page_title: Lodoïska (Cherubini)
section_title: Act 2
hierarchical_section_title: Lodoïska (Cherubini) / Synopsis / Act 2
caption_attribution_description: Français&#160;: Esquisse d'après le décor du deuxième acte de l'opéra "Lodoïska" de Cherubini, créé à Paris au théâtre Feydeau. (décor des frères Ignazio et Ilario Degotti). Dessin de François Verly. English: Sketch for the decor of the second act, opera "Lodoïska" by Cherubini, first performed at the Théâtre Feydeau in Paris on 18 July 1791. Sketch by François Verly, after Ignazio Degotti
context_page_description: Lodoïska is an opera by Luigi Cherubini to a French libretto by Claude-François Fillette-Loraux after an episode from Jean-Baptiste Louvet de Couvrai’s novel, Les amours du chevalier de Faublas. It takes the form of a comédie héroïque in three acts, and was a founding work of rescue opera. It has also been called one of the first Romantic operas, though Cherubini's work was basically classical.
  Stephen Willis has explained the importance of the work:
  "With Lodoïska Cherubini turned his back on his training as an Italian composer of opera seria, choosing the freer form of opéra comique over the more stilted and confining tragédie lyrique and embarking on a course of development of opéra comique which was to lead to the eradication of almost all differences between the two genres, except for the spoken dialogue."
  Basil Deane has called the opera "entirely original in its depth of psychological insight, dramatic tension, and musical depth."
context_section_description: Dourlinsky's henchman Altamoras has taken Lodoiska from 
  the tower to a dark hall deep inside the castle, along 
  with her nurse, Lysinka. Dourlinsky himself then enters 
  and orders Lysinka out of the room. He wants to speak 
  with Lodoiska privately.
  Durlinsky has decided to marry Lodoiska. When she 
  tells him he has no right to marry her, he replies that 
  he has the rights of "a lover who has you in his 
  power." She tells him he's a monster, not a lover, and 
  that she's in love with someone else — Count Floreski. 
  There's a vehement confrontation and Dourlinsky orders 
  his men to take her to the darkest, most secret part of 
  the prison tower. He also vows to track down this 
  Floreski, whoever he is, and get rid of him.
  With Lodoiska gone, Dourlinsky meets with Floreski and 
  Varbel, not knowing who they are. When they tell him 
  they've been sent to take Lodoiska back to her mother, 
  Dourlinsky plainly doesn't believe it. He tells them to 
  report back that Lodoiska is no longer with him. 
  Knowing Dourlinsky is lying, Floreski hesitates, not 
  sure what to do next. To buy some time, he says that he 
  and Varbel would like to stay the night, to rest up 
  before their journey home. Dourlinsky agrees, but tells 
  Altamoras to keep an eye on them.
  Alone, Floreski is fuming. He realizes that Dourlinsky 
  plans to steal Lodoiska for himself. Varbel then joins 
  him with disturbing news: He's overheard a couple of 
  Dourlinsky's men, who are planning to offer them some 
  refreshments — two glasses of poisoned wine.
  When the men appear, Floreski stalls for time — and 
  Varbel switches the wine they've been offered for the 
  glasses Dourlinsky's men have brought for themselves. 
  They all drink up, and the would-be poisoners are soon 
  out cold. But when Floreski and Varbel try to escape, 
  Dourlinsky confronts them with a group of soldiers. 
  Floreski defiantly reveals his identity, and he and 
  Varbel are taken prisoner.
  Dourlinsky goes to Lodoiska with an ultimatum. If she 
  refuses to marry him, Floreski will be killed. Not 
  knowing what's happened back at home, Lodoiska pleads a 
  technicality: She can't be married unless her father is 
  there to give her away. Dourlinsky curtly tells her 
  that her father is dead, and Lodoiska passes out from 
  shock.
  Floreski is then dragged in, and as Lodoiska regains 
  consciousness, she runs to him. Dourlinsky repeats his 
  demand: Either Lodoiska marries him, or Floreski dies. 
  Lodoiska tells Dourlinsky that she'd rather be stabbed 
  through the heart than marry him. Then she and Floreski 
  vow to die together rather than give in.
  Dourlinsky had been sure that he was about to get what 
  he wanted, and wonders what to do next. But it's a moot 
  point when cannon fire is heard. Titzikan, Floreski's 
  Tartar ally, is attacking the castle with his army.
  In a spectacular scene that helped to make the opera a 
  hit in Paris, one of the castle walls is blown up, then 
  crumbles to reveal the battlefield outside. In fierce 
  fighting, the Tartars overcome Dourlinsky's forces. 
  While that goes on, Dourlinsky hides Lodoiska in the 
  tower, but Titzikan rescues her just as the tower 
  collapses. The resourceful Tartar also manages to save 
  Floreski — snatching a dagger from Dourlinsky's hands 
  in the nick of time.
  With his castle in flames around him, Dourlinsky admits 
  defeat — while Floreski and Lodoiska celebrate their 
  reunion.
caption: Sketch for the decor of the second act (1791) by François Verly, after Ignazio Degotti
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