Tiefland

Libretto by Rudolph Lothar after the Catalan play "Terra Baixa" by Angel Guimerá (G)

3S,M,A,2T,Bar,3B; chorus
3(III=picc).3(III=corA).3(II,III=bcl).3(III=dbn)-4.3.3.1-timp.perc-2harps-strings
onstage: cl-bells

in the mountains and in the valleys of the Catalan Pyrenees at the end of the 19th century

Pedro is a shepherd who tends his flock of sheep high up in the mountains. He is very content leading this secluded life and if only he had a wife, his happiness would be complete. The powerful landowner, Sebastiano, offers him a mill down in the valley and, in addition, the hand of the lovely Marta in marriage. When Pedro comes down to the lowlands, the villagers mock him. However, Pedro only discovers the reason for this after the wedding: when she was still very young, Marta, an orphan, was sold by her unscrupulous stepfather to Sebastiano, whose mistress she has been for some years, against her will. Her marriage to Pedro is designed to silence the rumours about this liaison as Sebastiano, who is in debt, hopes to marry a rich woman but does not intend to give up Marta completely. At first, Marta believes that Pedro has been bought but soon realises the sincerity of his feelings. When Sebastiano's marriage plans fall through, he tries to take Marta back by force but is killed by Pedro in single combat. Together, the two lovers leave the lowlands for the high mountains.

Dramatic, Romantic, Tragic