“Le Villi”

Characters

ANNA — Soprano GUGLIELMO WULF (her father) — Baritone ROBERTO — Tenor CHORUS Mountaineers, Wilis, spirits Place A small village in the Black Forest Time Nineteenth century Prelude

FIRST ACT

MOUNTAINEERS Long live! Long live! Long live! Long live the betrothed pair! (Anna and Roberto walk away arm in arm.) MOUNTAINEERS The old woman of Mainz Has made Roberto her heir! The treasures she hoarded Are many indeed! So Roberto tonight Will leave a poor man, And return wealthy To marry his beloved!

MOUNTAINEERS Long live! Long live! Long live! Long live the betrothed pair! Turn! Turn! Turn! Leap! Turn! Leap! The music throbs and grows ecstatic, The dance drives and urges us on! Oh, how swiftly the hours fly When dancing feet are light! The dance is love's rival: It truly makes the heart beat fast! Turn! Turn! Turn! Leap! Turn! Leap! (to Guglielmo) Hey there, Father Guglielmo! Come and dance with us too! GUGLIELMO Well then, why not? By heaven! I'm old, but I can still keep on my feet! (He takes a young woman and gallantly invites her to dance.) MOUNTAINEERS Turn! Turn! Turn! Leap! Turn! Leap! (Amid applause and laughter, Guglielmo dances away with his partner. Gradually everyone follows. The stage remains empty for a moment, then Anna re-enters alone carrying a small bouquet of forget-me-nots.) ANNA If only I were as small as you, O lovely flowers, Then I could always remain Close beside my beloved.

ANNA Then I should say to him: 'I think always of you!' Then I could repeat: 'Forget me not!' You, happier than I, Will follow him, dear flowers; Through valleys and over hills You will follow my beloved. Ah, if the name you bear Is not a lie, Then say to my love: 'Forget me not!' (She places the bouquet in Roberto's travelling case.) ROBERTO (seeing what Anna is doing and approaching with a smile) Ah, I've caught you! ANNA You! ROBERTO (taking the bouquet from the case, kissing it, and replacing it) Thank you, my dear Anna. But I should like An even sweeter keepsake. ANNA What kind? ROBERTO A smile. (Anna sadly shakes her head.) Do not be so sorrowful, My dear Anna. A few days will pass, And I shall return.

ANNA In vain I try to hold back my tears; A sadness overcomes me That I cannot conquer. Dark forebodings trouble my mind. It seems to me That I shall never see you again. ROBERTO Anna! ANNA Last night I dreamed That I was dying While waiting for you. ROBERTO Come now! What thoughts are these? Think instead of the happy days That destiny promises us, Favouring our love! ANNA But do you truly love me? ROBERTO My little angel, Why do you still doubt my love? You shared The joys and caresses of my childhood; From you, gentle and pure, I learned life's sweetness. I was poor, yet you chose To value my love above that of any rich man. Ah! Doubt God Himself, But never doubt my love! I love you!

ANNA Sweet and gentle words, Engrave yourselves upon my sorrowing heart, And in the dark hours of waiting Bring comfort to my grief! Sweet and gentle words, Oh, how often my lips Will murmur them: Ah! Doubt God Himself, But never doubt my love! I love you! (The mountaineers return with Guglielmo.) MOUNTAINEERS Quickly now! Quickly, to the road! The hour of departure has come! Before the sun's joyful rays Fade from the sky, we must be off! ROBERTO Anna, take heart! ANNA I feel I shall die! MOUNTAINEERS (to Roberto) We shall accompany you As far as the edge of the forest. ROBERTO (to Guglielmo) Father, give us your blessing! GUGLIELMO Gather around me, All of you.

GUGLIELMO Gather around me, All of you. (Anna and Roberto kneel at Guglielmo's feet; everyone follows their example.) Angel of God, Who turnest thy wings heavenward this night, Carry this prayer To the throne of the Lord! ANNA, ROBERTO AND GUGLIELMO May the journey be blessed For every pilgrim! May no dream of love Know disappointment! Carry this prayer To the throne of the Lord! (Guglielmo embraces Roberto; Roberto embraces Anna and then bids farewell to the mountaineers.)

ROBERTO Father, Anna, farewell! ANNA, GUGLIELMO AND MOUNTAINEERS Farewell, Roberto, farewell! (Roberto departs with several friends.)

INTERMEZZO

Part One: The Abandonment NARRATOR In those days, in Mainz, there lived a siren Who bewitched both old and young. She lured Roberto into shameful revelry, And there he forgot his love for Anna. NARRATOR Meanwhile, tormented by unspeakable sorrow, The betrayed maiden waited for him. But she waited in vain; and when winter came, She closed her eyes in eternal sleep. (Behind a veil, Anna's funeral procession emerges from Guglielmo's house and crosses the stage.) WOMAN Like a lily cut down, She lies within her coffin. Moonlight itself is the pallor of her face. O pure maiden, rest in peace!

Part Two: The Witches' Sabbath NARRATOR In the Black Forest there is a legend, The legend of the Wilis, A terrible warning to faithless lovers. If a young maiden dies of love, Each night the Wilis gather in the forest To dance while awaiting the betrayer. Then, should they find him, They dance and laugh with him Until, exhausted by the frenzy of the dance, He dies. Now a day of doom had come for Roberto. Abandoned by the siren and reduced to rags, He resolved to return to the forest, And this very night he has returned. Already he advances through the forest: All around him the Wilis whirl In the frozen air. Trembling with cold and fear, He has entered the heart of the dark forest. (During Part Two the same landscape as in Act One becomes visible, but now it is winter. Night. The trees, stripped bare and lifeless, are heavy with snow. The sky is clear and filled with stars; the moon illuminates the bleak landscape. The Wilis come to dance, preceded by will-o'-the-wisps that dart about from every side and pass across the stage.)

SECOND ACT

(Guglielmo sits at the door of his house, sunk in profound grief.) GUGLIELMO No, it cannot be That his crime should remain unavenged! My sweet daughter lived Happy and peaceful by my side, Then he came, And with his words Awakened in her The longing for love. (rising passionately) Who then, villain, Asked for your love? What terrible wrong Did we ever do to you, That you should kill that angel And leave such anguish To darken my last days?

GUGLIELMO No, it cannot be That so great a crime should go unavenged! Holy spirit of my daughter, If the legend of the Wilis be true, Do not be merciful to him now, As once you were; Instead, await him here When evening falls. If I could know you were avenged, I would gladly greet my final day. Ah, forgive, Lord, The cruel thought That has escaped From my bleeding heart.

(He returns to the house.) WILIS offstage He is coming! Anna! Anna! Anna! The traitor comes, Condemned to death! Look! He draws near! Come, accursed one, move on! (Roberto appears on the bridge and advances.) ROBERTO to himself Here is the house. God, what a dreadful night! Strange voices pursue me. The Wilis? Come now! They are only tales! (descending) No, it is not The fatal vengeance of the Wilis That pursues me! You alone pursue me, Remorse, Infernal serpent!

ROBERTO Serpent with infernal venom! My sorrowing thoughts Return to those happy days: The flowers of May were smiling, Love was blossoming, Love blossomed for me! Now everything is shrouded In gloomy mystery, And in my heart there remains Only sorrow and terror. Perhaps she still lives! (He looks toward the house, then walks toward it as if he has reached a decision.)

I shall knock! (He is about to knock, but recoils as though some unknown force restrains him.) What a shudder seized me! In vain I tried To raise my hand To that threshold! WILIS Come on, accursed one, move on! ROBERTO And yet I seem To hear a funeral chant! (He kneels, exhausted, and tries to pray.) O almighty God! This is the end Of my journey, The end of my destiny. Grant that forgiveness May make her happy For but a single moment, And then I shall die!

ROBERTO (springing to his feet) I cannot pray! Ah, cursed be the day, The day I left this place! Cursed be your beauty, O vile courtesan! Forever cursed! Forever cursed! WILIS Move on! Move on! Move on! ANNA (offstage) Roberto! ROBERTO Heaven! Her voice! Then she is not dead! ANNA (appearing on the bridge) I am no longer Love. I am Vengeance! ROBERTO (falling upon a rock in despair) Great God! ANNA Do you remember What you said In the month of flowers? 'You shared The joys and caresses Of my childhood; From you, gentle and pure, I learned life's sweetness. Ah, doubt God Himself, But never doubt my love!'

ANNA I loved you: you betrayed me. I waited for you, and you never came. What a terrible sorrow it is To suffer in silence! With all hope gone from my heart, You caused my death! ROBERTO I forgot her, I betrayed her, And because of me she lost her life. Ah, what a terrible sorrow I am doomed to suffer! With remorse within my heart, I feel myself dying! (Roberto moves toward Anna as though driven by an unknown force. He struggles to resist the spell that overwhelms him, but cannot, and rushes toward her. Anna advances, opens her arms, and draws him to herself. Meanwhile the Wilis gather around them and carry them away in a frenzied dance.)

SPIRITS (offstage) Here we await you, traitor! Expect no mercy from us! SPIRITS AND WILIS He who in life was deaf to love Shall find no forgiveness in death! Traitor, we await you! Turn! Leap! Turn! Leap! (Panting and wild-eyed, Roberto runs to Guglielmo's house and tries to knock at the door. Seeing the Wilis pursuing him from the right, he attempts to flee the other way, but Anna appears on the left. She seizes him again and sweeps him into another furious dance amid the advancing Wilis.)

ROBERTO (exhausted, falling at her feet) Anna, mercy! ANNA (disappearing) You are mine! SPIRITS AND WILIS Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna!

libretto by Dmitrii Murashev