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Opera Music Plot Synopsis
Paderewski: Manru
The scene is laid in the Tatra Mountains, between Galicia and
Hungary. The first
act presents a village scene in the mountains where Hedwig
is seen bemoaning the
loss of her daughter Ulana, who has run away with the Gypsy
Manru. Ulana
suddenly appears in the village, and coming to her mother's
cottage begs
forgiveness for herself and her lover. Hedwig promises to
forgive her if she
will renounce Manru forever, but this the girl persistently
refuses to do, and
finally her mother in a rage drives her from the door with
curses. Ulana then
seeks the assistance of Urok, a dwarf and reputed sorcerer,
who has often
confessed his love for her. From him she obtains a magic potion
with which she
hopes to win back the love of Manru, who has already begun
to tire of his exile,
and to long for the old roving life of the Gypsies.
The second act shows a hut in the mountains, where Ulana is
singing a lullaby to
her infant, while Manru is struggling between his love and
his desire to join
the Gypsies. Urok enters the hut, and suddenly beautiful violin
music is heard
in the distance, which Manru recognizes as coming from the
Gypsy fiddler, Jogu.
The charm of the music proves too much for him, and he rushes
from the hut and
disappears in the forest. Jogu tries to persuade him to rejoin
the band and be
their chief, telling him that the beautiful Gypsy maiden Asa
is pining with love
for him. In the midst of his temptation Ulana appears and
finally persuades him
to return to the hut, where she gives him a drink of the magic
potion. This has
the effect of temporarily winning back his love.
The third act reveals a lake in the mountains, where Manru
is seen wandering in
the moonlight. He hears strange voices echoing through the
mountains, and,
becoming weary, falls asleep beneath the trees, where he is
found shortly after
by the band of Gypsies. The maiden Asa recognizes him immediately,
and begs
Oros, the Gypsy chief, to forgive him and receive him back
into the tribe. Oros
refuses to comply with her wishes, and finding his people
ready to forgive
Manru, leaves the band in anger. Manru is finally persuaded
by Asa to accept the
position of chief in Oros' stead. Urok suddenly appears in
their midst and
pleads with Manru not to desert Ulana and his child, but all
in vain, as Manru
finally succumbs to the alluring smiles of Asa and disappears
in the mountains
with the Gypsy band.
On hearing of his desertion, Ulana, maddened with grief, throws
herself into the
lake and is drowned. Manru and Asa, walking down the mountain
path with their
arms about each other, are suddenly confronted by Oros, who,
grappling with
Manru, hurls him into the abyss, thereby regaining his position
as chief of the
Gypsies.
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