PÉNÉLOPE

GABRIEL FAURÉ (12 May 1845 - 4 November 1924)
Opera in 3 acts,
libretto by René Fauchois

Place: Ithaca

Time: 12th Century

Act 1

Pénélope waits for her husband Ulysse, plagued not only by the pretenders to his throne and his marriage bed, but also by her own efforts to retain faith in his ultimate return. The first three scenes, playing in an ante -room to Pénélope's chamber, serve as exposition.

After a prelude, which aptly sets out the opera's seriousness of purpose, we meet Pénélope's serving maids, who admit that in Pénélope's place they would long since have succumbed to the suitors' blandishments. The suitors suddenly push their way in, demanding to see the Queen, and opposed by the aged Euryclée; when Pénélope herself appears, it is with incomparable dignity of posture, music and phrase, and the music is fired to splendour as she protests that Ulysse, her husband, has bidden her wait for him; every day she expects him to return, in all the glory in which he left. The suitors are cynical but worried that the shroud she has been weaving for old Léodes, the father of Ulysse, is still far from finished, and the Queen thus protected from their wooing by their promise to respect her privacy until she has finished the shroud. She must work under their supervision.

Eurymaque signs for flute players and dancers to enter, which they do to a most attractive tune in triple time. Deaf to the suitors' blandishments, Pénélope, in another moment of musical inspiration, launches a last appeal: 'Ulysse, proud husband ... gentle warrior ... come, help me in my distress', and outside a voice answers her appeal. It is Ulysse, disguised as an old beggar. In spite of the opposition of the suitors, Pénélope receives him and promises him hospitality. As every other night, she refuses an invitation to the feast, and the suitors go off with the more amenable of the palace girls. Pénélope confides the old man to the care of Euryclée, who is not long in recognising him. When she is alone, Pénélope starts, as is her wont every night, to unravel the work she has done during the day, but this time the suitors surprise her and insist that the very next day she choose between them. The old beggar returns, and his words are of such comfort that Pénélope agrees to take him with them when she and Euryclée mount their nightly vigil on the hill which commands a view of the sea an approaching ship. Left alone for a moment, Ulysse voices his excitement in exuberant phrases.

Act 2

A shepherd is singing mournfully occupation. Pénélope comes to the promontory lowered by Euryclée and Ulysse. Memories of her husband crowd in on her, and in a duet with the old man she is told that the warrior king has lived his roof in Crete for twelve days. His description Ulysse convinces Pénélope, and before long he is assuring her of Ulysse's innermost feelings. Suddenly the old man proposes a stratagem: let Pénélope yield only to the suitor who can bend the great bow Ulysse left behind him! She agrees and goes sadly home while Ulysse, galvanised to life, calls together the shepherds, makes himself known to them, and enlists their help.

Act 3

The act opens with great urgency as Ulysse reveals that he has chosen the great sword of Hercules with which to wreak his vengeance. Euryclée is overcome by the Queen's distress, but Ulysse reassures her: the stratagem will work and by nightfall she will have seen her mistress smile again. Eumée arrives to tell the King that fate has played into their hands in that the shepherds have been ordered by the pretenders to bring beasts to the court for a sacrifice.

The suitors enter and summon Pénélope to her choice. She tells them that the man among them who can bend the bow of Ulysse shall remain in the palace; then, struck by a sudden revulsion of feeling begs them to leave before her presentiment of death is fulfilled. Each in turn tries his hand and each fails, until Ulysse, still in disguise, asks to be allow his turn, to the undisguised contempt of the suitors. He bends the bow, shoots an arrow through the twelve rings of axes, then aims the bow in turn at each of the suitors, and with the aid of Eumée and the shepherds, slays the pretenders and their followers. Justice is done and the opera ends in triumph as the court rejoices in the happiness of the reunited couple.