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Music Text

Libretto by Robert de Fleurs and Gaston Armand de Caillavet (F)

Scoring

Major roles: dramS,T; minor roles: 3S,2M,M/A,2T,Bar,B;
small roles: 3S,T; chorus
3.2.corA.2.bcl.3-4.3.3.1-timp.perc:bell/BD/tgl-harp-org(ad lib)-
strings

Abbreviations (PDF)

Publisher

Boosey & Hawkes

Territory
This work is available from Boosey & Hawkes for all countries except Germany, Italy, Portugal, Danzig, and the former territories of the USSR.

Availability

World Premiere
21/03/1914
Monte Carlo
Company: Monte Carlo Opera

Roles

BEATRICE Dramatic Soprano
LA VIERGE Soprano
MUSIDORA Mezzo-Soprano
LA BOHEMIENNE Mezzo-Soprano or Contralto
LA SUPERIEURE Mezzo-Soprano
FROSINE Soprano
LELIA Soprano
SOEUR ODILE Soprano
SOEUR BLANDINE Soprano
SOEUR MONIQUE Soprano
LORENZO Tenor
TIBERIO Baritone
L'EVEQUE Bass
FABRICE Tenor
FABIO Tenor
BEPPO Baritone
LE JARDINIER Tenor
Time and Place

Sicily, 16th century

Synopsis

At a convent within whose grounds there stands a miraculous figure of the Virgin, a gypsy predicts a passionate existence for the devout yet rebellious nun Béatrice. She explains to the bishop of Palermo why she took the veil. Some years before, the mortal illness of a young man dear to her caused her to pray for his recovery, offering her own life to God if he was healed. The young man, Lorenzo, was revived and Béatrice entered the convent. Left alone, Béatrice is stunned to see Lorenzo himself come in search of her, and try to persuade her to go with him. She refuses, but he and his friends carry her off. At first she is happy as his mistress, but when she discovers him with another woman she repudiates Lorenzo and then wildly offers herself to all his companions. Four years pass, during which Lorenzo travels widely. On his return he finds himself in a low bar where, to his horror, he discovers Béatrice, who has become a prostitute working as a dancer under the name Ginèvre. He begs her forgiveness for having brought her by his unfaithfulness to this extremity, but flees when he sees her lascivious behaviour towards the local fisherman. Two of these argue over her, however, and one kills the other. Appalled, Béatrice blames herself for the crime. She returns a penitent to the convent, where she gains admittance without her absence having been noticed, for during the entire period the Virgin herself has taken her place. She kneels in worship with the other nuns.

Moods

Dramatic, Poetic

Subjects
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