Operas -
The Marriage Bill
Opera in 1 act by GIOACHINO ROSSINI
Libretto by G. ROSSINI
Roman Fever
Opera in 1 act by ROBERT WARD
Based on a short story by EDITH WHARTON
The Marriage Bill
by G. ROSSINI
Setting: the Mill residence in 19th century England
As part of a business transaction, the English merchant, Tobias Mill receives a blank marriage bill of exchange from an eccentric Canadian businessman named Mr. Slook. Although somewhat surprised, Mill informs his household servants that after some consideration he has decided to accept the Canadian's terms and offer his daughter, Fanny, in marriage.
When news of this “marriage bill” reaches Fanny, her handsome but penniless lover, Edward Milfort, vows to fight for her and thwart the arranged marriage.
Soon, Slook arrives at the Mill's home looking outlandish and disheveled, but receives a royal reception at the hands of Mill and the servants. He is somewhat puzzled that Mill wishes to enact the marriage bill at once without delay.
Slook is introduced to the lovely Fanny and expresses his delight at winning such a young and charming bride. However, Milfort introduces himself as well and lets Shook know in no uncertain terms that if he values his safety, he will catch the next boat home.
After consideration, a nervous Slook decides that the Mill family is a little too strange for him and rescinds his offer to marry Fanny. Hearing this, Mill abruptly challenges the faithless Slook to a duel.
Chaos ensues and Slook decides he has had enough and tries to depart immediately. However before he is allowed to leave, Milfort forces him to settle the marriage contract by making Milfort his heir and signing Fanny over to her now well-to-do lover.
Meanwhile, unaware of the settlement, Mill rages belligerently through the house demanding satisfaction as Slook meekly accepts Fanny's gratitude and smokes a pipe with Milfort. Finally the terms of the new marriage bill are revealed to Mill and with animosities temporarily forgotten, the household wishes the happy couple good fortune.
Roman Fever
by EDITH WHARTON
Setting: veranda of a Roman hotel, mid-1920s
Two recently widowed American ladies, Grace Ansley and Alida Slade, take tea on the terrace of a Roman hotel. They reminisce about their first meeting as girls some 20 years before when Alida was first engaged to powerful attorney, Delphin Slade. Grace, also attracted to Delphin, had married Horace Ansley only a few months after. The women, who lost touch in the intervening years after their return to New York, now find themselves, by coincidence, at the same hotel in Rome. Both ladies are traveling with their daughters, Barbara and Jenny, who are about the same age as their mothers were when they first met. As they discuss their lives and daughters, Alida emerges as the dynamic one of the two, energetic and charismatic, while Grace displays a quiet charm and propriety. Their daughters are almost the reverse of their mothers as Barbara Ansley is vivacious and exciting while Jenny Slade, although caring and dutiful, lacks ambition or spirit, which deeply frustrates her mother, Alida. The girls arrive and relate that they have met two young pilots who have offered to take them flying. The mothers comment on the behavior of ladies in their day and how much stricter chaperones were then. They remember how girls were kept at home in past times because of the danger of catching Roman Fever from the cold night air. The waiter appears and joins the conversation, recalling an old tale about two sisters who loved the same man and how the older sister sent the younger out at night to collect a flower for her album and the young girl caught the Roman Fever and died. The daughters are horrified by the tale and explain that their pilots are fine gentlemen. When Alida hears that one of the officers is Rome's most eligible bachelor, she is immediately jealous of Barbara thinking that her Jenny has no chance to compete against her. The pilots phone to say they will take the girls on a moonlight flight and the excited daughters rush off to change. Alida makes Grace uneasy with jealous comments about Barbara and Grace leaves to get a stole for Barbara to wear in the night air. Alida remembers that Grace herself fell ill 20 years ago from the night chill, and as the church bells sound, she recalls her engagement, now only a distant memory. She feels the passing of time, but resolves to have a new lease on life through her daughter. Jenny enters rather plainly dressed while Barbara is still in her room doing makeup and hair. Alida urges Jenny to be more outgoing and competitive in order to win the heart of Rome's most desirable bachelor. Embarrassed by her mother's nagging, Jenny reveals that she is not ready for marriage and only wants to enjoy herself. Alida gives Jenny a string of pearls but drops them in frustration when Jenny admits that Barbara has already ensnared the heart of the young bachelor. Barbara enters in a stunning red dress, which makes Jenny's attire pale by comparison. The waiter scrambles to help Alida pick up her broken pearls as Grace returns. She compliments the girls on their outfits as they contemplate an exciting future. Alida alone seems drawn to the past. The girls rush out to meet their pilots, as Alida and Grace remain silent in the gathering dusk. Alida presses Grace about her illness 20 years earlier asking if she caught Roman Fever by going out to the Coliseum at night as in the previous story. Grace doesn't reply, but Alida presses on, relating that she suspects that Grace went out to meet Delphin. In fact she knows so, because it was Alida herself who penned the invitation from Delphin hoping that Grace would go meet him and fall ill. Not meaning any harm, nor realizing that Grace would get so sick, she did it just for childish revenge. Grace is terribly upset by the revelation as she had thought Delphin's letter to be genuine. As the lights come on for dinner, the ladies prepare to leave. Grace finally replies that she is sorry for Alida. She did have a rendezvous with Delphin that night, because she answered the letter she thought was from him. It never occurred to Alida that Grace might answer the letter, and in her shock and jealousy she berates Grace, reminding her that it was Alida after all who won Delphin and shared his life for 20 years. Grace had only memories and a fake letter. She had nothing. Before exiting, Grace turns for one last reply to quietly say, “Nothing? I had Barbara.” Back to top
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