Flotow: Martha

[Machine Translation] Harriet, Queen Anne's handmaiden, is bored with her normal life. So, in search of stimulation, she and her maid Nancy disguise themselves as village girls with the names Marta and Julia, go to the apprentice market, and sign a contract to work for the young farmer Blanquette. Blanquette's brother-in-law, Lionel, is enchanted by Marta's (Harriet) singing voice and proposes to her... The common trope in 19th century operas, "an ordinary young man is actually the orphaned son of a nobleman," comes alive in this opera as well, as Lionel, who once gave up on his love for Marta, is finally fulfilled. Lionel, who once gave up on his love for Marta, finally fulfills his feelings for her in this delightful work. The opera is interspersed with well-known Japanese songs such as "Summer's last roses" sung in the second act, "The diligent and hardworking girl" and Lionel's aria "Like a dream", but there are few recordings of the complete work. The appearance of this performance by Weigle, with his excellent singers, is valuable as a revival of a forgotten work of the 19th century.

Note: This is an import edition (manufactured outside of Japan).

アン女王の女官ハリエットは普段の生活に退屈しています。そこで刺激を求めて、侍女ナンシーと共にマルタとユリアの名を持つ村娘に変装して、奉公人市場に出かけ、若い農場主ブランケットの元で働く契約をしてしまいます。ブランケットの義弟、ライオネルはマルタ(ハリエット)の歌声に魅了され、彼女にプロポーズをするのですが・・・。19世紀の歌劇によくある「普通の若者が実は貴族の遺児だった」という設定が、このオペラでも生きており、一旦はマルタとの恋をあきらめてしまったライオネルの想いも最後には成就する楽しい作品です。第2幕で歌われる「夏の名残りのばら」や、「まじめで働き者の娘さん」、ライオネルのアリア「夢のように」など、日本でも良く知られる曲が散りばめられていますが、全曲録音はあまりなく、この素晴らしい歌手を揃えたヴァイグレの演奏の登場は、19世紀の忘れられた作品の復興としても価値あるものです。