He was the son of a
Paris print-seller, and was sent in early youth to acquire knowledge
of business in London; and whilst in England he devoted himself
assiduously to the study of music. On returning to Paris he began to
compose operas; and with _La Bergère Châtelaine_ (1820), began a long
and brilliant series of triumphs. His best-known operas are:--_Fra
Diavolo_ (1830), _Les Diamants de la Couronne_ (1841), _Haydée_ (1847),
_Manon Lescaut_ (1869), _Le Cheval de Bronze_ (1835), etc.
BALFE
MICHAEL WILLIAM BALFE was born at Dublin, 15th May, 1808; died at
Rowney Abbey, 20th October, 1870. He displayed remarkable musical
talent as a boy; and when only sixteen conducted the orchestra at Drury
Lane Theatre. Later he studied music in Italy; and in 1845 he was made
conductor of the Italian Opera, Covent Garden. He wrote a great many
operas, the best known of which are:--_The Bohemian Girl_ (1843), _The
Rose of Castile_ (1857), _Satanella_ (1858), _The Maid of Honour_
(1847), _Joan of Arc_ (1837), etc.
BEETHOVEN
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN, one of the greatest of musicians, was born
at Bonn, 16th December, 1770; died 26th March, 1827. He was the son
of a tenor singer in the service of the Elector of Cologne. His
wonderful talent for music was early displayed and cultivated, and
even in his eighth year he delighted all who heard him by his truly
astonishing execution on the violin. He began to compose sonatas in
his thirteenth year, and these promising signs of genius caused the
Elector of Cologne to send him, in the character of his Court-Organist,
to Vienna, to study composition under the instruction of Haydn,
Schenk, and Albrechtsberger. Here, except for some few years spent
in the new Court of the King of Westphalia, Beethoven passed the
remainder of his life, latterly retiring to the village of Modlingen,
near Vienna. Most of his principal works were composed after 1801.
He did not hold musical offices, but devoted himself entirely to
composition; and though at first he appeared as a pianoforte player, he
afterwards withdrew entirely from the world, and lived in a solitude
enhanced latterly by almost total deafness. Beethoven was essentially
a composer of instrumental music, which received from his work an
entirely new and original character, and he developed the symphonic
art to a surprising boldness and breadth of form and outline, filling
this in with a truly marvellous wealth of grand melody--the landmark
of a completely new phase in the history of music. Beethoven only
wrote one opera, _Fidelio_ (first entitled _Leonore_), and one sacred
cantata, _The Mount of Olives_; but, original and beautiful as these
are, they still show us that this great musician was at his greatest
in his instrumental works, upon which his chief fame rests. Besides
his noble symphonies and overtures, his quintettes, quartettes, and
trios, for stringed instruments, his numerous sonatas, variations, and
other pieces for the pianoforte, all show the great richness, power,
and originality of his imagination. Beethoven died in the village of
Modlingen on 26th March, 1827.
BELLINI
VINCENZO BELLINI was born in Catania, in Sicily, 3rd November, 1802;
died at Puteux, near Paris, 24th September, 1835. He studied at the
Conservatorium in Naples, and in 1833 went to Paris. He produced a
number of operas, his style being chiefly founded on that of the then
fashionable Rossini, but with the defects of that composer's florid
work somewhat exaggerated. Rossini was, however, a good friend to the
young Bellini, and gave him very valuable assistance and encouragement.
Bellini's best known and most attractive operas are _La Sonnambula_ (La
Scala, 1831), _Norma_ (26th December, 1831), and _I Puritani_ (1835);
all of which are full of melodious airs, and have attained great
popularity.
BENEDICT
SIR JULIUS BENEDICT was born at Stuttgart, 27th November, 1804; died
5th June, 1885. In his early years he studied with J. C. L. Abeille,
and was also under Hummel at Weimar, where he was presented to Weber,
who then took him entirely under his charge, treating him more as a
son than as a pupil. At the age of nineteen years, he was appointed
conductor of the Karnthnerthor Theatre in Vienna. From there he
went to Italy, and was appointed Chef d'Orchestre at the San Carlos
at Naples. Here he produced his first opera, _Giacinta ed Ernesto_
(1829). In 1835, he went to England, which country he made his home
for the remainder of his life. Here his finest operas were written
and produced, _The Brides of Venice_ being produced in 1843, and _The
Crusaders_, 1846; and in 1836 he was made musical director of the Opera
Buffa at the Lyceum Theatre. In 1850, he accompanied Jenny Lind to the
United States, as director of her concerts. On his return in 1852, he
was appointed conductor of the Harmonic Union. In 1862 he produced
his popular opera, _The Lily of Killarney_, a musical version of Dion
Boucicault's play, _The Colleen Bawn_. In 1871 he was knighted; and he
died in England on 5th June, 1885. Besides his operas, Benedict also
wrote some very charming cantatas, chief of which are _Undine_ (1860)
and _Richard Cœur de Lion_ (1863); also _Graziella_ (1882), afterwards
performed as an opera. He also wrote the oratorios, _St. Cecilia_
(1866) and _St. Peter_ (1870); and a number of other smaller musical
pieces.
BIZET
ALEXANDER CÉSAR LEOPOLD BIZET (known as Georges) was born at Paris on
25th October 1838; died 3rd June, 1875. The son of a singing-master, he
entered the Conservatoire at the age of nine years; and at the early
age of nineteen gained the Grand Prix de Rome, and went to Italy to
study. On returning to France, Bizet began to write operas, the first
of which _Pêcheurs de Perles_ was produced at the Théâtre Lyrique in
1863. It was but coldly received, as were also _La Jolie Fille de
Perth_ (1867), _Djamileh_ (1872) and _L'Arlésienne_, in spite of their
unusual merits. In 1875 _Carmen_ was produced at the Opera Comique.
This masterpiece quickly gained for Bizet world-wide fame, and placed
him in the first rank of French composers. The Parisians, however,
received the opera coldly; and it was not until eight years later, when
it had been appraised everywhere else that they at last recognised its
extraordinary charm and genius. _Carmen_ was the last work of Bizet;
for, three months after its first production, just as success was
within his grasp, the gifted composer was seized with sudden illness
and died.
DONIZETTI
GAETANO DONIZETTI was born at Bergamo, Italy, 25th September, 1798;
died there 8th April, 1848. His musical education was conducted at
Bologna and Naples; and at first, at his father's wish, he devoted
himself to church music, for which, however, he had no taste, and
to evade which he entered the army. Whilst thus away from home, he
wrote his first two operas, _Enrico di Borgogna_ and _Il Falegname de
Livonia_, the latter of which was so successful that he left the army
and devoted himself entirely to opera-writing. He wrote with great
rapidity and ease, and produced no less than sixty operas. His style
was founded on that of Rossini, and his flowing melodies have attained
great popularity. After 1844, Donizetti's talent seemed to have utterly
exhausted itself, and he began to suffer from melancholia, which
finally developed into insanity. Donizetti's chief operas were: _The
Daughter of the Regiment_ (1840), _La Favorita_ (1840), _Don Pasquale_
(1843), _Lucia di Lammermoor_ (1835), _L'Elisir d'Amore_ (1832),
_Lucrezia Borgia_ (1834), _Linda de Chamouni_ (1842), etc.
FLOTOW
FRIEDRICH VON FLOTOW was born at Teutondorf, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, 26th
April, 1812; died at Darmstadt, 23rd January, 1883. He received his
musical education at Paris, where he early began to write operas. His
first real success was scored with _Stradella_, produced at Hamburg
in 1844. _Martha_ was produced in 1847, and quickly won the composer
world-wide fame. It was produced in England at the Royal Italian Opera
in 1858, and instantly obtained popularity with the English public.
Flotow wrote several other operas, none of which are well known in
England.
GOUNOD
CHARLES FRANÇOIS GOUNOD was born at Paris, 17th June, 1818; died
there 18th October, 1893. He entered the Conservatoire in 1836, and
took the Grand Prix de Rome in 1839. In Rome he was appointed Honorary
Maestre di Capella for life. After several years of study, he produced
his _Messe Solennelle in G_, some portions of which were brought
out in London in 1851. He held in Paris, from 1852-60, the post of
conductor of the _Orphéon_. He wrote operas from 1851. _Faust_ was
produced at the Theatre Lyrique in 1859, and placed him at once in
the first rank of his profession. Amongst his other best known operas
are:--_Roméo et Juliette_ (1867), _Sapho_ (1851), _Philemon et Baucis_
(1860), _Cinq-Mars_ (1877), etc. In 1882 he produced an oratorio, _The
Redemption_, at the Birmingham Musical Festival; and he also wrote much
church music.
HALÈVY
JACQUES FRANÇOIS FROMENTAL HALÈVY was born in Paris, 27th May, 1799;
died at Nice, 1862. Showing great musical ability in his early years,
he entered the Conservatoire when only ten years old, and studied under
Cavot, Berton, and Lambert, and for five years received lessons in
counterpoint from Cherubini. He also studied for two years at Rome, and
later became a popular teacher, numbering amongst his most celebrated
pupils, Gounod and Bizet. He met with no important success until the
year 1835, when he produced two operas:--_La Juive_, presented 23rd
February, and _L'Eclair_, presented 16th December. _La Juive_ was an
immediate success, and won for its composer a first place amongst
French musicians. Fifteen years later, this opera was produced at
Covent Garden, where it also met with great appreciation and success.
_La Juive_ is the only one of Halèvy's operas that still enjoys
European fame, though he wrote many others, the most worthy of mention
being _La Reine de Chypre_ (1841), _Les Mousquetaires_ (1846), _Guido
et Ginevra_, and _Le Val d'Andorre_.
HUMPERDINCK
ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK was born 1st September, 1854, at Siegburg, in
the Rhine Provinces. His musical education was received first at the
Gymnasium of Paderborn, and afterwards at the Cologne Conservatoire,
where he was entered in 1872. In 1876, he won the Mozart Stipendium,
and proceeded to Munich. In 1879, he won the Mendelssohn Stiftung of
Berlin; after which he visited Italy, where he made the acquaintance
of Wagner at Naples, and became so friendly with the great composer
that he afterwards helped him with the production of _Parsifal_ at
Bayreuth. In 1881, he won the Meyerbeer prize of Berlin; and after
having produced a number of compositions for the orchestra, he
produced his masterpiece opera, _Hansel und Gretel_, the libretto
of which was written by his sister, Adelheid Wette. This beautiful
fairy opera was produced first at Weimar in 1894; and the first
production of it in London was in 1895. It met with great success,
and was followed in 1896 by the charming allegorical opera, _Die
Königskinder_, and in 1902 by _Dornröschen_. In 1896, Humperdinck was
created Professor by the Kaiser; and in 1905, his opera, _Die Heirath
Wider Willen_, was produced at Berlin. He also wrote the incidental
music for Maeterlinck's beautiful allegorical play, _The Blue Bird_.
Humperdinck's operas are remarkable for the beauty and simplicity
of their subjects, and for the exquisite delicacy of their musical
treatment.
LEONCAVALLO
RUGGIERO LEONCAVALLO was born at Naples 8th March, 1858. He studied at
the Neapolitan Conservatoire, and afterwards gave singing lessons and
went through many hard struggles. His first opera, _Medici_, being part
of a trilogy, _Crepusculinis_, was not produced until after _Pagliacci_
(produced at the Teatro dal Verme, Milan, 21st May, 1892) had won great
success for him. _Medici_ was given in 1893, but proved unsuccessful,
and the remaining portions of the trilogy, _Savonarola_ and _Cesare
Borgia_, were not produced. The other operas that followed were: _Der
Roland_ (1894); _Chatterton_ (1896); _La Bohème_ (1897); _Zaza_ (1900);
but none of these have met with great success, his lighter work, such
as _Zaza_ and _Pagliacci_, being in his happiest vein. Another opera,
_Maia_, was produced at the Royal Opera House, Berlin, on 17th March,
1911.
MASCAGNI
PIETRO MASCAGNI was born at Leghorn, 7th December, 1863. His father
intended him for the law, and discouraged his many efforts to learn
music. The musical youth, however, entered himself secretly at
the Instituto Luigi Cherubini, his chief instructor being Alfredo
Soffredini. Later on an uncle adopted him; and he was then permitted
to devote himself entirely to music, and was afterwards sent to Milan
Conservatoire. Unable to bear the restrictions of the Conservatoire,
however, Mascagni joined various travelling operatic companies as
conductor, and for a time lived in great obscurity, from whence he
emerged by the success of his brilliant one-act opera, _Cavalleria
Rusticana_, which won the first prize in a competition, and was
produced at the Costanzi Theatre, Rome, 18th May, 1890. This was
received with overwhelming appreciation, and made its composer
immediately famous. His next opera was _L'Amico Fritz_ (1891); after
which followed:--_I Rantzan_ (1892); _Guglielino Ratcliff_ (1895);
_Silvano_ (1895); _Zanetto_ (1896); _Iris_ (1898); _Le Maschère_
(1901); _Amica_ (1905); but none of these have fulfilled the brilliant
promise of _Cavalleria Rusticana_, and have met with little success.
MEYERBEER
GIACOMO MEYERBEER was born at Berlin, 5th September, 1791; died at
Paris, 2nd May, 1864. He was a pupil of Lauska, and also had lessons
from Clementi. In 1815 he went to Italy to study musical composition,
and there he began to write operas. He first took Rossini as his
model, the best example of which was _Il Crociata_ (1824). In 1831 he
struck out in a new style with _Robert le Diable_, produced at the
Grand Opera, Paris. This beautiful and fantastic opera was received
with the wildest enthusiasm, and quickly brought fame to the composer.
His masterpiece was _Les Huguenots_ (1836) and his other best-known
works are:--_Le Prophête_ (1849), _L'Etoile du Nord_ (1854), _Dinorah_
(1859), etc.
MOZART
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART was born at Salzburg, Austria, on 27th
January, 1756; died at Vienna, 5th December, 1791. He showed a
precocious knowledge of music when but three or four years of age,
and composed before he was six. His father, a musician also, guided
his efforts, and from 1762-65 took the child to many European cities
to exhibit his talents. In 1768 Mozart was made Concert-Meister at
Salzburg; and here his first opera, _La Finta Semplice_, was produced,
written when about twelve years old. In 1777 he went to Paris and
other places, failing to obtain anything but empty applause; and in
1779 he returned to Salzburg as Cathedral organist. From 1781 he lived
in Vienna, where he remained until his death. He reaped but little
pecuniary benefit from his compositions, in spite of his great genius;
and he was seldom free from the anxieties of poverty. In 1791 he
received the famous commission from a mysterious stranger to write a
_Requiem Mass_; and in enfeebled health he began it, declaring that
it was for his own funeral. This was his last great work, and he died
ere it was quite finished. There were no ceremonies at his grave,
and he was buried in the common ground of St. Marx. Many years later
a monument was erected to him by the city of Vienna. As an operatic
writer, Mozart is considered by many to have no equal. His chief operas
are:--_Le Nozze di Figaro_ (1786), _Don Giovanni_ (1787), _Idomeneo_
(1781), _Die Zauberflöte_ (1791), _La Clemenza di Tito_ (1791), _Così
fan tutte_ (1790), etc. Besides the exquisite _Requiem_, he wrote many
other Masses, and a great number of symphonies, sonatas, concertos,
quartettes, etc. Very little of his music was published in his
life-time.
NICOLAI
CARL OTTO EHRENFRIED NICOLAI was born at Königsberg, 9th June, 1810;
died at Berlin, 11th May, 1849. He had an unhappy home life, but
found a good friend in Justizrath Adler, of Stargard, who sent him
to Berlin to study music. In 1833 he went to Rome as Organist to the
Prussian Embassy Chapel, where he studied both the old and the modern
masters. In 1841 he became Court Kapellmeister at Vienna, where in 1842
he established the Philharmonic Society. In 1844 he became Director
of the Domcher and Court Kapellmeister of the Opera in Berlin. His
chief operas were: _The Templar_ (1840), _Il Proscritto_ (1841), and
_The Merry Wives of Windsor_ (1849). The latter met with a brilliant
success, which, however, the composer did not long live to enjoy, as he
died two months after its first production.
OFFENBACH
JACQUES OFFENBACH (originally Levy) was born 21st June, 1819,
at Offenbach-on-Main, and was the son of the Jewish Cantor of the
Synagogue at Cologne. Though of German birth, practically the whole of
his life was spent in Paris, and he was a true Parisian at heart. When
quite a youth, he was entered at the Conservatoire at Paris, studying
in the violoncello class under Professor Vaslin. So quick was his
progress, that he entered the orchestra of the Opéra Comique in 1834,
where he played the 'cello; and in 1849, he was appointed conductor
of the orchestra at the Théatre Français. In 1855, he opened the
Bouffes-Parisiens Théatre; and having already written a number of comic
light operas, many of these were produced at his own theatre. He became
manager of the Théatre de la Gâité in 1872; and in 1877 he came to
England, where he made a most successful tour. As a composer of light
opera, Offenbach occupied on the Continent very much the same position
as Gilbert and Sullivan in England, his works being extremely popular.
From the long list of just over one hundred pieces of this kind for the
stage may be mentioned the following of the best known in England:--_La
Grande Duchesse de Gérolstein_ (1867), _Madame Favart_ (1878), _Orphée
aux Enfers_ (1858), _La Princesse de Trébizonde_ (1870), _La Belle
Hélène_ (1865), etc. So great was the popular demand for light opera,
and so eager was Offenbach to meet the same, that, unfortunately,
he only left behind him one serious work of art, _The Tales of
Hoffmann_--a true work of genius, so full of beauty that one can only
regret that it should have been his last. It was fitting, however, that
his swan-song should prove his masterpiece. Offenbach himself knew that
this was his worthiest work, and longed to see it produced; but, after
completing the opera, he became ill, and died at Paris on 5th October,
1880, having failed to realise his great desire. The opera was produced
the following year at the Opéra Comique, and proved an immense success.
It was produced in England in 1907.
PUCCINI
GIACOMO PUCCINI was born at Lucca, 22nd June, 1858, and belongs to
a family of well-known musicians. He studied first at Lucca, and
afterwards at Milan Conservatoire, his chief teacher being Ponchielli.
His first opera, _Le Villi_, was produced at the Teatro dal Verme,
Milan, 31st May, 1884, with such success that it was afterwards revised
and enlarged, and produced at La Scala, 24th January, 1885. His next
opera, _Edgar_, was produced at La Scala, 1889. _Manon Lescaut_,
produced at the Teatro Regio, Turin, showed considerable development;
and with the production of _La Bohème_ (Teatro Regio, Turin, 1896),
he was placed at once in the first rank of modern composers. His next
opera, _Tosca_ (1900), met with equal success. _Madame Butterfly_ (La
Scala, Milan, 1904) is undoubtedly the finest work Puccini has yet
produced; yet when first given, for some unaccountable reason, it was
not well received. But on its second appearance at Brescia, it was
received with the greatest applause, and has also been enthusiastically
welcomed wherever it has been produced, being now, together with _La
Bohème_, a universal European favourite. His American opera, _The Girl
of the Golden West_, was first produced in New York during 1911, and
proved a great success.
ROSSINI
GIOACCHINO ANTONIO ROSSINI was born at Pesaro, in Italy, 29th
February, 1792, of very humble parents, his father being the town
trumpeter. As a child, he showed such great aptitude for music that, in
spite of the troubles and poverty of his parents, an excellent teacher
was found for him in Tesei. He was taught to sing the solos in church,
and at the age of thirteen years was given an appointment as a singer
at the theatre. In 1806 he entered the Conservatoire at Bologna, under
Mattei; and here his progress was so rapid that he took a prize for
a cantata after his first year. In 1810 he began to write operas, of
which he produced no less than fifty within twenty-six years. He went
to London in 1823, and sang in a series of concerts. He then went to
Paris, where he remained until his death. He wrote nothing further
after 1836; and having at that early period of his career gained great
fame and wealth, he devoted the remainder of his life to luxurious
living. Rossini's florid, but melodious, style of operatic composition
remained the standard model for Italian opera for a great number of
years. His most celebrated operas were: _Tancredi_ (1813), _The Barber
of Seville_ (1815), _Semiramide_ (1823), and _William Tell_ (1829). He
also wrote the famous oratorio, _Moses in Egypt_, which has also been
performed as an opera; and in 1842 his _Stabat Mater_ was produced. He
died 13th November, 1868.
STRAUSS
RICHARD STRAUSS was born 11th June, 1864, at Munich. He showed great
musical talent from the earliest years, having composed several pieces
before leaving school. In 1882, he studied composition with the
Court Kapellmeister, composing almost ceaselessly string quartettes,
symphonies and overtures, most of which were performed and received as
promising productions. He was at the University during 1882-3, and in
1885 began to conduct, being appointed musical director at Meiningen,
proceeding to the Munich Court Theatre in 1886. He was next appointed
musical director at Weimar in 1890, and became Court Kapellmeister at
the Berlin Opera House in the same year. He travelled in Italy during
1885. His first opera, _Guntran_, was produced at Weimar on 12th May,
1894; and in the same year he became Count Kapellmeister at Munich,
again occupying the same position at Berlin in 1899. He undertook a
number of tours, and in 1897 visited London, where a "Strauss Festival"
was held in St. James's Hall, June, 1903. Strauss continued to produce
more and more important works, consisting of symphonies, sonatas,
tone-poems, and many songs, choral and orchestral pieces, all of which
proved his great gift for musical composition and paved the way for the
remarkable operatic works which were to follow. He always had a great
admiration for Wagner, whose successor he wished to be regarded as; and
in his next opera, _Fuersnot_, produced at Dresden in November, 1901,
this was indicated very plainly. His remarkable opera, _Salome_, based
on Oscar Wilde's drama, was produced at Dresden, 9th December, 1905,
and created a great sensation, placing Strauss at once in the front
rank of operatic composers. This was followed by _Elektra_--by many
regarded as his finest work--produced at Dresden in 1909, and at Covent
Garden, London, in 1910, and _Der Rosenkavalier_, produced at the Royal
Opera House, Dresden, 26th January, 1911, and in London, January,
1913--both of which have added to the now world-wide reputation and
appreciation of this highly-gifted composer.
His latest work, _Ariadne au Naxos_--a clever "freak" opera written
as an incidental musical interlude to Molière's _Le Bourgeois
Gentilhomme_--was produced in London at His Majesty's Theatre, on 27th
May, 1913, having been heard previously at Stuttgart in October, 1912.
AMBROISE THOMAS
CHARLES AMBROISE THOMAS was born at Metz, 5th August, 1811; died at
Paris, 12th February, 1896. Born of musical parents, he entered the
Paris Conservatoire at the age of seventeen, becoming director of
that institute in 1871. In 1832 he won the Grand Prix de Rome; and
whilst studying in Italy was very active as a composer. On his return
from Rome he began to write operas, the first of which, _La Double
Echelle_, produced at the Opéra Comique in 1837, met with considerable
success. Others followed; and with _Le Caid_ (1849) and _Le Songe d'une
Nuit d'été_ (1850), his name was finally established, and gained him
a high place amongst French composers. The operas that followed met
with little success; but in _Mignon_, produced at the Opéra Comique in
1866, the musical world recognised a masterpiece, and paid enthusiastic
tribute to the genius of its composer. Other operas by Ambroise Thomas
are:--_Hamlet_ (1868), _Le Cardinal de Venise_ (1857), _Raymond_
(1851), etc.
TSCHAIKOVSKY
PETER ILJTSCH TSCHAIKOVSKY was born in Wotkinsk, 7th May, 1840; died
at St. Petersburg, 5th November, 1905. He early showed his bent for
music, and though trained for the law, abandoned that profession, and,
determining to study music alone, entered the Conservatoire at St.
Petersburg, where he studied with Anton Rubinstein and Saremba. After
studying three years in St. Petersburg, Tschaikovsky was appointed
a teacher at the new Moscow Conservetorium, established by Nicholas
Rubinstein, where he produced a number of orchestral works and three
operas. His first opera, _The Voïevoda_, produced in Moscow in 1869,
was a failure; and of the list of eleven operas which he produced,
but a few retained lasting popularity, with the exception of _Vakoula
the Blacksmith_, and _Eugene Onegin_. The latter is the most famous
of all his works, and is still extremely popular in Russia, being
full of delightful melodies. _Eugene Onegin_ was first produced in
Moscow in 1879. Amongst his other operas are _The Enchantress_, _The
Queen of Spades_; _Joan of Arc_, _Mazeppa_, _Iolanthe_, _Undine_,
_The Oprichinki_. Besides these, Tschaikovsky wrote a great number of
brilliant orchestral works, deservedly popular throughout Europe, being
noted for their fine tone-colouring, spirit, and beauty of melody:
amongst the most celebrated of these being the rich _Overture_ "1812,"
composed in memory of Nicholas Rubinstein, the _Fifth Symphony_ and the
_Sixth Symphony_, _The Pathètique_.
VERDI
GIUSEPPE VERDI was born at Rancola, in the Duchy of Parma, Italy,
10th October, 1813; died at Busseto, in January, 1901. He received
his musical education at Busseto and Milan. He was appointed organist
at Rancola at the age of ten years; and when but twenty years old he
became Director of the Philharmonic Society at Busseto. He settled in
Milan in 1838, and there his first opera, _Oberto di San Bonifazio_,
was produced at La Scala in 1839. The opera that first brought him
European fame was _Ernani_ (1844). _Rigoletto_ was produced in 1851,
and _Il Trovatore_ in 1853; and these two operas, through all changes
of taste and style, still continue to hold their own in popular favour.
He wrote many other operas, the best known of which are: _La Traviata_
(1853), _Aïda_ (1871), _Othello_ (1877), _Macbeth_ (1847), _Falstaff_
(1893), _I Lombardi_ (1843), _Un Ballo in Maschera_ (1859), _Simon
Boccanegra_ (1857), _Les Vespres Siciliennes_ (1855), etc. His other
works include a _Requiem Mass_ (1847), and other sacred compositions,
etc.
WAGNER
RICHARD WAGNER was born at Leipzig on 22nd May, 1813; died at Venice,
13th February, 1883. He was educated at Dresden and Leipzig, where
he also studied music. Poetry was a passion with him as a boy; and
verse and play-writing occupied his mind until a great enthusiasm for
Beethoven turned it into a musical direction. He was Musical Director
at the Magdeburg Theatre from 1834-36, Conductor at Königsberg in 1836,
Music Director at Riga in 1837-39, and lived in Paris in 1839-42,
where he struggled in vain to obtain a footing. His opera _Rienzi_ was
produced at Dresden in 1842 with a success which obtained for him the
post of Kapellmeister at the opera-house there. _The Flying Dutchman_
was produced the following year at Dresden, and marked a new epoch in
his artistic history. _Tannhäuser_, the first of his creations from the
German myth-world, was also produced at Dresden in 1845. After this he
got into pecuniary difficulties; and his sympathies also being with
the revolutionary movement of 1849, he was proscribed, and escaped
to Paris. By the efforts of Liszt, _Lohengrin_ was produced in 1850
at Weimar. After ten years of exile, Wagner was pardoned, and took
up his residence at Munich, where King Ludwig of Bavaria became his
enthusiastic and generous patron. _Tristan and Isolda_ was produced
at Munich in 1865; and this genuine music-drama marked a new epoch in
operatic art. _Die Meistersinger_ followed in 1868. Wagner was now
world-famous, and his colossal genius began to receive the support
it deserved. In 1872 his own great theatre at Bayreuth was founded;
and upon its completion in 1876, his noble tetralogy, _Der Ring des
Nibelungen_ was produced there. His last dramatic effort and crowning
achievement, _Parsifal_, was produced at Bayreuth in 1882. Wagner's
early years were full of struggle, opposition, and strife; but through
all his disappointments he clung firmly to the new and great ideals of
art he had formed, and in the end he conquered, his latter years being
crowned with success and enthusiastic appreciation.
WALLACE
WILLIAM VINCENT WALLACE was born at Waterford, Ireland, 1st July,
1814; died at the château of Bayen, in the Haute-Garonne, France,
12th October, 1865. His father, a bandmaster, gave him his first
instructions; and at an early age he could play most military
instruments, besides being very proficient on the violin. At the age
of fifteen he became Director of the Philharmonic Society in Dublin.
In 1835 he set forth on a professional tour through Australia, New
Zealand, India, South America, and the United States, meeting with
enormous success as composer and performer. He was Director of Music
at the Italian Theatre, Mexico, 1841-42. In 1845 _Maritana_ was
produced in London, and shares with Balfe's _Bohemian Girl_ the highest
popularity of any lyrical drama. Other well-known operas of Wallace's
are: _Lurline_ (1860), _The Amber Witch_ (1861), _Matilda of Hungary_
(1847), _The Desert Flower_ (1863), etc.
VON WALTERSHAUSEN
HERMANN WOLFGANG VON WALTERSHAUSEN was born in Göttingen in 1882,
and was the son of a Strasburg Professor of National Economics,
A. Sartorius von Waltershausen, being descended from a well-known
Göttingen family of scientists. He was the pupil of I. Erb, in
Strasburg, Elsass, and Ludwig Thuille, afterwards passing to the
University of Munich, where he studied in particular the History of
Art and also made a special study of the characteristics of the German
peoples. His first musical work was the unpublished music-drama,
_Pelegrino_, and his second effort was _Else Klapperzehen_, a musical
comedy dealing with a farcical subject taken from the German Middle
Ages, and which was produced in May, 1909, by Ernst von Schuch at
the Court Theatre, Munich, with success. His third work, the musical
tragedy, _Oberst Chabert_, was given under the conductorship of Hans
Schilling-Ziemssens Leitung, 18th January, 1912, and, being immediately
successful, found its way very quickly into all the more important
theatres. In addition to these works, Herr von Waltershausen has also
written purely literary works, amongst others the Festival Play, _Die
Abschiedssyphonie_, produced in Munich in 1908, the comedy in verse,
_Heidhart Fuchs von Reuenthal_, as well as portions of a translation of
Horace in very modern form. Herr von Waltershausen resides in Munich.
WOLF-FERRARI
ERMANNI WOLF-FERRARI was born 12th January, 1876, at Venice. He
studied under Rheinberge at Munich from 1893 to 1895; and in 1902 he
was appointed Director of the Liceo Benedetto Marcello in Venice, from
which position he resigned in 1909, as he desired to live in Germany.
He produced his first opera, _La Sulamita_, at Venice in 1889 before he
went to Munich, this work being the result of his own self-teaching.
Other operas followed: _Cenerentola_, produced at Venice in 1902;
_Le Donne Curiose_, in 1903, this latter opera having been recently
produced with success in America. His fine cantata, _La Vita Nuova_,
dealing with the subject of Dante and Beatrice, was brought out in
1903. A light opera, _The Secret of Susanna_, followed this, and was
produced in England in 1911; and his dramatic opera, _The Jewels of the
Madonna_, was given in England during the summer of 1912.
ALPHABETICAL LIST OF OPERAS
OPERA COMPOSER PAGE
Aïda Verdi 377
Barber of Seville, The
(_Il Barbiere di Seviglia_) Rossini 282
Bohème, La Puccini 255
Bohemian Girl, The Balfe 14
Carmen Bizet 62
Cavalleria Rusticana
(_Rustic Chivalry_) Mascagni 165
Chabert, Colonel
(_Oberst Chabert_) Waltershausen 513
Daughter of the Regiment, The
(_La Figlia del Reggimento_) Donizetti 87
Don Juan (_Don Giovanni_) Mozart 217
Elektra Strauss 301
Ernani Verdi 328
Eugene Onegin Tschaikovsky 318
Faust Gounod 105
Fidelio Beethoven 28
Figaro, The Marriage of
(_Le Nozze di Figaro_) Mozart 206
Flying Dutchman, The
(_Der Fliegende Holländer_) Wagner 397
Fra Diavolo Auber 1
Huguenots, The
(_Les Huguenots_) Meyerbeer 180
Jewels of the Madonna, The
(_I Gioielli della Madonna_) Wolf-Ferrari 524
Jewess, The (_La Juive_) Halèvy 135
Königskinder, Die
(_The Kingly Children_) Humperdinck 143
Lily of Killarney, The Benedict 52
Lohengrin Wagner 418
Lucia di Lammermoor Donizetti 80
Lucrezia Borgia Donizetti 73
Lurline Wallace 508
Madam Butterfly Puccini 270
Manon Lescaut Puccini 247
Maritana Wallace 495
Martha Flotow 95
Masked Ball, The
(_Un Ballo in Maschera_) Verdi 370
Mastersingers of Nuremberg, The
(_Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg_) Wagner 438
Merry Wives of Windsor, The Nicolai 229
Mignon Thomas 307
Othello Verdi 390
Pagliacci, (_The Mountebanks_) Leoncavallo 158
Parsifal Wagner 480
Philemon and Baucis Gounod 115
Puritani, I Bellini 46
Robert the Devil
(_Robert le Diable_) Meyerbeer 171
Romeo and Juliet Gounod 125
Rosenkavalier, Der
(_The Rose-Bearer_) Strauss 289
Rhinegold, The (_Das Rheingold_)--Part I.
of "The Nibelungs' Ring"
(_Der Ring der Nibelungen_) Wagner 449
Rigoletto Verdi 337
Siegfried--Part III. of "The Nibelungs' Ring"
(_Der Ring der Nibelungen_) Wagner 464
Sonnambula, La Bellini 38
Star of the North, The
(_L'Etoile du Nord_) Meyerbeer 192
Tales of Hoffmann, The
(_Les Contes d'Hoffmann_) Offenbach 238
Tannhäuser Wagner 406
Traviata, La Verdi 361
Tristan and Isolda Wagner 429
Trovatore, Il, or, The Gipsy's Vengeance
(_The Troubadour_) Verdi 348
Twilight of the Gods, The
(_Die Götterdämmerung_)--Part IV. of
"The Nibelungs' Ring"
(_Der Ring der Nibelungen_) Wagner 472
Valkyrie, The (_Die Walküre_)--Part II. of
"The Nibelungs' Ring"
(_Der Ring der Nibelungen_) Wagner 455
PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY
THE NORTHUMBERLAND PRESS LIMITED, NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE
* * * * *
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES:
Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.
A number of words in this book have both hyphenated and non-hyphenated
variants. For the words with both variants present the one more used
has been kept.
Obvious punctuation and other printing errors have been corrected.
The Italian title of Verdi's opera "The Masked Ball" has been changed
to "Un Ballo in Maschera", which is the correct Italian title of the
opera.
The correct name of one of the characters of Donizetti's opera
"Lucrezia Borgia" is Gennaro and not Genarro as was printed in the
book. It has been changed. The modification makes the spelling
consistent with the one from the opera "The Jewels of the
Madonna," which is also described in the book.
The book cover was modified by the Transcriber and has been added to
the public domain.