The Jilemnice Occultist
A classical operetta of three acts.
The liberetto was written by Mr. Scantisek Storm.
Music by Master's Hammer, a promenadealthough also a chamber orchestra.
The event took place under the slopes of the Krkonose mountainsin the summer and autumn of the year 1913, Anno Satanas.
Heroes:
Atrament - a student, amateur occultist and adventurer.
Calamaria - a daughter of Spiritus the landlord, a well known medium.
Clement Bombastus von Satrapold - the new Jilemnice Captain.
Poebeldorf - the Captain's aide-de-camp, and a vile thief
Blether - a groom of castle's stabled and a denouncer.
Spiritus - a landlord of the Jilemnice inn.A brief overview of the liberetto:
We have emerged now in Jilemnice in the year 1913, and, therefore inthe period when the popularity of spiritism (brought Bohemia by Etrichas early as 1880) is at its peak. At first it had been performedmostly by Kckonse weavers at Trutnov, but soon it spread all ober thecounty, and so from the very beginnung of the new century, there hadbeen plentiful spiritistic seances at Semily, Nova Paka, Jelezny Brodand Fielemnice, attended by both young and old people - a physiciansits there along with the undertaker, a clerk by the side of ablacksmith, a thief together with a gendarme. The farming, andcosequently, all of the economy is quite naturally being neglected,and the population demoralized.
That is why the new Jilemnice Captain has been appointed. He issupposed to rid authorities of bothersome spiritists, who have evenrefused to pay taxes. On the day Captain is due to take over hisduties, A Prague student named Atrament comes to Jilemnice. He is afree-thinker of a doubtful character, but he is extraordinarillywitty. Besides that he is thoroughly interested in spiritism..."
Among the Hills a Winding Way"
Spiritus' inn does not indeed exhibit a bountiful splendour; neitherdoes it host an exclusive society. Vigorous countryside people enjoythemselves here the best they can in accord with their wallets andintellects - which both are half empty. They obtain their delight bymeans of cheap liquors and racy talk. Standing out like an ametystjewel in a dungheap, the passionate feeling between Atrament and
Calamaria begins to crystalize here. The first night they spendtogether is filled with eerie occult practices.
Approximately at the same moment a ceremonial feast is being held atthe Jilemnice castle to welcome the new lord in his dominion.
Satrapold encounters the castle's inferior and drinks liquorspecialities, talking boastfully."I Don't Want, Sirs to Pester Your Ears..."
The next day the Duke goes hunting with his suite. Fiercely chasing aa deer he loses his companions, and in the growing darkness he fallswith his horse into a deep pit - the bear-trap. By pure chance
Calamaria is strolling through the forest, picking magic herbs. Assoon as Satrapold, covered with numerous bruises, manages to pullhimself out of the pit, he sees a beautiful apparition. In the silveryhaze of the forest scenery, embroided with a thousand rays from thesetting sun, a gleaming silhouette of an aetheric fairy resides with abasket full of strange muck.
During the first few momemnts Satrapold think that these are the firstperceptions of his afterlife and he falls into furious melancholy. Butthen the beautiful with Calamaria meticulously tretas his wounds andhe falls hopelessly in love with her. Although Calamaria refuses hisoffer to walk her home, she accepts an invitation to the castle.
Satrapold, thought, does not have the slightest idea who she mightbe..."A Dark Forest Spreads All Around...""
That Magnificent Deer Has Vanished in the Bush..."
In the morning Satrapold calls Blether, the head groom of the castle'sstables, and tells him to saddle up a new horse. The same day the twoof them are going to go to Spiritus' inn., the occultist' nest; theydo so in disguise so that nobody will recognize them. (
This is a newtechnique of espionage.)
Satrapold is shocked by Calamaria's presencein the public house, where she serves spirits. With the wave of amagic wand the Captain's consciousness vanishes and his body and soulare flooded with an emotion completely opposed to the desire toobliterate spiritism in the Krkonose slopes."
My Captain..."A few moments later Satrapold, due to his disguise, is attacked by thedrunk Atrament, and Blether offers his captain an excuse to imprison
Atrament. At the same time Blether also tells Satrapold in very plainlanguage who Calamria is. His explenation is quite naturally differentfrom satarpold's ideals and Blether instantly falls into disgrace withhis Captain. In the coach he is slapped thoroughly, and then in thecastle the Captain, in an attack of rage, kicks him over a Persionrug."
By the Misery of Fate I'm Haunted..."
This aria concerns the most tragical character of the operetta. It isin its substance a confession of a man of deformed character and diceymorals. Kicked over and humilitated, Blether hurries from the castleto Spiritus' inn to offer his services to the spiritists. Since theyhave already known him for some time, he leaves misunderstood for
Jelezny Brod, where he drinks like a fish. Well - for his whole lifehe has been accustomed to serving some master blindly, and so has lifesuddenly lost all meaning for him. This probably is the strongest ofthe motives for his desperate suicide, committed by jumping into thewild Jizera rapids from the Rieger's path pn his way from Jelezny
Brod, UC.
While Blether is killing himself, Atrament passes the boring time injail by means of somnambulous sleep. All of sudden he starts to drawthoughtlessly strange patterns on the wall of his dungeon with abroken brick - medial drawings.A praemurdial spirit reveals to himthat the man who poses as the Captain Satrapold is - just Satrapold'streacherous aide Poebeldorf, who devised a vile scheme with theintention to steal jewels from the Jilemnice castle and to flee to
Cairo with enormous wealth. He was sent to the Jilemnice castle toprepare everything for the arrival of the real Satrapold, who isexpected just tomorrow."
Oh, My Precious Sir, Do You Remember When..."
Calamaria pays a visit to Satrapold (the false one) in the castle andafter many minutes of cajoling Poebeldorf, he agrees to free Atrament,but on the condition that she will go with Poebeldorf to hunt laterthat day. (
This is so that he can kidnap her and take her along withhim on a horse, which is already waiting in the stables with thesaddle bags full of stolen jewels.)"
Everything Is Just My Whim..."
They leave for the castle dungeons to free Atrament. As soon as thebars are open, Calamaria notices the drawings on the dungeon wall,from which she can clearly read what the villain Poebeldorf hasschemed. She does not hesitate to cast the accusation in his face, andhe instantly pushes her into the cell and locks the bars. In a paniche runs into the stables, where his horse is waiting with thecontraband intending to flee immediately. That very moment he issurprised by the fanfares, announcing the real Satrapol's arrival.
Satrapold, having inspected the dungeons, learns the whole truth andthe situation turns to Poebeldorf's disadvantage - he is put into theprison instead of Atrament."
Glory, Herr Hauptmann...!"
The operetta ends with a feast in Spiritus' public house; it isrevealed that Satarpold holds no grudge against spiritism...
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