ST. ELIZABETH
Operatic version of Liszt's "Legend," made by Artur Bodanzky, from the book of the oratorio by Otto Roquette. Sung in English at the Metropolitan Opera House, January 3, 1918, with the following cast:
Characters
| Elizabeth | Florence Easton |
| Landgravine Sophie | Margarete Matzenauer |
| Landgrave Ludwig | Clarence Whitehill |
| Landgrave Hermann | Carl Schlegel |
| A Hungarian Magnate | Basil Ruysdael |
| Seneschal | Robert Leonhardt |
Conductor, Artur Bodanzky.
THE dramatic version of Liszt's sacred work once had sixty performances at Prague.
Although the score of "Saint Elizabeth" is dedicated to Wagner's benefactor, Ludwig II. of Bavaria, the Grand Duke Alexander of Weimar was responsible for the fact that Liszt undertook a setting of a poem on this subject by Otto Roquette. This poem was inspired by a series of frescoes by Moritz Schwind at the Wartburg, which tells the story of Elizabeth's sad life. The daughter of a Hungarian king of the thirteenth century, she was brought to the Wartburg at the age of four and betrothed to the boy, Ludwig, son of the Landgrave of Thuringia. The children were reared as brother and sister, and at seventeen Elizabeth was married to Ludwig who succeeded to the throne.
A famine came upon the land. Elizabeth impoverished herself by helping the poor, and incurred the displeasure of her mother-in-law. Forbidden to give any further aid to the victims of the famine, she was one day found by her husband carrying a basket. She declared that it was filled with flowers. When he tore it from her hands a miracle had happened, and the bread and wine had changed into roses. Then she confessed her deception which was atoned for by the miracle. The two after offering a prayer of thanksgiving renew their vows.
Soon afterwards Ludwig joins a passing procession of crusaders. He is killed in battle with the Saracens and his wife becomes ruler of the Wartburg. Sophie, her mother-in-law, plots with the Seneschal and drives Elizabeth out with her children into a storm. She finds refuge in a hospital she once founded. The remainder of her life is devoted to assisting the helpless and the poor. The closing scene of the opera shows her apotheosis.