The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-03-02


and child and runs away"
Ulana knocks at her mothers door ard
entreats her piteously to take her back.
Her husband is despised because he is a
gypsy. He can get no work, their child
cries for bread, and she will have to go
begging unless her mother takes pity on
her Hedwig- relents; she offers TO take
Ulana and the child. but not Manru. But
! Ulana refuses to do this, though Urok
warns her that Manru will desert her
anyway as soon as the gypsies return to
that region. Hedwig is obdurate, and fl
| nally tells her TO daughter begone; We
are parted forever" Left alone again
| with Urock, she persuades him to brew
a philtre to insure Manru's fidelity should
! the gypsies pass. The village maidens
now return, accompanied by the men, and
a wild pantominlic dance ensues. The
men presently try to drag Ulana into the
| dance, when Manru suddenly returns and
tells them TO let her go. A fight is irnmi-
nent, when Hedwig req, 3pears and stops
| the tumult- Leave them alone. she
| says, pointing at Ulana and Manru:
! treat them as lepers."
The second act shows us Ulana at home
with Manru. She is rocking her babe in
the hut, while Manru hammers his anvil
in the snithy opposite. The gypsy in his
! nature is coming TO the front. Her love
and fidelity touch and yet irritate him,
for he is tickle, and has visions Of the
more coquettish and fiery naidens Of his
tribe. The contemptuous treatment he
receives from everybody gals him, and
when Ulana seems TO guess his restless
ness and huns the ditty about the gypsy
and the full moon, he loses his patience
and lifts his hand to strike her. Urok
suddenly appears and prevents him. A
moment later fiddler is heard playing a
wild gypsy strain in the woods AIanru
turns pale, trembles. tears himself away
from Ulana and disappears in the forest.
He soon returns with the old gypsy i'd
der, Jagu, and Ulana and Urok, in hid
ing, hear how Jagu offers Manru the
leadership of his tribe if he will return;
also, as a further indueement, the love
OF the beautiful, black-eyed Asa, whom
Manru well remembers. He is about to
follow the tempter when UIana appears,
ana Manru, conquering his Iawless i'm
pulses once more, bids Jagu begone. But
the rowing mania has been stirred in him,
and IL an eloquent song he tells of the
wild longings which seize the gypsy and
impel him to hurry from place TO place,
like a mountain torrent. Urok pours oil
in the flames by dwelling on the charms
Of the blacll-eyed Asa. Manru finally
threatens to kill him, and the dwarf runs
away. Ulana offers Manru some wine
Containing a magic potion supplied by
Urox). He drinks it, forgets his gypsy
1rv, nd = do q ~,
Gus love duo.
Night has come. The air is sultry. and
clouds chase one another past the moon,
when the curtain rises on the last act |
Manru staggers onto the stage, still part !
" under the influence Of the magic po-
ton. He lies down and falls asleep; |
dreams Of Ulana mingle with reminis- |
cences Of his early life among the Ro-
manys. The orchestra presently plays |
n gypsy march; voices are heard in the |
distance, and the gypsies gradually ap- !
preach. On the lake in the background |
a boat appears, containing Asa, Jagu. |
and Oros. the chief of the tribe. They |
discover Manru and Asa recognizes him. |
She greets him and begs him to rejoin the /
tribe. Oros protests. Manru, he says, |
has deserted the tribe and must remain
accused. Asa defies him ard clings ten
DERBY TO Manru. But Manru remembe
his duty, and tells Oros TO be calm as he
cannot 90 with them. Asa now endeav-
ors, with all the arts Of gypsy coquotry,
to fascinate AIanru. The gypsies side at
first with Oros. but Jagu pleads for
Manru and wins approval, whercupon
Ores throws down his staff Of office and
81
offered to NIanru who at first refuses it,
but finally consents, though the remem-
brancA Of U1ana troubles him. and disap-
pears with his arm around Asa Scarcely
have they gone when Ulana comes,
eagerly searching for Manru. Urok tells
her it is too late, whereupon, mad1ened
with grief, she throws herself into the
lake. a moment later the departing
gypsies are seen on the path above,
Manru and Asa walk along with their
arms about each others waists. As they
reach a point in the immediate fore
ground Urok, who had hastily climbed
up the rocky height. suddenly -hrows
himself on Manru and hurls him into the
abyss
Were 8Tanru simply tickle gypsy who
deserts wife and child because the black
eyed Asa pleases his eye better. he !. ould
receive no sympathy. But he is the vic
tim of an instinct which in a gypsy is as
strOng as what is usually looked On IS
the ruling passionate irresistible long
ing for rovirg-for homelessness-the
OF our homesickness. He strug-
giles Ions and manfully against this in
nerited wanGerlust. this migratory frer-
zy Asa alone with all her charms,
could not have won him away from his
wife and child. Nor would the addi-
ional offer Of the chieftainship have
shaken him. But the witchery of gypsy
music, combined with those temptations,
was more than mortal man could resist.
This scene Is the climax, the marvel of
he opera i marvel because of the en-
RANGING barbaric music Padarewshi has
written for 1.-THE fiddler playing his
Tierd strains close to Manru's ears. Asa
iancing and singing seductively. the
'hOrus joining n with its tambourines,
he orchestra accenung the rythmic
.renzy-it is one Of the most stirring
scenes ever composed for the operate
stage. Fritzi Schen was as captivating |
lere as Calve is IN Carmen. The part of
he coQUettish. seductive, pert, wilful
gypsy maiden is indeed admirably suited I
o her temperament Paderewski owes |
Ter thanks for being what he plavfully
allied her az the rehearsal. Elm Kleiuer
1eufel." and she owes him thanks for
,rov.ding her with s. part in which she I
s seen TO fifty per cent. more advantage
han in anything else she has done here
ofore