Scene
1: A sacred forest outside a temple in long-ago India.
In a forest
clearing, Solor, the strongest warrior of the land, stays
behind from the day’s tiger hunt to pray at the sacred
fire. He calls Magedaveya, the head fakir (holy man), to arrange
a meeting between himself and the beautiful bayadère
(temple dancer), Nikiya.
The priests and the High Brahmin enter the clearing as the
fakirs prepare the sacred fire for a celebration. The bayadères
enter with Nikiya, who has been chosen to be consecrated head
bayadère that evening. The High Brahmin is overwhelmed
by Nikiya’s beauty and professes his love for her. Nikiya
rejects his attentions, because the High Brahmin is a man
of god. He is deeply hurt by her rejection.
Later,
Magedaveya tells Nikiya that Solor wants to meet her secretly.
The High Brahmin becomes suspicious of their conversation.
Solor
and Nikiya meet over the sacred fire and swear eternal love
to each other. Unbeknownst to Solor and Nikiya, the High Brahmin
has been watching them from the temple, becoming ever more
angry. Fully enraged he invokes the gods to help him kill
Solor.
Scene
2: In the palace
Inside
the palace, the warriors are celebrating Solor’s bravery.
The Rajah enters and summons his daughter, Gamzatti. He shows
Gamzatti a portrait of Solor and tells her she is to marry
him.
The Rajah
tells Solor he will be rewarded for his valour with Gamzatti’s
hand in marriage. Solor is confused and distraught by this
(for he is truly in love with Nikiya), but knows he must obey
the wishes of the Rajah.
Nikiya
is summoned to dance in honor of Gamzatti’s engagement.
She dances unaware that Gamzatti is to wed Solor. The High
Brahmin rushes in and informs the Rajah of Nikiya’s
and Solor’s love for each other, in the hope that the
Rajah will do away with Solor. But the Rajah decides instead
to kill Nikiya. The Rajah’s plot is overheard by Gamzatti,
who summons Nikiya and attempts to bribe her into giving up
Solor. Nikiya refuses and frantically tries to kill Gamzatti,
but the attempted murder is stopped by a servant. Nikiya flees
and Gamzatti swears to destroy her.
Act
II
The
garden of the palace
A ceremony
celebrates the betrothal of Gamzatti and Solor. Nikiya has
been asked again to dance for them. This time her dance expresses
sadness, as now she knows of Solor’s and Gamzatti’s
marriage plans.
A maid
hands to Nikiya a basket of flowers, which she assumes is
a gift from Solor. The basket is actually sent by the Rajah
and Gamzatti. As Nikiya dances, a poisonous snake hidden among
the flowers bites her. The High Brahmin offers her an antidote
for the deadly poison, but Nikiya chooses to die rather than
see Gamzatti and Solor together. Solor rushes to her in remorse,
but it is too late.
Act
III
Solor’s
room
