The yellow Princess

the yellow Princess , COp 30, is a Op3era Comique in an act of Camille Saint-Saëns on a booklet of Louis Gallet, created in Paris on June 12th, 1872 with the national theater of the Op3era Comique. The two roles were held by Alice Ducasse (Léna) and Paul Lhérie (Kornélis), the decorations were of Auguste Rubé and Philippe Chaperon, the orchestra was directed by Adolphe Deloffre.

Synopsis

Scene 1: The history occurs to Holland, in winter, in the house of the parents of Léna. Kornélis, a cousin, lives in this house since the parents of Léna collected it with died of his/her mother.

Léna returns one morning in the study of Kornélis, which is absent. The cabinet is as usual in disorder, filled of brushes, of earthenware with half-painted, of books, all reflecting the interest of Kornélis for Japan. Léna starts to arrange, by noting that once more, Kornélis worked all during the night.

A poem found by chance in a book proves in Léna what she suspected already: Kornélis is in love with the Japanese woman painted on the panel hung in the cabinet. Exasperated, Léna reveals that it is secretly in love with Kornélis, and expresses its jealousy and its spite to have for rival a simple image.

Scene 2: Kornélis returns, absorbed in its thoughts. Léna questions it on its préocupations, asks to him whether it is happy. Kornélis eludes, but recognizes its love for Japan, where he dreams to go. An argument intervenes when Léna seizes the small bottle that Kornélis brought back this morning, and of which he refuses to reveal the contents. It from goes away, out of him.

Scene 3: Léna, remained only, worries more and more about excesses of his/her cousin and wonders whether it must give up him.

Scene 4: Kornélis, income after the departure of Léna, gives free course to its obsessions, and takes drugs with opium.

Scene 5: Léna returns, and notes the state of Kornélis which is delirious, lost in its daydream. Carried not its hallucinations, the Dutch cabinet is transformed into Japanese interior, and stamps it Ming representative takes life, under the features of Léna. Kornélis, subjugated, declares its flame to him while Léna, surprise, include/understand the mistake and rejects it, before taking fear and fleeing.

The dream ends, the little by little being dissipated effect of drug. Kornélis collapses on an armchair and the Dutch cabinet regains shape.

Léna, returning prudently, still finds Kornélis dreamer. Indicator which he took drugs, it reproaches him with anger its madness for being in love with a dream, of a woman who exists only in her imagination. Kornélis, disillusioned, carries out its blindness and includes/understands finally the feelings that it nourishes towards Léna. This one, hesitant, ends up accepting them, and in its turn its love acknowledges to him.

Random links: