CYRANO

Composer: WALTER DAMROSCH Book by W. J. HENDERson, from Edmond Rost and’s play Cyrano de Bergerac First performance: Metropolitan Opera House, New York, February 27, 4 acts. THE LEADER of the Gascony cadets, Cyrano, loves Roxane, who in turn loves Christian de Neuvillette, a somewhat inarticulate friend of Cyrano’s. Cyrano supplies the words for Christian’s famous balcony wooing of Roxane as he (Cyrano) hides in the bushes while Christian seems to speak as one inspired, After Roxane and Christian are married she rushes to the battlefield of Arras to see her husband and perhaps die with him. ‘The love letters from Christian to Roxane had been written, of course, by Cyrano and Christian accuses Cyrano of having pled his own rather than Christian’s case in love. Rushing into the battle he is quickly brought back dead. Roxane enters a convent and it isn’t until years later that she discovers the fact, even though Cyrano denies it, that Cyrano has loved her always. III. Synopses of Operas (Stories of the Operas) — D d