Eteri, Lovely Spouse ...
Abessalom's Arioso from the Opera "Abessalom and E

The orphan girl Eteri sits in the forest, lamenting her troubled life in the house of her evil stepmother. A hunting party approaches. Before Eteri can flee, she is discovered by the King’s son, Abessalom. He is so impressed by her beauty that he falls in love with her and swears eternal love to her. The vizier Murman is also filled with passion for her. The wedding of Abessalom and Eteri is celebrated at the castle. Then the jealous vizier thinks up a devious scheme to gain power over Eteri: he gives the bride a little box with an enchanted necklace which causes her to fall seriously ill. Only Murman can cure the illness. Abessalom, with a heavy heart, sends her to Murman’s crystal palace in order to save her life. She regains her health there, but suffers from being separated from Abessalom. He has meanwhile become ill with worry and travels to the vizier’s palace to see Eteri. She, however, cannot forgive Abessalom for having turned her over to another man, although she understands that he saved her life by doing so. Having returned to his castle, Abessalom’s condition worsens dramatically. When Eteri, who has meanwhile seen through Murman’s deception, anxiously hurries to Abessalom, he dies in her arms. In desperation, she stabs herself with the dagger that Abessalom had once given her.