THE LEGEND

A lyric tragedy in one act in English by Joseph Breil, with a libretto by Jacques Byrne. Produced for the first time on any stage at the Metropolitan Opera House, March 12, 1919, with Rosa Ponselle, Kathleen Howard, Paul Altho use, and Louis d'Angelo. Count Stackareff , an impoverished nobleman, lives with his daughter, Car mel it a , at his hunting lodge in Muscovadia, a mythical country in the Balkans. In order to make his living, he leads a double life. By day he is a courtly nobleman, and by night a bloodthirsty bandit, Black Lorenzo . No one but his daughter knows his secret, and she is in constant fear of his discovery for there is a price upon his head. The story opens on a stormy night. Stackareff tells his daughter that he has captured a wealthy merchant, and is holding him for a large ransom. He expects the ransom to arrive by me enger at any moment. If it does not come Stackareff intends to kill the prisoner. Car mel it a not only fears for the safety of her father, but that her lover Stephen Pauloff , whom she met in Vienna, will find out that she is the daughter of such a rogue, and cast her off. She prays before the statue of the Virgin that the young man will not discover her father's double life. Marta , an old servant, enters and tells Car mel it a that she has seen Stephen in the woods. He has told her that he will soon come to see his sweetheart. Car mel it a rejoices but Marta warns her of the legend that on this night the Evil One walks abroad and knocks at doors. He who opens the door dies within a year. Car mel it a scoffs and asks Marta to tell her fortune with the cards. The ace of spades, the death card, presents itself at every cutting. Marta refuses to explain its significance and leaves her young mistre bewildered. The storm increases. There are two knocks. Thinking it is Stephen , Car mel it a opens the door. No one is there. She is terrified. Later Stephen arrives. In his arms she for the moment forgets her fears, but they are soon renewed when her lover tells her that he has been sent to take the murderous bandit, Black Lorenzo , dead or alive. Car mel it a makes the young man swear before the Virgin that he will never desert her. Then she prepares to elope with him. Stackareff enters, expecting to find the me enger. He is apprehensive when he sees a soldier at his fireside. Car mel it a's a urance that Stephen is her lover calms his fear. But Stephen in answer to Stackareff's questions tells him that he is after Black Lorenzo . Again the knocks are heard. Stackareff , after shouting at Stephen that he is his man, escapes through the door. When the young soldier resists her prayers to desist from pursuing the murderer Car mel it a stabs him. Two soldiers bring in the mortally wounded body of her father. Realizing that Car mel it a has killed their captain they fire upon her. Their shot rings out through the music of the finale.