SYNOPSIS

Act One

In Bruges Paul mourns the loss of his young wife‚ Marie. This dead city‚ whose bells‚ old decaying houses‚ still waters‚ gloomy churches and cloisters are constant reminders of death and impermanence‚ has become for him the symbol of his dead wife and the past. In one room of his house — a “temple of memories” — he has kept all the articles that remind him of his dead beloved: old furniture‚ relics‚ photographs‚ a large painting that depicts her holding a lute and‚ above all‚ a braid of her golden blond hair‚ which‚ carefully preserved‚ glows from within a glass chest‚ the precious hair whose fragrance and beauty he had adored. Frank‚ Paul’s friend‚ who has just arrived in Bruges‚ finds him in a strange state of crisis. Paul has met a woman whose striking resemblance to his dead wife has excited and confused him. He is unable to resist the impulse to invite her to his house. He wants to see her walk through “Marie’s room‚” to see death returned to life.

She comes Marietta‚ a dancer from Lille. She sings a song‚ accompanying herself on a lute‚ a song of “faithful love that must die‚” a song of great significance for Paul. She dances — and his senses are aroused. He succumbs to her seduction and tries to embrace her. Pulling away from him she becomes entangled in the curtain that covers Marie’s portrait‚ accidentally drawing it aside. Is that not she herself? The same shawl‚ the same lute? But she must go to her rehearsal — she is playing Hélène in Meyerbeer’s Robert le Diable. Paul stays behind‚ torn by contradicting emotions of loyalty to his beloved Marie and his newly awakened feeling of desire. In this condition of utmost strain he has a vision. Marie steps from her portrait‚ an apparition of his conscience and fantasy. He has remained loyal to her‚ he tells her; her hair guards his house. The apparition slowly disappears: “Go out into life‚ another calls you — see and understand…” And in place of Marie he suddenly sees Marietta‚ dancing in complete abandon.

Act Two

The vision continues. Paul sees himself at night on a lonely quai in front of Marietta’s house. He is watching and confesses to the “iron confessors” — the bells of Bruges — the innermost turmoil of his fear and guilt-ridden conscience. He has searched for the soul of his dead wife and fallen victim to the body of a living woman‚ both drawn and repelled by her vices.

He sees Brigitta as a novice among a group of Beguines‚ she‚ his old and loyal housekeeper‚ who has left him because of his breach of faith to Marie. Suddenly a strange figure approaches Marietta’s house — it is Frank. He too has succumbed to the seductress. Paul grabs the key to her house away from him — Frank is no longer his friend.

Laughing and singing‚ members of Marietta’s troupe now approach in boats. Paul withdraws and listens unseen. A new‚ at first gay dream unfolds: Marietta is serenaded; she appears arm in arm with the dancer Gaston. Everyone is merry; they drink and sing “Down with Bruges!” Then Marietta suggests a rehearsal of HÉlène’s scene from Robert le Diable in the open air. Victorin‚ the stage director‚ whistles the Resurrection motif from Robert. The organ sounds from a nearby cathedral‚ and in the cloister Beguines appear at the windows as ghostly‚ silent witnesses. Storm clouds cross the sky; the bells toll relentlessly. It is as if this pious‚ dead city wanted to protest. As Marietta‚ in accordance with her role‚ rises from the bench‚ which supposedly depicts a coffin‚ and seductively dances toward Gaston‚ rushes forward. Marietta’s mockery of resurrection‚ a concept holy to him‚ has completely outraged him. “You‚ a resurrected woman! Never!” Marietta sends her friends away and remains alone with Paul. He hurls accusations in her face‚ reveals his suppressed emotions and‚ above all‚ tells her that in her he loved only his dead wife. Deeply hurt‚ Marietta takes up the struggle with her dead rival. She musters all her powers of seduction and once again draws Paul to her. No longer in control of himself‚ he surrenders to her. He wants to go with her to her house. “No‚ to yours‚” she cries‚
“to her house.” There she wishes to spend the night with him — to banish the ghost forever…

Act Three

The next morning Paul finds Marietta in Marie’s room standing triumphantly before her portrait. It is the day of the great holy procession. Here‚ right from this room‚ Marietta wants to watch it. From outside one hears the singing of children‚ who have gathered‚ and one begins to hear the mysterious march music that accompanies the procession. Paul‚ totally involved in the gripping ceremony‚ abandons himself to describing the procession. Leading it are the children in snow-white‚ shimmering dress‚ followed by monks bearing statues and church banners. Then the historical group approaches‚ depicted by leading townspeople dressed in knight’s costumes‚ just as if they had stepped from a canvas by Memling or van Eyck. And when the Bishop appears‚ carrying the golden‚ holy shrine‚ everyone fails to his knees. Paul also kneels.

Marietta watches him mockingly. He is pious! A devilish urge seizes her to profane his feelings‚ to try her erotic powers against them. Paul must kiss her‚ now‚ right here. He rejects her in disgust. Again he is overcome by his conflict of conscience and seems to see the procession draw threateningly into the room. Marietta derides him and his superstitions. Composing himself‚ Paul solemnly defends his faith in love and loyalty‚ thereby provoking her all the more. Brutally she accuses him of hypocrisy and weakness. He shouts at her to go‚ but she refuses‚ rushing to Marie’s portrait instead. “The fight is on — liife against death.” She discovers the crystal shrine that contains Marie’s hair. “Ah‚ her hair!” Paul tries to take it from her‚ but she drapes it around her neck and‚ laughing ironically‚ begins to dance. Enraged‚ he grabs her‚ throws her to the floor and strangles her with the braid. “Now she is exactly like her — Marie!”

Paul is surrounded by darkness — the vision has ended. Slowly it becomes light‚ and Paul awakens. He sees the hair in its case‚ untouched. Brigitta announces that the lady who visited him has turned around at the corner and returned. Marietta enters — she has forgotten her umbrella and roses — “an omen that I should stay?” Since Paul remains silent‚ she smiles‚ shrugs her shoulders and turns to leave. At the door she meets Frank‚ who bows to her as she walks out. “That then was the miracle?” It was the miracle. Paul will not see her again. A dream of bitter reality has destroyed his fantasy. “How far can mourning for departed ones go without destroying us?” Paul will leave Bruges‚ the city of death. Here on earth there can be no reunion with those who have left us‚ no resurrection.

Vienna‚ 1921

* Written by the composer for a special issue of Blätter des Operntheaters‚ commemorating the Vienna premiere of Die tote Stadt.