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The Excursions of Mr. Brouček to the Moon and to the 15th Century

Opera · 1920

Prague landlord Matěj Brouček, drunk after an evening at a tavern, dreams of a more comfortable life on the Moon. He encounters avant-garde lunar artists, whose art and flower-scented meal displease him; after he is caught eating sausage, he flees on Pegasus and wakes in a barrel. In a second excursion, Brouček travels to Prague in 1420 during a Hussite siege. He convinces the rebels he is on their side but flees battle, is accused of treason, and sentenced to be burned in a beer barrel. He wakes back in his own time and boasts that he liberated Prague.

The Fair at Sorochyntsi

Opera · 1917

At the Sorochyntsi fair, the peasant Gritsko wins the approval of Parasya’s father, Cherevik, to marry her, but her stepmother Khivrya blocks the match. A story about the devil searching for a red jacket spreads fear among the fairgoers, while Khivrya secretly entertains the priest’s son. With help from a Gypsy, Gritsko secures Cherevik’s renewed consent, and the people celebrate the wedding. Shebalin’s standard completion includes Gritsko’s dream of witches and devils.

The Fashionable Lady; or, Harlequin's Opera

Opera · 1730

Framed as a rehearsal, the work opens with Mr. Meanwell, Mr. Ballad and Mr. Modely arguing over English and Italian opera for a wedding, then calling in the players to begin Mr. Drama’s piece. The play mixes dialogue with ballad airs set to familiar tunes, turning to debates over taste and fashionable intrigues. In Act III, Sir Peevish Terrible convenes a mock court to try Harlequin before the company continues with songs and a concluding ensemble. The satire targets English drama, theatrical management and the vogue for Italian opera.

The Fiery Angel

Opera · 1954

Renata tells the knight Ruprecht that she loved the angel Madiel as a child and later mistook Count Heinrich von Otterheim for the angel returned in human form. After Heinrich leaves her, she asks Ruprecht to help find him. Renata and Ruprecht seek magical aid, but Agrippa refuses to help. When Renata finds Heinrich and learns he never was her angel, she asks Ruprecht to avenge her; he is wounded in a duel. Later Renata decides to enter a convent. The nuns accuse her of demonic possession, and the Inquisitor condemns her to be burned.

The Fix

Opera · 2019

In 1919, Shoeless Joe Jackson reluctantly joins a conspiracy to throw the World Series after his teammates frame it as a way to challenge miserly owner Charles Comiskey. Joe has second thoughts and urges the others to play to win, but gamblers threaten his wife Katie, and Lefty Williams agrees to lose the next game. A year later, rumors haunt the team. Joe confesses to Katie, who persuades him to tell the truth. The scandal breaks; the players are acquitted at trial but Commissioner Landis bans them for life. Years later, former catcher Ray Schalk tells reporter Ring Lardner that Joe manages a small store in South Carolina. In a flashback, Joe, aged and ashamed, avoids acknowledging his old teammate.

The Flying Dutchman

Opera · 1843

A storm drives Norwegian captain Daland ashore, where he meets the cursed Flying Dutchman, condemned to sail until a faithful woman redeems him. Daland agrees to the Dutchman’s marriage to his daughter Senta in exchange for treasure. Senta, who has long been fascinated by the Dutchman’s story, pledges fidelity. When the Dutchman believes her former lover Erik has won her back, he departs; Senta throws herself into the sea and her sacrifice frees him.

The Gambler

Opera · 1929

Tutor Alexei loves Polina, the General’s ward, who is indebted to the Marquis. The General hopes to inherit money from his aunt Babulenka so he can marry Blanche. When Babulenka arrives alive and gambles away much of her fortune, the General’s hopes collapse. The Marquis tells Polina that he will forgive part of a debt in exchange for ending their relationship. Alexei wins repeatedly at roulette and offers Polina money, but she throws it back at him and leaves. He remains alone, fixated on his success at the tables.

The Ghosts of Versailles

Opera · 1991

At the afterlife court of Versailles, Beaumarchais stages an opera to comfort Marie Antoinette’s ghost and change her fate. Within his play, Figaro and the Almavivas struggle against Bégearss, who plots to arrest them during the French Revolution. Beaumarchais enters the story to rescue the Queen, but Marie Antoinette refuses to alter history. She is executed, while the Almavivas escape to America and Beaumarchais and the Queen are united in Paradise.

The Golden Cockerel

Opera · 1909

Tsar Dodon fears invasion and asks an Astrologer for advice. The Astrologer gives him a magical Golden Cockerel, which alerts the Tsar to danger from the Tsaritsa of Shemakha. Dodon sends his sons to war, but they kill one another. He then leads the army himself and becomes enamored of the Tsaritsa, who encourages his marriage proposal. At the wedding, the Astrologer asks for the Tsaritsa as his reward. Dodon strikes him dead, and the cockerel pecks Dodon’s throat. The Tsaritsa and cockerel disappear.

The Gondoliers

Opera · 1889

Venetian gondoliers Marco and Giuseppe Palmieri learn that one is heir to Barataria, but the Grand Inquisitor cannot identify which brother. They rule jointly while their new wives remain in Venice. The Duke and Duchess of Plaza-Toro reveal that their daughter Casilda was married in infancy to the lost prince, though she loves her father’s servant Luiz. The Inquisitor discovers that Luiz is the true heir and Casilda’s husband. The brothers surrender the crown and return to Venice with their wives.

The Grand Duke

Opera · 1896

In the fictional duchy of Pfennig-Halbpfennig, theatrical manager Ernest Dummkopf and comedian Ludwig learn that a conspiracy plans to overthrow the Grand Duke. The notary explains a statutory-duel law under which a card draw makes the loser legally dead and transfers his position to the winner. Ludwig exploits the law to replace Grand Duke Rudolph, then finds himself bound to several women through betrothals. The notary eventually reveals that the ace is the lowest card, so the duel never made Ludwig duke. The law expires, and Rudolph marries the Princess of Monte Carlo, Ernest marries Julia, and Ludwig marries Lisa.

The Greater Good, or the Passion of Boule de Suif

Opera · 2006

During the Franco-Prussian War, a group of French travelers flee Rouen by coach. They initially scorn the prostitute Boule de Suif, but accept her food and friendship during the journey. Detained by Prussian soldiers, the group learns they can leave only if Boule sleeps with the commandant; they eventually pressure her into complying, then ostracize her again when the journey resumes.

The Handmaid's Tale

Opera · 2000

In a 22nd-century conference about the fallen Republic of Gilead, Professor Pieixoto presents a recording made by a former handmaid. Offred recalls her separation from her husband and daughter, indoctrination at the Red Centre, and assignment to Commander Fred’s household. She becomes close to Fred and begins an affair with Nick while sharing forbidden contact with fellow handmaid Ofglen and the resistance. After Serena Joy discovers the affair and the secret police arrest Offred, the conference frame returns; Pieixoto says her fate is unknown.

The Haunted Tower

Opera · 1789

Lady Elinor loves Sir Palamede, unaware he is Lord William in disguise. William returns to reclaim Oakland Castle after an accusation falsely banished his family and allowed Edmund, now the Baron, to take the estate. Meanwhile, Baron’s son Edward loves Adela, and the couple join the household’s layered disguises; Adela pretends to be Elinor while Elinor presents herself as a lady-in-waiting. The Baron suspects a plot when William’s followers gather. In the tower, William finds his father’s armor and appears in it, prompting the Baron to believe the tower is haunted. As fighting breaks out, William is recognized as the rightful heir. He forgives the Baron, is reunited with Elinor, and Edward and Adela can stop pretending.

The Horseman

Opera · 1975

In sixteenth-century Russia, Anna seduces a merchant while she and her husband Antti are serfs in his household. The merchant’s wife discovers the affair and demands that the couple be killed. Antti binds the merchant and his wife and burns their house before escaping with Anna to Finland. At Olavinlinna castle, Anna is accused of burying her baby; Antti, disguised as an old man, testifies about their escape. They flee again, but are later caught in a rebellion against the royal castle. Antti and his group are killed, and Anna laments her husband.

The Io Passion

Opera · 2004

A man outside a house and a woman inside watch and wait; he posts a letter as she swats a fly. Their scene repeats in increasingly complex variations, revealing their meeting at Lerna and the myth of Zeus’s seduction of Io, whom he changed into a heifer to hide from Hera. Hera’s gadfly drove Io across the world. In the present, the woman refuses the man and clings to domestic routine, while the ancient gods and the man continue to intrude, stripping away her settled life.

The Jacobin

Opera · 1889

Bohuš returns to his Bohemian hometown in disguise with his wife Julie. His father, Count Vilém, disowns him, believing rumors that he is a Jacobin, and names his nephew Adolf as heir. Adolf and the Burgrave arrange Bohuš’s arrest, while they also try to force Terinka to marry the Burgrave instead of Jiří. Julie tells the Count that Bohuš was condemned by the Jacobins for supporting the Girondins. The Count pardons Bohuš and Jiří, denounces Adolf’s scheming, and reconciles with his son.

The Last Temptations

Opera · 1975

On his deathbed during a winter storm, preacher Paavo Ruotsalainen relives his life in hallucinations. He remembers marrying Riitta, the harsh backwoods life and their baby’s death, his son Juhana’s murder, and Riitta’s death. He also relives being humiliated by church authorities and his exclusion from a university ceremony. Riitta and the blacksmith who first inspired his faith call him toward the island and Heaven’s gate. In his final moments, Paavo recognizes his family around him, settles his affairs and joins his family in singing his favorite hymn, believing he has overcome.

The Left-Hander

Opera · 2013

Tsar Nicholas I challenges Russian workmen to improve on a steel flea made by English craftsmen for his brother Alexander I. The Left-Hander attaches tiny horseshoes to the flea and is sent to England, where he declines offers to remain and marry an Englishwoman. On his return voyage a storm and a drunken English sailor imperil the ship. The Left-Hander reaches Saint Petersburg drunk, is arrested, and sends the Tsar a warning that cleaning muskets with brick dust will leave the Russian army unprepared for war. He dies; the flea sings a lullaby, and the opera ends with a burial rite.

The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevroniya

Opera · 1907

Fevroniya, who lives in the forest, meets Prince Vsevolod and becomes betrothed to him. During the wedding festivities at Little Kitezh, Tatar invaders capture her and threaten Great Kitezh. She prays for the city to become invisible, and a golden fog hides it from the attackers. After Vsevolod dies in battle, Fevroniya frees the remorseful Grishka, who later runs away in terror. Fevroniya dreams of a transformed forest and welcomes death; she and Vsevolod then appear in the invisible city, where their wedding is celebrated.

The Lily of Killarney

Opera · 1862

Hardress Cregan is secretly married to Eily, but his family’s estate is mortgaged to Corrigan, who insists that Hardress marry heiress Ann Shute. Hardress asks Eily to surrender their marriage certificate. Danny, persuaded by Corrigan’s schemes, rows Eily to a cave and demands the certificate or her life. Myles mistakes Danny for an otter and shoots him, then rescues Eily. On the morning of Hardress’s wedding, Danny confesses the plot and Myles brings Eily back alive. Hardress acknowledges her as his wife, and Corrigan’s scheme is thwarted.

The Long Christmas Dinner

Opera · 1961

Across successive Christmas dinners over 90 years, the Bayard family ages, births and deaths alter the household. Roderick and Lucia’s children grow up, marry, and have children; one son dies in the Korean War, another leaves the family firm, and generations die in the old house. At the end, the dying Ermengarde discovers a letter and photographs showing that Lucia II and Roderick II have built a new Bayard house and named their children Roderick III and Lucia III.

The Maid of Orleans

Opera · 1881

During the Hundred Years’ War, Joan hears a calling to lead the French and leaves her village. After the French victory at Orleans, she is placed in command by King Charles. Joan defeats Lionel in battle but spares him; the two fall in love, conflicting with her vow of virginity. Her father Thibaut accuses her of serving the devil when she cannot publicly prove her innocence. The people turn against her, and she is captured and condemned to burn at the stake. Joan dies as angels grant her forgiveness.

The Maiden in the Tower

Opera · 1896

At the seashore, the Bailiff tries to win the Maiden with pleas and riches. When she rejects him, he abducts her and imprisons her in his castle tower. She prays for protection and remains faithful, though villagers wrongly believe she has sold herself for wealth. Her Lover searches for her, finds her captive, and promises to free her. The Bailiff threatens him, but the Chatelaine intervenes, condemns the Bailiff’s abuse of power and orders the Maiden’s release. The Bailiff is arrested, and the Maiden and Lover reunite.

The Marriage of Figaro

Opera · 1786

On the day Figaro and Susanna are to marry, Count Almaviva pursues Susanna while her father schemes to stop the match. Susanna, Figaro, and the Countess plot to expose the Count. A lawsuit over Figaro’s debt reveals Marcellina and Bartolo are his parents, and the two older lovers marry. At night, the Count mistakes his wife in Susanna’s clothes for Susanna, while Figaro recognizes his disguised bride; when the true identities are revealed, the Count asks the Countess for forgiveness, and she grants it.

The Medium

Opera · 1946

Monica, daughter of the medium Madame Flora, and Toby, a mute servant boy, help stage fake seances for paying guests. Monica impersonates the dead behind a screen while Flora pretends to communicate with them. After one seance, Flora feels a phantom hand at her throat and becomes convinced that Toby knows something about it. When the guests return, Flora exposes the tricks but they refuse to believe that the seances were false. She sends Toby away. Later, he sneaks back into the house to retrieve his tambourine. Hearing a noise, Flora takes a revolver and fires at the puppet theater where Toby is hiding. He is killed, and Monica runs for help. Flora asks whether Monica was the one who made the noise.

The Merry Widow

Opera · 1905

In Paris, officials from bankrupt Pontevedro try to arrange a marriage between wealthy widow Hanna Glawari and Count Danilo, her former lover, so her fortune will stay in their country. Danilo refuses to court Hanna for her money, while Baron Zeta struggles to hide the affair between his wife Valencienne and French attaché Camille. After a pavilion mix-up makes it seem that Camille will marry Hanna, she reveals she was protecting Valencienne’s reputation. Danilo finally declares his love; they marry, and Hanna’s fortune remains with her husband and Pontevedro.

The Midsummer Marriage

Opera · 1955

Jenifer and Mark, and the ordinary couple Bella and Jack, undergo contrasting paths toward marriage in a woodland temple. Jenifer and Mark separate to explore spiritual and earthly experience, while Jack and Bella affirm their love. Jenifer’s father King Fisher tries to uncover her whereabouts, but the revelation of the transformed couple causes his heart to fail. A ritual concludes with Mark and Jenifer reappearing in wedding clothes at dawn.

The Miserly Knight

Opera · 1906

The young knight Albert, burdened by debt, asks a moneylender for a loan. The moneylender proposes that Albert poison his father, the wealthy Baron, and Albert rejects the suggestion. The Baron gloats over his accumulated gold but fears his son will squander it. At the Duke’s court, the Baron accuses Albert of wanting to steal from him; Albert appears and calls his father a liar. The Baron challenges him to a duel, then collapses and dies, asking for the keys to his treasure chests.

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