The Occultist
A operetta of three acts. The liberetto was by Mr. Scantisek Storm. by Master's Hammer, a promenade although a chamber orchestra.
The event took place under the of the Krkonose mountains in the summer and of the year 1913, Anno Satanas.
Atrament - a student, amateur and adventurer. Calamaria - a daughter of Spiritus the landlord, a known medium. Clement Bombastus von - the new Jilemnice Captain. - the Captain's aide-de-camp, and a vile thief Blether - a groom of stabled and a denouncer. - a landlord of the Jilemnice inn.
A overview of the liberetto:
We have emerged now in in the year 1913, and, therefore in the when the popularity of spiritism (brought Bohemia by Etrich as early as 1880) is at its peak. At it had been performed by Kckonse weavers at Trutnov, but soon it spread all ober the county, and so the very beginnung of the new century, there had been plentiful spiritistic seances at Semily, Nova Paka, Jelezny and Fielemnice, by both young and old people - a physician sits there with the undertaker, a clerk by the side of a blacksmith, a together with a gendarme. The farming, and cosequently, all of the is quite naturally being neglected, and the demoralized. is why the new Jilemnice Captain has been appointed. He is supposed to rid authorities of spiritists, who have even refused to pay taxes. On the day is due to take over his duties, A Prague student Atrament comes to Jilemnice. He is a of a doubtful character, but he is extraordinarilly witty. Besides that he is interested in spiritism...
"Among the a Winding Way"
Spiritus' inn does not indeed exhibit a bountiful neither does it host an exclusive society. Vigorous countryside enjoy themselves here the best they can in accord their wallets and intellects - which both are half empty. They their delight by means of liquors and racy talk. Standing out like an ametyst jewel in a dungheap, the passionate between Atrament and begins to crystalize here. The first night they spend together is filled with occult practices. Approximately at the same moment a ceremonial feast is held at the castle to welcome the new lord in his dominion. Satrapold encounters the castle's inferior and liquor specialities, boastfully.
"I Don't Want, to Pester Your Ears..."
The day the Duke goes hunting with his suite. Fiercely chasing a a deer he loses his companions, and in the growing he falls with his horse into a deep pit - the bear-trap. By pure is strolling through the forest, picking magic herbs. As soon as Satrapold, covered numerous bruises, manages to pull himself out of the pit, he sees a apparition. In the silvery haze of the forest scenery, embroided a thousand rays from the sun, a gleaming silhouette of an aetheric fairy resides with a basket of strange muck. During the first few momemnts Satrapold think these are the first perceptions of his afterlife and he falls into melancholy. But the beautiful with Calamaria meticulously tretas his wounds and he falls in love with her. Although Calamaria refuses his offer to walk her home, she an invitation to the castle. Satrapold, thought, does not the slightest idea who she might be...
"A Dark Forest All Around..."
"That Magnificent Deer Has in the Bush..."
In the morning calls Blether, the head groom of the castle's stables, and tells him to up a new horse. The same day the two of are going to go to Spiritus' inn., the occultist' nest; they do so in disguise so that nobody will them. (This is a new technique of espionage.)Satrapold is shocked by Calamaria's in the public house, where she spirits. With the wave of a magic wand the Captain's consciousness vanishes and his body and are flooded with an emotion completely opposed to the to spiritism in the Krkonose slopes.
"My Captain..."
A few later Satrapold, due to his disguise, is attacked by the drunk Atrament, and Blether his captain an excuse to imprison Atrament. At the same time Blether also tells Satrapold in very language who Calamria is. His explenation is quite naturally from satarpold's ideals and Blether instantly into disgrace with his Captain. In the he is slapped thoroughly, and then in the castle the Captain, in an attack of rage, him over a Persion rug.
"By the Misery of I'm Haunted..."
This concerns the most tragical character of the operetta. It is in its a confession of a man of deformed character and dicey morals. Kicked over and humilitated, Blether hurries the castle to Spiritus' inn to offer his services to the spiritists. they have already known him for time, he leaves misunderstood for Jelezny Brod, where he drinks like a fish. Well - for his whole he has been accustomed to serving some blindly, and so has life suddenly lost all meaning for him. This is the strongest of the motives for his desperate suicide, by jumping into the wild Jizera rapids from the path pn his way from Jelezny Brod, UC. While Blether is killing himself, Atrament the boring time in jail by of somnambulous sleep. All of sudden he starts to draw strange patterns on the wall of his dungeon with a broken brick - medial drawings.A praemurdial spirit to him that the man who poses as the Captain is - just Satrapold's treacherous aide Poebeldorf, who devised a vile with the to steal jewels from the Jilemnice castle and to flee to Cairo with enormous wealth. He was to the Jilemnice castle to prepare for the arrival of the real Satrapold, who is expected tomorrow.
"Oh, My Precious Sir, Do You When..."
Calamaria pays a to Satrapold (the false one) in the castle and after many minutes of Poebeldorf, he agrees to free Atrament, but on the condition she will go with Poebeldorf to hunt later that day. (This is so that he can her and take her along with him on a horse, which is waiting in the stables with the saddle bags of stolen jewels.)
"Everything Is My Whim..."
They for the castle dungeons to free Atrament. As soon as the bars are open, Calamaria the drawings on the dungeon wall, from which she can clearly what the villain Poebeldorf has schemed. She not hesitate to cast the accusation in his face, and he instantly pushes her into the and locks the bars. In a panic he into the stables, where his horse is waiting with the contraband intending to flee immediately. That very he is surprised by the fanfares, announcing the Satrapol's arrival. Satrapold, inspected the dungeons, learns the whole truth and the situation turns to Poebeldorf's disadvantage - he is put the instead of Atrament.
"Glory, Hauptmann...!"
The ends with a feast in Spiritus' public house; it is revealed Satarpold holds no grudge against spiritism...