Joyzelle

Frederick Frahm's Joyzelle is a chamber opera in five scenes. The English libretto is after a play by Maurice Maeterlinck. The story follows Joyzelle, who is shipwrecked on the shore of the enigmatic Isle of Merlin, where she meets Lancéor and falls in love. There, Merlin—Lancéor’s estranged father, who orchestrated the encounter—devises cruel trials to test the strength and purity of their bond through temptation, jealousy, and moral conflict. Joyzelle resists each peril with resilience and unwavering devotion, while Lancéor falters more deeply. Her steadfast fidelity leads to self-discovery and spiritual transcendence, reflecting Maeterlinck’s symbolism of destiny and human frailty.