West London Opera

Stories from the opera can be very simple or extremely complex. Stories from some of the more popular operas which have been performed by WLO are unravelled in this page.

Un Ballo in Maschera (A Masked Ball) - Giuseppe Verdi
The story is based at the end of the 17th Century and tells about Ricardo, Governor of Boston, who falls in love with Amelia, the wife of Renato, his secretary and intimate friend. His love is returned but Amelia's conscience troubles her and she consults Ulrica, a sorceress, who sends her to gather at midnight a herb which will cause her to forget Ricardo. The usual mishaps and misunderstandings occur, and at a grand masked ball at the end of the opera, Ricardo is stabbed by Renato. As he lies dying, Ricardo declares the innocence of Amelia and forgives Renato.

The Bartered Bride - Smetana
A comedy, this opera tells the story of two lovers, Marenka and Jenik. A marriage has been arranged by Kecal between Marenka and Vasek and Jenik is offered money not to marry Marenka. In the meantime Vasek falls in love with Esmerelda and Jenik discovers he is Vasek's half-brother! It all ends happily with Jenik marrying his love Marenka.

Carmen - Georges Bizet
Carmen is a dark-eyed gipsy who works in the local cigar factory in Seville and bewitches a local soldier, Don Jose to fall in love with her, forsaking his current girlfriend Micaela. Her interest in Don Jose is transient and when Carmen emerges after a bullfight with her latest love, Escamillo, Don Jose's jealousy overcomes him and when she rejects him, he stabs her to death.

The Elisir of Love

This universal love story is at home around the World. Our Artistic Director visualised it in the not-so-wild Wild West of the American Blue Ridge Mountains, with Dr. Dulcamara as the quintessential snakeoil salesman amongst a village of hillbillies.

Adina, a wealthy and educated landowner, her trusted sidekick Giannetta and the locals are taking a midday break in the shade. One of them, Nemorino, a simple and poor young man who is madly in love with Adina, is watching from the sidelines. Adina is reading out loud the story of Tristan who bought a love potion to gain Isolde’s love. Nemorino’s thoughts get fixated on such a potion – if only he could, too.

When dashing Sergeant Belcore hits town, Adina is flattered by his forthright advances, but when the question is popped, she stalls him, saying she needs a little time to think it over.

Work beckons, and Adina and Nemorino are left alone. Nemorino picks up the courage and tells Adina how much he loves her. She brushes him off, putting it down to puppy love.

However, Dr. Dulcamara has also arrived in town. And so have his medicines, potions and elixirs. He starts his sales spiel and everyone is taken in. Nemorino pays with his last penny for a bottle of love potion (actually just a bottle of Jack Daniel's). It would be a day for it to take effect - time enough for the good doctor to skip town. Nemorino downs the potion. Convinced of his luck tomorrow, he gives Adina the cold shoulder. This makes Adina mad at him, and she tops it by agreeing to marry Belcore later today. Nemorino is crestfallen – before the day is out? – his pleas to hold off the wedding are laughed at.

Act Two

The party is well under way, Dulcamara and Adina are entertaining the crowd with a little ditty and the Notary is on call. But Nemorino is not there – and how can Adina gloat without him? – so she postpones the actual marriage. In search of more food and drink they leave.

Nemorino wants some more love potion from Dulcamara. But he is broke. Belcore, learning of Nemorino’s need for money, tricks him into signing up for the army – one rival out of the way! Nemorino legs it after the doctor.

Then, unbeknown to Nemorino, news of his rich uncle’s death arrives and spreads quickly amongst the women folk. A little worse for wear after another bottle of potion, Nemorino finds himself the object of female attention – the elixir is working! Both Adina and Dulcamara are flabbergasted.

Adina buys back the enlistment papers and at last confesses her love to Nemorino. Belcore’s ego is a little bruised but not battered, there are plenty of other fish in the sea.

Dr. Dulcamara grabs centre stage as the true cause of all this good fortune and is cheered as a truly remarkable man. Doubtless he will manage to sell every bottle before leaving!

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Faust - Gounod The ageing philosopher Faust makes a pact with Mephistopheles: his soul in exchange for youth and the lovely Marguerite. Her brother Valentine leaves Marguerite to the care of his friend Siebel, but on his return from war finds Faust has loved and left Marguerite. He challenges Faust to a duel but is killed. Marguerite, imprisoned for killing her child, prays to heaven for forgiveness, whilst Faust is dragged down to hell by Mephistopheles.

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Die Fledermaus - Strauss

When her husband, Gabriel von Eisenstein leaves their house ostensibly to go to prison to serve a short sentence, Rosalinde is visited by the opera singer Alfredo, a former admirer. However, Eisenstein has in fact gone to a party in the company of his old friend Dr Falke, and when Frank, the Governor of the prison arrives at the house to escort Eisenstein to gaol, he arrests instead Alfredo whom he naturally assumes to be Rosalinde's husband.

The party to which Eisenstein and Falke have gone is given by the bored young Prince Orlofsky. Falke, who is plotting an elaborate revenge for a joke played on him by Eisenstein, has arranged for Rosalind and her maid Adele also to appear at the party. A complicated series of encounters based on mistaken identities culminates in a final scene in Frank's prison, in which Falke has his revenge, but all agree to blame everything on the champagne they have been drinking.

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La Traviata - Giuseppe Verdi
Alfredo falls in love with Violetta, a high-class Parisian courtesan who, unknown to him, is dying of consumption. She goes to live with him in the country, but leaves him at the request of his father, Germont, in order not to bring scandal upon the family. She returns to her former protector, but is publicly insulted at a party by Alfredo, who fights a duel with his rival. Alfredo returns to Violetta when he learns the truth about her sacrifice, but arrives only a short time before she dies.

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The Marriage of Figaro - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
The opera takes place on the day on which Figaro and Susanna, two of the servants of the Count and Countess Almaviva, are to be married. The Count, desirous of reviving the old 'droit de seigneur' by which he may enjoy the favours of Susanna before her marriage, attempts to postpone the ceremony, and is aided by the existence of a contract Figaro has signed, promising that he will marry Marcellina, the housekeeper, if he cannot repay the money he has borrowed from her. Irritated by the flirtatious young page, Cherubino, the Count orders him away to join the regiment.
In order to help the Countess regain the love of her husband, Susanna and Figaro concoct a plan to expose the Count's amorous pursuit of the female servants on the estate. This involves Susanna in pretending to agree to a rendezvous with the Count, and in the Countess and Susanna impersonating each other. After a series of complications, in the course of which Figaro discovers Marcellina to be his mother, Figaro and Susanna are married, and the Count's intended infidelity is exposed. He is forgiven by the Countess and the 'folle journée' ends happily.

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Nabucco - Giuseppe Verdi

Nabucco is set in Jerusalem in 586 BC. The Hebrews have been defeated by Nebuchadnezzar or Nabucco, King of Babylon. The Hebrew prophet and leader, Zaccaria, has captured Nabucco's daughter Fenena, the lover of a young Hebrew Officer, Ismaele. Nabucco's other daughter Abigaille, helps her father to invade and desecrate the holy temple of the Jews. Later Abigaille discovers that she is only the adopted daughter of Nabucco. When Nabucco blasphemes, he is struck down by Jehovah, and his reason deserts him. He is imprisoned by Abigaille who seizes the crown from him. It is only when Nabucco prays to Jehovah that he recovers his senses in time to save Fenena from execution. A dying and repentant Abigaille implores forgiveness of Jehovah, and with her last breath blesses the union of Fenena and Ismaele.

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Rigoletto - Giuseppe Verdi
Rigoletto, the court jester, is very protective of his beautiful daugher, Gilda, so much so that the world thinks she is his mistress. She is stolen away by the courtiers, and falls in love with the Duke of Mantua, who seduces everyone's wives and daughters, and of course seduces her. Rigoletto arranges the murder of the Duke with Sparagucile. His sister also falls in love with the Duke and insists on a substitute. The hapless Gilda, in an attempt to also save the Duke, appears disguised and becomes the anonymous substitute. Rigoletto returns to claim his victim, delivered in a sack, only to find his daughter inside.

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