Robert Peters writes:

>Till today I have been of the opinion that the most unintentionally funny
>passage in a libretto was the Rhine Maiden's yodelling session at the
>beginning of Wagner's Rheingold.  But today I've read the libretto to
>Albeniz's "Merlin".  It is by someone with the name Francis Burdett Money
>Coutts (yes, his name is really Money - and the guy was a banker!).

Ah yes, poor Lord Latymer was sadly influenced by Wagnerian literary values
to produce a quite wonderful farrago of stupendous nonsense.  What Albeniz
made of it I cannot say.  What I can say is that I certainly had to use a
large English dictionary to make anything of what the Good Lord was trying
to get at for large portions of the time.

My favourite passage is Morgana Le Fay's instruction to Nivian (NImue) on
how to entrap Merlin in the Cave of Gold:

   "Lo! as the gates of the caves,
   obdurate gates, at the nod
   swing, of this master of slaves,
   swing at the touch of his rod,
   so, had you grasp of his wand,
   back would those portals of rock
   clang, at your instant command,
   clank and eternally lock!"

This is mirrored by Nivian herself in later converse with the Sage:

   "Nay, 'tis a fond request!
   a foolish fancy confessed!
   one for a careless nod! ...
   I pray, grant me to hold your rod!"

The music, luckily for us, is largely magnificent, especially in the 3rd
Act quoted by Robert.  You can read a full review of this astounding piece
(premiered by the Junior Football Club in Barcelona - I jest not) on the
zarzuela site at http://www.nashwan.demon.co.uk.cdmagfp.htm

Christopher Webber,  Blackheath, London,  UK.
http://www.nashwan.demon.co.uk/zarzuela.htm
"ZARZUELA!"