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Synopsis
She Stoops to Conquer, a Restoration Period comedy written by Oliver Goldsmith in 1773, is set in the Hardcastle's country home in England. The main plot line, the wooing of Kate Hardcastle by Young Marlow and the re-ordering of his society-instilled views of women, is transformed into a comic chamber opera in one act with seven scenes.
Scene 1 opens with Mr. Hardcastle bustling around his English country home in preparation for the arrival of Young Marlow from London, who is (somewhat unwillingly) a potential suitor of his daughter from his first marriage, Kate Hardcastle. His second wife, Mrs. Harcastle, then appears with Tony Lumpkin in tow, who is her "country bumpkin" son from a previous marriage, instructing him on the way to win a woman's heart and dowry - in this case Constance Neville's, a distant cousin of Kate who also lives in the Hardcastle house. However, Tony and Constance are supremely uninterested in each other in the matrimonial sense. Tony escapes his mother, she runs off in pursuit of him, and Constance enters and sings her blues aria: "I long to be in London where my lover waits for me, But I'm a prisoner of my aunt, Who holds my dowry." Tony reenters and also fantasizes about freedom in his rollicking ballad: "When I come of age and receive my patrimony." Mrs. Hardcastle reenters in pursuit in Tony, grabbing hold of him by the ear this time, then Mr. Harcastle anxiously appears: "Why has nothing been done to prepare for our guest's arrival?" An ensemble ensues, ending with Mr. and Mrs. Hardcastle fighting about Tony. Mrs. Hardcastle runs off after Tony, while the end of the scene reprises the Allegro giocoso of the opening with Mr. Hardcastle exhorting "Let us show a welcome worthy of our special guest."
At the start of Scene 2, Mr. Hardcastle is in a nostalgic mood, remembering his first wife. Daughter Kate enters, and he attempts to persuade her of Young Marlow's attractions. Kate balks at what seems an arranged marriage, "What can an old man know of a young girl's heart?" She eventually warms to the idea of Young Marlow as her father waxes eloquent about his merits, until he mentions what he considers Young Marlow's chief virtue: "He is the most modest, most reserved, most bashful young gentleman alive, A young man after my own heart!" Kate is disenchanted.
Scene 3 finds Kate with regained vitality, telling Constance the news about her potential suitor: "He sounds interesting and a little mixed-up." Constance replies: "That doesn't surprise me." Both sing the refrain "Who can understand a man, Who can read his heart and mind!" Tony Lumpkin enters and answers Young Marlow's knock on the door. Young Marlow is indeed lost and does not realize that he has already arrived at his intended destination, the Hardcastle house. Tony tells Marlow that the house is really a country inn and encourages Marlow to stay the night, with a few timely warnings about the inn-keeper — "He puts on airs, and thinks himself the equal of his guests." Kate likes the look of Marlow, and is about to clear up the geographical confusion, until she understands from overhearing Marlow that he is only romantically at ease with serving girls and turns into a stuttering, blithering idiot around women of his own class: "Only when I have the social advantage do I know what to do." A trio closes the scene, with Kate and Constance's refrain "Brave in battle, and lost in love" blending with Marlow's bewildered "I seem to be lost!"
At the opening of Scene 4 Kate tells Constance her plan of pretending to be a maid so Marlow will speak openly to her. Constance agrees to help her, and they quickly exit to find a suitable disguise, just missing the entering Mr. Hardcastle, who has heard of Young Marlow's arrival. Marlow, cool and distant, is startled by Mr. Hardcastle's effusive and overly-personal welcome since Marlow assumes Mr. Hardcastle, his potential father-in-law, is the inn-keeper. Mr. Hardcastle sputters angrily at Young Marlow's arrogant demand for service: "This . . . this . . . this is the 'modest youth' recommended for my daughter? I will not have it!"
Constance Neville and Tony Lumpkin temporarily join forces in Scene 5, as Constance eventually succeeds in convincing Tony to steal her dowry of jewels that Mrs. Hardcastle is keeping for her. Constance sings to Tony: "If you were to steal the jewels, and give them to me, then I could fly to London, and you'd be free!" At the end of the scene, they sing an "un-love duet": "How I loathe you, What a partnership we make, I despise you! Oh, but what a team!"
After a few qualms, which Constance calms, Kate puts her plan into action in Scene 6. Kate appears to Marlow as a servant, and as Kate eludes Marlow's physical advances, they talk more and more frankly. Marlow asks: "In your work, you must see many well-born ladies, and hear them talk among themselves, Tell me then, What do women like that want from men?" Kate answers in her aria: "One woman is all women, what she wants is not hard to say, Eyes that see her first, before the world, around and through, inside and out, not blind with doubt and fear, but clear with love and trust, Eyes that see with love." They sing a love duet, plan to elope, and Kate goes upstairs to pack.
The concluding Scene 7 starts with the love-smitten Marlow dancing around, waiting for Kate's return. An angry Mr. Hardcastle appears, angry until Marlow's ecstatic mood and marital plans infuse Mr. Hardcastle with good humor. Marlow then apologizes for inconveniencing Mr. Hardcastle by marrying and taking away his maid, and offers him money for his loss. Mr. Hardcastle starts sputtering again, and when Constance enters: "Oh what a mess!", Mrs. Hardcastle enters distraught: "My jewels! Robbed!" The ensemble keeps growing, then Tony enters with a box of jewels, sparking a crescendo of confusion until the entrance of Kate Hardcastle, who asks Marlow: "Sir, do you love me? Without knowing my name?" Marlow answers affirmatively, and Kate then reveals her true identity: "Just a harmless little show, To let Mister Marlow know that a servant does not make a lover, But lovers lie to serve each other!" Marlow agrees, and promises: "I shall never misjudge a woman again!" All other confusion is then resolved. Tony learns he is already of age, thus free to marry whom he chooses, and Constance gets her dowry. Mr. Hardcastle accepts Marlow as a future son-in-law and all characters end the opera singing "Lovers walk a two-way street, Heart to heart in love they meet, Lovers live to serve each other."
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Title Information
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Approximate Runtime (hh:mm)
0:55
Number of Acts
1
Musical Style
Eclectic; post-tonal lyricism; a contemporary comic chamber opera
Vocal & Musical Forces
Principal singers: soprano, mezzo-soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass-baritone. Orchestra: flute, Bb clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, trombone, timpani, percussion; 2 violins, viola, cello, bass
Original Cast
Kate Hardcastle, Lynn Norris, soprano; Constance Neville, Pamelia Phillips, mezzo; Mrs. Hardcastle, Daniel Rawe, countertenor; Young Marlow, Mark Victor Smith, tenor; Tony Lumpkin, Mark Heimbigner, baritone; Mr. Hardcastle, Mark Sullivan, bass-baritone.
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