Pietro Il Grande - Synopsis

Synopsis

Time: Late 17th dentury

Place: The Baltic State of Livonia

The action takes place in some unnamed town in Livonia (now Latvia and Estonia), which was that time under Russian rule. Carlo, a carpenter is in love with the orphan Annetta. Carlo claims to be of noble origin and shows that he has a bit of a temper when the tsar and his wife, Catherine, arrive, both travelling incognito. They are looking for the tsarina’s lost brother, and have reason to suspect that it might be Carlo. The tsar asks the hotelier, Madame Fritz, about this carpenter, when Carlo enters. Carlo, who doesn’t know who the stranger is, is rather insolent to him, and an argument ensues, with Peter threatening Carlo with dire consequences. The town magistrate, Ser Cuccupis, also gets into an argument with Peter. This magistrate has pretensions of grandeur. He goes so far as to threaten him with his friend, the tsar. Peter decides to pull rank on the magistrate, and tells him that he is Menshikov, a high officer of the tsar. The magistrate has Carlo imprisoned. The latter is about to be convicted when Madame Fritz runs in with some documents proving that he is Catherine’s brother.

Carlo is not told this until Act 2, at which time he introduces his girl (Annetta) to the imperial couple. He warns them that the tsar must never see her since she is the daughter of the traitor hetman Ivan Mazepa. When told that Mazepa is dead, the false Menshikov pardons the girl. The captain of the troops tells the magistrate that Menshikov is actually the tsar. The magistrate sees an opportunity to advance himself, but since the tsar has already recognized him for what he is, he fires him from his position of authority and orders him to pay a fine. Peter, Catherine, Carlo and Annetta leave happily for St Petersburg.