The Fiery Angel (opera) - Synopsis

Synopsis

Originally the opera was in three acts and eleven scenes, but was eventually reorganized into five acts and seven scenes. The story of The Fiery Angel has a culturally taboo subject: demonic possession. A full recording can be heard through a YouTube playlist here

Act I
Renata, a young woman searching for a missing love, resides at an inn. Ruprecht, a knight errant, meets Renata at the inn. She tells him that, since her childhood, she has been in love with an angel. This angel, Madiel, encouraged her to do good deeds, and at the age of seventeen she finally asked for his physical love. The angel, in response, glowed in fury, but agreed to return in human form. After Madiel’s promise, Renata had met Count Heinrich von Otterheim. Convinced that this was her angel returned to Earth, Renata immediately gave herself to him. One year later, Otterheim left. In denial, Renata begs Ruprecht to help her search for Otterheim.

Act II
As the two search for Otterheim, Ruprecht soon falls in love with Renata, although she does not share the feeling. They decide to resort to acts of magic and sorcery to find Otterheim. A spell is cast, and three knocks are heard at the door afterwards. Renata assumes the witchcraft worked and nearly goes insane at the thought of Otterheim returning. Nobody is there. Ruprecht and Renata seek out the powerful sorcerer Agrippa von Nettesheim. In Agrippa’s lair, Agrippa declines to help. His concerns lie with the power of the Inquisition’s actions on his help with such an ordeal.

Act III
Ruprecht learns that Renata has finally found Otterheim, who has rejected her. She begs to be avenged, learning that Heinrich was never her angel. Ruprecht attempts to exact revenge for Renata and duels with Otterheim. The duel is one-sided, as Otterheim easily overcomes Ruprecht and injures him.

Act IV
Ruprecht and Renata decide to live together. Renata reveals her plans to Ruprecht: she insists on joining a convent to better herself and for her soul’s sake. Generally in performances, there is a comic relief in this act, involving two demons, Faust and Mephistopheles. The scene, used to break up the dark sarcastic nature of the opera, is sometimes left out of the opera entirely.

Act V
Renata is in the convent, where the leaders accuse her of demonic possession. As an attempt to heal Renata ensues, all Hell essentially breaks loose (both on stage and in the orchestra) as the other nuns are also possessed. She is condemned by the Inquisitor to be burned at the stake.