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Opera Music Plot Synopsis
Massenet: Griselidis
The scene is the south of France. Time: 14th century.
Act I. The shepherd Alain and the shepherdess Grisélidis,
herding their flocks
and piping their lays together, are vastly in love with each
other. But the
powerful and wealthy Marquis de Saluzzo comes between them,
and Grisélidis
listens to his voice, and jilts her Alain. In due time a son
is born to her, who
is christened Loys. Just at this time the marquis feels an
overpowering desire
to fight the infidels. The priest tries hard to dissuade him
from this
adventure, buthe will not heed. In his arguments with the
marquis the priest has
much to say about the devil and his cunning schemes for leading
men and
particularly women astray. Long absence of her lord would
not be good for
Grisélidis. However, the marquis goes forth to fight
the Saracens and leaves his
charming wife to all the temptations the devil can devise.
So sure of his wife
is the marquis that he even hands the devil his wedding ring,
a very foolish
thing for a departing husband to do.
Act II. The scene changes to a pretty garden overlooking the
sea. The devil and
his wife (Fiamina) argue with Grisélidis that the latter
should become
housekeeper during the absence of the marquis. After settling
this point Fiamina
facilitates the appearance at the castle of Alain, one-time
wooer of Grisélidis,
who makes good use of his opportunity. But in the nick of
time Loys, the baby
son of Grisélidis, saves his mother from infidelity
and perdition. At this the
devils is so wroth that he seizes the little fellow and runs
off with him to
parts unknown.
Act III. However, his satanic majesty keeps on tempting the
pretty grass widow.
His next move is an offer from him to return the child to
the mother if she will
but give him a kiss, one measly little kiss. Grisélidis
is in doubt; she
hesitates. But again chance favors her, for her truant husband,
the marquis,
returns from fighting the Saracens precisely at the time when
the devil has left
to the young wife only the above alternative. The marquis
is mightily aggrieved
at the disappearance of his son and heir and makes up his
mind to search for him
high and low. The devil, however, causes the weapons to vanish
without which in
those days searching parties could not get along. Thereupon
he and his wife,
scenting something fiendish, begin to pray earnestly. Then
the triptych over the
altar opens and lo! the boy walks out of it.
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