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Opera Music Plot Synopsis
Massenet: Le Roi de Lahore
ACT I
The people of Lahore, led by the high priest Timour, pray
to Indra for
deliverance from the advancing Muslim armies of Mahmoud. Scindia,
the King's
minister, arrives to ask that one of the women of the temple,
Sita, be released
from her vows; Timour replies that only the king can make
such a request.
Scindia tells him that he has heard that a man has been visiting
her within the
temple itself; they go off to visit her together. in the temple,
Scindia tells
Sita he is taking her to be married, and Sita is overjoyed;
but when Scindia
reveals that he is the intended husband, she sends him away.
Her agitation
revealing her guilt, she confesses that she has been visited
by a man who talked
of love but has never touched so much as her hand. Scindia
begs for her love,
but she refuses him, and he swears revenge. He calls in all
the people, and
orders her put to death; Alim, the King, who has just arrived
through the secret
door, reveals that he is her lover and gives her his protection.
Timour tells
him that to expiate his sin, he must ride against Mahmoun's
army.
ACT II
In the camp of Alim's army, Sita watches some soldiers play
chess, waiting for
the King to return from battle. After she retires, the defeated
remnants of the
army return, telling the camp that the king is dying; Scindia
takes the
opportunity to seize power for himself. Alim arrives, weak
and pale, and tries
to rally his soldiers, but they reject him, and he dies in
Sita's arms.
ACT III
In Paradise, Alim appears before Indra. He begs to return
to Sita, and Indra
agrees: he will be reincarnated, not as a king, but as a commoner,
and his life
will be linked to Sita's, so that if she dies, he will also.
ACT IV
In the palace, Sita mourns the death of the king and swears
that she will not
marry Scindia; on the palace steps, Alim is overjoyed that
he has returned to
life. He stops Scindia, about to enter the palace to see Sita;
the people are
confused to see a man with the features and voice of the dead
king. Alim demands
the love of Sita; Scindia orders him killed, but Timour, recognizing
the will of
Indra, intervenes and takes him into the temple as Sita's
palanquin passes by on
its way to the palace.
ACT V
In Indra's sanctuary, Sita, who has fled from the palace,
draws a dagger to kill
herself, but she pauses to listen to the evening prayer. Alim
arrives through
the secret door and the lovers try to flee together; but Scindia
arrives with
his soldiers. Sita, trapped by Scindia's men, stabs herself;
Alim, feeling the
same blow, dies with her. A vision of paradise appears, and
as Sita and Alim
die, Scindia regrets his evil deeds.
contributed by Chris Hapka; © 1998
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