SYNOPSIS LE CORSAIRE
Act I
Scene 1 - The Bazaar
The slave trader Lankendem offers his »merchandise« to his customers. The arrival of the wealthy Seyd-Pasha causes a con siderable commotion. The cunning trader Lankendem presents to him his captives, but the Pasha remains unimpressed until he sees Gulnare. Entranced by her beauty, the Pasha buys her immediately. He throws his purse with ducats to Lankendem who triumphantly saves his best for the end: he now presents to him Medora. Her beauty hits the Pasha like lightning. Mean while, a group of men – pirates – also lingers on the market place. When Medora catches the eye of Conrad – their leader – he becomes entranced by her beauty as well. Owing to his immense wealth, the Pasha is able to afford Medora as well and thus take her to his palace, quite unaware of the pirates’ intentions: Conrad, who is also persuaded into the bold action by his friends Ali and Birbanto, frees Medora in front of the furious Pasha’s nose. In the turmoil caused by the rather sudden events, the rest of the captives are saved as well. Shortly before the arrival of the Turkish soldiers, the pirates also manage to capture Lankendem himself and to escape to the cave by the sea together with whose whom they freed.
Scene 2 - The Pirate's Cave
Conrad and his fellow pirates return to their hideout. They rejoice in their bold feat, as they managed to not only pull out the captives from the trader’s hands but also to capture their biggest trophy – the slave trader Lankendem himself. The cap tives urge Medora to persuade Conrad to let them free. Conrad agrees, but Birbanto and the part of their companions who hope for some quick earnings on the captives account, fervently oppose to it. A violent quarrel ensues, but since Conrad is the gang’s leader, his word comes to the fore. The captives are declared free.
When they finally find themselves alone, Conrad and Medora trustingly surrender themselves to their love. Locked in chains, Lankendem quietly observes the quarrel between the pirates. He secretly approaches Birbanto and his companions and offers them a sneaky bargain: if they release him, he will provide them with a reliable means to subdue Conrad. The offer is accepted. It turns out that Lankendem possesses a powerful intoxicating potion that has the greatest effect when sprayed on flowers, and when such a bouquet is offered to someone to smell.
The lovers return happy and overwhelmed by their emotions. When Conrad sees the bouquet, he decides to give it to Medora as a token of his love. Before he hands it over to his beloved, he smells it to indulge in its intoxicating scent and collapses. The gang of the rebel pirates surrounds Medora who is scared to death as she realises that they set a trap for her and Conrad. The pirates hand Medora over to Lankendem and set him free. Birbanto is about to kill the sleeping Conrad who suddenly wakes up. Desperate for the loss of Medora, he sets on his frantic search for her with his friend Ali and vows that he will pull her out of Lankendem’s hands again.
Interval
Act II
Scene 1 - The Seyd-Pasha’s Palace
Resisting the palace rules, Gulnare defies even the Pasha him self. Due to her charm, her whims always remain unpunished. With time, she even finds her new life pleasing. She is by far the Pasha’s favourite. Everybody at the palace is getting ready for a big celebration when Lankendem suddenly brings Medo ra. Utterly overwhelmed by her beauty again, the Pasha thanks the slave trader with a huge ransom.
Happy to have the two most beautiful women by his side, the Pasha falls asleep amidst smoking. In his dreams, he drifts off to the Jardin animé where he is surrounded by all the guests at the palace and where everything is ruled by perfect harmony. He suddenly wakes up and jumps to his feet: while the guards were asleep, the pirates stormed the palace and escaped with the captives.
Scene 2 - The Return to the Cave
Conrad and his friends return to the cave where they celebrate the reunion of Medora and Conrad. After the great celebration, they head for the port where their ship is waiting for them ready to sail. The gang embarks and sets sail for new adventures and a happily ever after.
Epilogue
The Pirate Ship
The pirate ship sails swiftly across the high seas. Suddenly, it f inds itself amid a raging thunderstorm…
BUT HOW DOES LE CORSAIRE END?
1 Love – Medora & Conrad
2 Adventure – Medora & Ali
3 Security – Medora & Seyd-Pasha