Marina

by Emilio Arrieta (1823 - 1894).
An opera in three acts
First performed as a Zarzuela in Madrid in September 1855. Revised by he composer and staged as an Opera in March 1871.

Act I

The action lakes place in a seaside village on the shores of the Mediterranean. It is getting light, and a group of people from the village draw near singing songs, while Marina, the young orphan of a merchant captain who has always lived in Jorge's house, and who she loves but only as brother but is also secretly in love with, dreams of his imminent return. When Marina remains alone on the stage, her friend Teresa appears, to whom Marina confesses the great love she feels for Jorge. A voice announces the arrival of a ship commanded by Jorge and the people of the village draw near it drop anchor.

Alberto, a ship's captain, appears now and tells Marina that he will set sail for distant lands that very afternoon. She asks him to give her a letter he has from her father before he leaves, as a small memento of her dead father. Pascual arrives just then, a jealous and suspicious fitter who is in love with Marina, and on hearing the last words between her and Alberto he thinks that they are courting and reproaches the young girl because she doesn't love him. In order to make Jorge jealous Marina tells Pascual to ask Jorge for her hand and if he gives it to him she will be his wife. People from the village come again to meet Jorge, who arrives on the beach with Roque, his boatswain, a man weather-beaten by the storms at sea, distrustful and with a chip on his shoulder, always ready to offer the young Jorge his bitter experience of life.

The captain reveals the great happiness that overcomes him on coming home and wastes no time in asking about Marina, who he greets with real affection. Pascual takes advantage of the sailor's arrival to confide in Jorge his intention to get married. Jorge, who is deeply in love with Marina although he has never told her, replies that he is also getting married, so both weddings can he held on the same day. When he hears Pascual ask him for Marina's hand, however, he feels deep distress and at the same time, Marina feels tremendously disillusioned thinking that Jorge loves another woman while Pascual expresses his happiness and Roque ridicules the fickleness of female sentiments Once Jorge and Roque are alone, Jorge continues to express his feelings while the boatswain tries to console him.

Act II

The action happens in the carpenter's shop of the seashore. The laborers are doing their work in Pascual's shipyard and singing happy songs as they work. Pascual arrives with Marina and orders his men to leave their work in order to announce his coming wedding to the lovely young girl and invites them to the celebration. Everyone congratulates them but they also notice the sadness and anguish of the young girl. After finishing their tasks, the workers leave.

The townspeople who have learned the good news also draw near to congratulate the couple, and Pascual is happy whereas Jorge and Marina declare their frustrated feelings while Roque continues his sceptical speech. Pascual asks Marina in go and meet her future mother-in-law whose delicate health prevents her from leaving her home. Everyone leaves and Jorge appears completely downcast, without Roque to console him this time.

Act III

In a wine cellar near the beach the sailors are singing and drinking in a friendly atmosphere as night falls. Jorge and Roque drink with them to drown their sorrows. However, while Roque sings a free-and-easy song to wine, the captain continues with his bitter melancholy. The young ones leave and Jorge, tearful and desperate, seeks Roque's comfort. When they are alone, Marina appears, intensifying Jorge's unattainable desires while the young woman tries to find out who the woman is who is tormenting the captain. At the end of the scene the three characters leave with their hopes lost.

Pascual appears on the scene with a group of men who have met to serenade the bride-to-be. Roque takes possession of the guitar and plays some humorous seguidillas which upset the rustic bridegroom. When everyone is ready to leave, a sailor from Alberto's ship comes with a letter for Marina. But Pascual, claiming the rights of a husband, makes her show it to him- When he reads its contents full of affection, and sees the signature 'Alberto' (which was also the name of Marina's father) he thinks that Marina has had a secret affair with the captain.

Indignant, Pascual breaks his engagement with Marina and shows the compromising letter to Jorge. Marina arrives at that moment and defends herself timidly, for deep inside, she is glad that Pascual no longer wants her. When he has gone, she takes the letter and tells Jorge who wrote it. Jorge, however, still thinks that Marina does not love him and announces his intention to go away. She then confesses that she would suffer terribly in his absence, letting it be understood that she loves him and the lovers unite in an embrace. The people of the village and Roque celebrate the happy ending, while Marina relieves her pent up emotion in the final aria.