The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-11-12

giNirE synopsis OF the opera in tns
Question BoX?' I am sure there are
many besides myself who would be
greatly interested In It,
Answer.-On account of lack of space
| Will give a synopsis of the first act
only at this time and give the remain
der in next Saturdays Tribune. The
first act Of the opera is laid in Venice
The first scene represents st. Marks
square, with the Ducal palace on the
right. The young ladies Of the chorus
are 'Contadine" or Italian peasant
girls, the young men are "gOndoliers,"
that is, persons who propel gondolas,
a certain kind of boat, through the
canals of Venice which are the main
thorOughfares of the city. In the first
scene Fiametta Miss Edith Martini,
Giula Miss Edith James,, Victoria
Miss Mary Skinner), and other conta-
dine are discovered tying bouquets of
roses, singing the while a beautiful
chorus List and learn ye dainty
roses" While they are singing the gon-
doliers enter, unohserved by the maid
ems. Francesca asks for whom the flow
ers, are being prepared and is told that
they are for Marco (Mr. w. NJ. BunnclD
and Giuseppe (Mr. Fred Emrich) Pal
micri. two gondoliers who It appears
are much admired by all the maidens,
and who are coming to choose their
brides from among the contadine. Af-
ter Antonio (NIr. Ralph Willams). one
of the gondoliers. has sung a merry
lay. Marco and Giuseppe make their
appearance in II gondola and receive II
joyful welcome. on stepping ashore
and gallantly greeting the Contadine
they are overwhelmed with flowers
They now sing a duet ending with Il
reCitatiVc: And now 20 choose our
brides. As all are young and fair we
really do not care preference to de-
clare. A bias to disclose would be in
delicate: and therefore we propose to
let impartial fate select for us a mate.
This cXCites great curiosity. and be-
ing asked what method they will choose
in the selection of their brides, they
reply: These handkerchiefs upon our
eyes be good enough To blind, ana take
good care that both of us are absolutely
blind" 1t develops that they desire to
engage in a game Of "blind-man's buff
with the entire group of maidens, and
that the contadine whom they succeed
in catching shall be the chosen brides.
This novel plan meets with npproval.
Their eyes are bandaged and after
some sly inSinuatlons on the part of
the young ladies thar they are peep
ing they form into two rings with
Giuseppe in the centre of one ring and
Marco in the other The game pro-
cseds with music TO the nursery rhyme
%:
My papa he keeps three norses
Black ana white and dapplc-grcy. sir.
Turn three times, then take your courses,
Catch whatever girl YOU may, sir.
After = genuine old fashioned game.
Marco succeeds in catching Giannctta
Miss Clara simpson, and Giuseppe
captures Tessa. Miss Grace spencer ,
Roth 3ondOliers declare the result ex-
actly as they wished II. After 4 due,
from GiannCtta and Tessa in which they
express their thanks for the honor con-
ferred anon them, the entire party o.
mon and maidens repair with a mcr-
r. song and iOllitY to the church wher,
ih" wedding ceremony is To take place
\ %Ondula now arrives At th" piazct-
II steps from which steps the Duke ol
Pla2a-Toro, tNlr. james Gardner SAN
delEon), the duchess Miss Katharine
Ti'nhermanD their daughter. Casilda
'N!2s E,l!2ahcth ThomasD and ihoii
attendant Lui2, tNIr. John j. Gleason.
who, it transpires, is greatly in lov'
/ with tleilda, who in turn is equally
| fond of him. 1t seems that the whol,
1 party have Just arrived from Spain
And If over. over, ever
They G't pack - Spain,
They will never never. never
Cross the sea ugain,"
I'Fhcy hav" come to Venice To Visi
/ III" grand inCuisitGr. Don Alhambra
I who resides in the Duval palace. Th,
! Duke and Duchess. who are dressed
| in pompous and faded clothes, are eN
| uemely aristocratic in their bearinl
| and at their entrance the humOrou!
/ element of the opera first makes i
! appearance. After 4 long and cX
| trcmely amusing spoken dialogue
| l.uiH is sent to the Ducal palace t.
! inform tn" Grand InquisitOr Don Al
| hambra, Of their arrival. While he il
| gone the Duke and Duchess dccid
that the time has come To make
| very important disclosure to thei
! daughter to the effect that when
|
! ricd by proxy to the infant son an,
! hcir Of his majesty, ,he wealthy kin!
of The island of Barataria. This mon
arch shortly afterwards forsook tn
religious creed of his forcfathers
! whiCh so inccnS"d the Grand Inquis
itOr that h. caused the infant sol
to be stolen and brought to Venice
| This was twenty years ago. ~ fort
! night since" said the Duke. Contin
uing the story, the King of Raratar
| was killed in an insurrcCtiOn, and "
are here to ascertain the WhereabOut
of the crown prince, your husband
and TO hail you, our daughter, as He
Majesty, the reigninG queen of Bara
taria" Al this the Duke and Duches
kneel before her with great solemnitS
The Duke now sings a humorous sons
The Duke of Plaza TOro,' afte
which the Duke and Duchess ente
the palace of Don Alhambra. Luiz ha
returned and rushes into the arms G
Casilda, who tells him the story wit
which her father has made her &C
quainted. She decides not to resi-.
the infant marriage and the unpleas
ant position in which she is place
despite Luiz' pleadings to the COZ
trary. The duet which the
sing at the conclusion of this seen
is one of the gems Of the opera. I'll
duke and duchess return from the pa
ace, accompanied by the grand inqui'
itor, who is coollyreceived by the youn
people. He sings a song in which i
says that when the babe, the heir
Barataria, was brought to VeniC
twenty years before, he had him give
into the hands of a gondolier who wa
to rear him along with his own sol
The gondolier himself got mixed in h
own mind as to which of the boys wa
the crown prince, and died without II