Le Vieil Aigle — The Old Eagle
Raoul Gunsbourg wrote both the words and the music for his one act lyric drama, “Le Vieil Aigle” (The Old Eagle), which was first produced at the Opera House in Monte Carlo, February 13, 1909. The first performance of the opera in New York was given by the Chicago Opera Company at the Lexington Theatre with Georges Baklanoff in the title rôle, supported by Yvonne Gall, Charles Fontaine, and Désiré Defrère, February 28, 1919.
The scene of the story is a rocky coast in the Crimea. The time, the fourteenth century. The Khan Asvezel Moslain informs his son Tolak, who has just returned from a successful campaign against the Russians, that great preparations have been made to celebrate his return. But the young man is sad and replies that he only seeks forgetfulness in death. He asks his father to grant him the dearest wish of his heart and confesses his love for the Khan’s favourite slave Zina. The old man consents to give her to his son, but when he orders the girl to follow Tolak she refuses to do so. The Khan, wishing to retain his son’s love, throws the disobedient slave into the sea, but as this far from restores harmony between the generations the old man follows her to her watery grave.