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Synopsis
Donna Ribalda is lost in a forest, escaping an unknown assailant. Carmen Ghia enters. When they hear someone approaching, they decide to disguise Donna Ribalda as a man. Don Octave enters and removes his mask, only to be recognized as the unknown assailant in pursuit of Donna Ribalda. Donna Ribalda, removing her disguise, admonishes Don Octave when she realizes that it is he, her brother, who was her assailant. Vying for Don Octave's attention, Carmen and Donna Ribalda engage in a vocal competition. Realizing that they are lost in the forest, the trio frets, only to be saved by a St. Bernard dog with an empty cask around his neck. Contemplating the explanation for why the cask is empty, the trio is interrupted by the arrival of the stoned guest, Il Commendatoreador, who also happens to be Carmen's father. Jealous of the relationship that has developed between Carmen and Don Octave, Donna Ribalda strangles Carmen Ghia. In an attempt to avenge his lover's death, Don Octave tries to stab his sister, but ends up stabbing himself. Il Commendatoreador shoots Donna Ribalda and keels over, dead drunk. Arising from the dead, the cast sings a rousing finale.
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Title Information
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Approximate Runtime (hh:mm)
00:30
Number of Acts
1
Musical Style
Musical parody on late Baroque and early Classical styles; the title is a spoof of Dargomizhsky's The Stone Guest, 1866-69, completed by Cesar Cui and Rimsky-Korsakov and considered groundbreaking in its use of libretto.
Vocal & Musical Forces
Flute, oboe, bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone; harpsichord; strings; mezzanine-soprano, off-coloratura soprano, bargain-counter tenor, houndentenor [dog], basso blotto
Original Cast
Vangard recording:
Marlene Kleinman (Donna Ribalda)
Lorna Haywood (Carmen Ghia)
John Ferrante (Don Octave)
Will Jordan (Milton Host)
Bill Macy (Paul Henry Lung)
The Orchestra of the University of Southern North Dakota at Hoople Heavy Opera Company
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