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Opera Music Plot Synopsis
Marschner: Der Templer und die Judin
Der Templer und Die Jüdin
The Templar and the Jewess
Synopsis
In the opening scene we are introduced to the Knight-Templar,
Brian de Bois
Guilbert, who has fallen in love with the beautiful Jewess
Rebecca, and has
succeeded in capturing and detaining her in his castle. At
the same time, Sir
Cedric of Rotherwood, a Saxon knight, (father of Ivanhoe,
whom he has
disinherited), has been taken captive with his ward, the Lady
Rowena, by their
enemies, the Normans. Rebecca refuses to hear the Templar's
protestations of
love, and threatens to precipitate herself from the parapet
if he dares to touch
her. Her wild energy conquers; and when he leaves her, Ivanhoe,
the wounded
knight to whom Rebecca is assigned as nurse, tells her that
friends have come to
deliver them all.
The outlaws, commanded by Richard Coeur de Lion, under the
guise of the Black
Knight, assault the castle, burn it, and deliver the captives.
Poor Rebecca
alone falls into the hands of the Templar, who does not cease
to press his love
suit. Brian's deed soon becomes known, and his brother Templars,
believing Brian
to be innocent, but seduced by a sorceress, condemn Rebecca
to the stake. She
makes use of her right to ask for a champion, and is allowed
till sunset to find
one. Brian himself tries all he can to save her, but she rejects
his aid, for
she loves Ivanhoe, though she is well aware that this noble
knight loves his
beautiful cousin Rowena.
The day has nearly passed, the funeral pile awaits its victim,
and no champion
appears. The trumpets sound for the last time, when Ivanhoe
presents himself in
the lists to fight Brian, whom the Templars have appointed
as his adversary.
Ivanhoe is victorious; Brian falls lifeless, even before the
enemy's sword
touches him. All recognize the judgment of God, and Rebecca
is given back to her
desolate father. At the last moment King Richard, who has
long been absent on a
crusade to Jerusalem, appears on the scene. He announces that
henceforth he
alone will govern the land and punish all injustice. Ivanhoe
and Rowena are
united by consent of Sir Cedric, who is now wholly reconciled
to his valorous
son.
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