from Act I, Scene 2 of the German opera
Die Feen by Richard Wagner
Libretto: Richard Wagner
Role: Gernot, Arindal's hunter
Voice Part: bass Fach: buffo bass
Setting: a rocky wilderness
Synopsis: Arindal is depressed because his wife has disappeared in a puff of smoke and he does not know where to find her. To cheer him up, Gernot tells a story about an evil witch who was old and ugly, but wore a magic ring to appear young and beautiful. She entranced a king and he married her. When he later found her in bed with another, he drew his dagger and attacked her but only cut off the finger that held the ring. The witch's true form was revealed to all.