| Act I
|
Maestro Robert Storch is packing his bags for a conducting engagement in
Vienna; his quarrelsome wife Christine gets in the way, complaining of his
absences, the difficulties of maintaining the house, the servants, anything that
pops into her mind. |
| 06:01 |
Christine's maid Anna enters as Robert goes down to breakfast. "Actually
I'm happier when Robert is away," Christine tells her maid, who retorts
that in fact she cries the days away. Robert leaves angrily when Christine
refuses either to kiss him goodby or to write to him while he is away. |
| 11:39 |
Orchestral interlude. |
| 12:31 |
Anna attempts to set her mistress's hair while listening to her further
chatter and complaints. Christine's friend Frau Huss telephones and invites her
to go tobogganing later in the morning. |
| 23:47 |
Second orchestral interlude. |
| 26:06 |
Christine's sled carelessly knocks young Baron Lummer into the snow as he
attempts to ski across the sled path; her bad-tempered reaction changes when she
learns that his parents are acquaintances, and she invites him to visit her
during the three or four weeks he plans to stay in Grundlsee. |
| 28:31 |
Third orchestral interlude (waltz). |
| 33:01 |
Christine and the Baron stop for a moment of conversation as they dance at
a ball; she worries over his health, and with typical presumption makes plans to
supervise the remainder of his visit. |
| 34:01 |
Second waltz interlude. |
| 37:22 |
Christine gossips with the notary's wife about the Baron; she is there to
rent the Baron a room for the rest of his visit. |
| 40:03 |
Fifth orchestral interlude. |
| 42:11 |
At home, Christine finishes a letter to her husband, full of a glowing
account of her new friend, the Baron. At once he is announced. Her conversation
veers widely, but it is evident the Baron has something on his mind. He hints of
his financial difficulties and Christine assures him that she will ask her
husband to help him out. |
| 62:42 |
Sixth orchestral interlude. |
| 66:49 |
Back in his own room, the Baron lies in bed smoking, complaining to himself
about Christine's fussy attentions and the tedious evenings he has to spend with
her to procure favor. He is interrupted by the arrival of his girlfriend Resi;
he hurries her out, apprehensive that the notary's wife will learn about her and
inform Christine. He begins to write a flattering letter to Christine to ask for
money. |
| 69:47 |
Seventh orchestral interlude. |
| 71:23 |
Outraged by the Baron's request for money, Christine is further confounded
when the housemaid brings an envelope addressed to her husband. Opening it,
Christine finds what appears to be a compromising letter from a young woman
named Mieze Maier. Immediately assuming the worst, Christine dashes off a
telegram to her husband proclaiming his infidelity, orders Anna to pack
immediately, and sinks exhaustedly into an armchair. |
| 76:48 |
Eighth orchestral interlude. |
| 78:31 |
In her young son's nurseryroom, Christine tearfully tells him that his
father has misbehaved and that he will never see him again. The little boy
(Franzl) stoutly defends his father as Christine collapses by his bed. |
| Act II
|
In the living room of the home of the Commercial Councillor in Vienna,
three of Storch's friends await his arrival for an evening of skat. They gossip
about Storch and his difficult wife, whom Stroh (also a conductor) defends as a
good-natured woman in spite of appearances, with her husband's best interests at
heart. Storch joins the game and chats about the letter he has received from his
wife about her new friendship with Baron Lummer. He is moved to defend his wife
when the Commercial Councillor makes a slighting remark, but is interrupted when
a maid delivers the telegram which Christine dictated at the end of Act 1. When
Storch repeats the name "Mieze Maier," Stroh observes "You know
her too?" and is unconvinced when Storch claims never to have heard of such
a person. Bewildered, Storch departs abruptly to try to find out what has
happened to upset his wife.
|
| 12:32 |
Orchestral interlude. |
| 14:28 |
Christine arives at the Notary's office to demand that he draw up the
papers for a divorce. She leaves angrily when he refuses to do so until after he
has spoken with her husband. |
| 18:31 |
Second orchestral interlude. |
| 20:14 |
In Vienna, Robert wanders the Prater during a violent thunderstorm.
Christine has not answered his letter or telegrams and he is at his wit's end
what to do. Stroh appears; he has been trying to find Storch to explain that the
letter from Mieze Maier was actually intended to be sent to Stroh, who had
allowed the young woman to believe that he (Stroh) was Storch. Relieved as well
as angry, Robert insists that Stroh go immediately to see Frau Storch and
explain the misunderstanding. |
| 23:52 |
Third orchestral interlude. |
| 28:21 |
Christine frenziedly supervises Anna's packing of trunks in her dressing
room. The housemaid enters with the tenth telegram from Robert which, unlike the
previous ones, Christine opens and reads to find that her husband's colleague is
coming to explain recent events. Christine is unbelieving, but the housemaid
enters again to announce Stroh's arrival. |
| 34:48 |
Fourth orchestral interlude. |
| 36:55 |
Storch himself arrives (Christine's interview with Stroh has taken place
offstage in the meantime) and is greeted coldy by Christine. He is eager to
resolve matters and to accept her apologies for her foolishness; Christine, on
the other hand, self-centered as ever, focuses only on her own distress, a
bitter argument ensues, and Robert storms out angrily. |
| 41:40 |
As Robert leaves, the Baron enters; he has been sent to Vienna by Christine
to find out the truth about Robert's behaviour there. Christine, now realizing
that she has been mistaken all along, assures the Baron of her husband's
innocence and dismisses him.
|
| 44:45 |
As the Baron departs, Robert reenters, asking who is the young man he has
just seen leaving. Christine at last confesses to her own foolishness and asks
forgiveness. Robert offers magnanimously to help the Baron, and the couple
reconcile. |