A jovial wayfarer dallies with Toinette, one of the pretty girls working on a farm in Normandy. He loves her and goes his way. In despair Toinette marries François. The wayfarer's child, Toinet, is born. Years later when François has become a hopeless invalid, Toinet woos Aline, the daughter of Pierre, a surly neighbour, who doubting the youth's origin refuses his consent to the match. Suddenly the wayfarer reappears. François expires, after commending Toinette to the care of her former lover. But the call of the open road is too strong. The wayfarer refuses to contemplate domesticity. Once more he takes his well-worn hat and goes out into the storm.
LE VIEIL AIGLE
THE OLD EAGLE
Raoul Gunsbourg wrote both the words and the music for his one act lyric drama, "Le Vieil Aigle" (The Old Eagle), which was first produced at the Opera House in Monte Carlo, February 13, 1909. The first performance of the opera in New York was given by the Chicago Opera Company at the Lexington Theatre with Georges Baklanoff in the title rôle, supported by Yvonne Gall, Charles Fontaine, and Désiré Defrère, February 28, 1919.
The scene of the story is a rocky coast in the Crimea. The time, the fourteenth century. The Khan Asvezel Moslain informs his son Tolak, who has just returned from a successful campaign against the Russians, that great preparations have been made to celebrate his return. But the young man is sad and replies that he only seeks forgetfulness in death. He asks his father to grant him the dearest wish of his heart and confesses his love for the Khan's favourite slave Zina. The old man consents to give her to his son, but when he orders the girl to follow Tolak she refuses to do so. The Khan, wishing to retain his son's love, throws the disobedient slave into the sea, but as this far from restores harmony between the generations the old man follows her to her watery grave.
[Modern German and Bohemian Opera]
Wagner's powerful influence upon German opera produced countless imitators. For some reason or other it appeared to be almost impossible for other German composers to assimilate his ideas and yet impart originality to their scores. Among those who took his works for a model were Peter Cornelius, Hermann Goetz, and Carl Goldmark.
Perhaps the most important contribution to German opera during the decade that followed Wagner's death was Humperdinck's "Hänsel und Gretel." Then came Richard Strauss with his "Feuersnot," "Salome," "Elektra," and "Der Rosenkavalier."
The most famous representative of the Bohemian school of opera, which is closely allied to the German, is Smetana.