The Maid of Orléans (Russian: Орлеанская дева) is a 1881 opera by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky with his own libretto, loosely based on Friedrich Schiller's play of the same name, which, in turn, is a fictionalised tale of Joan of Arc.
The opera contains examples of:
- Adaptational Nationality: Lionel is a Burgundian knight. In the play, he was an Englishman.
- Anguished Declaration of Love: Joan tries to fight her feelings for Lionel for an entire act, but finally she desperately confesses she loves him and can't deny it any longer.
- Archnemesis Dad: Even after Joan saves France and gets Charles crowned, her father gets her convicted for witchcraft, claiming that God wouldn't manifest His power in "such a lowly creature".
- Artistic License – History: All over the place. In particular:
- Joan's father is named Thibault instead of Jacques.
- The historical Joan of Arc did not personally kill anyone, only acting as standard-bearer and tactician. Here, Joan is both a standard-bearer and a gifted swordswoman who defeats (and, with the exception of Lionel, kills) everyone who meets her in combat.
- Historical Joan met Charles before joining the battle at Orléans. Here, it happens the other way round.
- If there ever was a historical counterpart for Lionel, there is certainly no record of him.
- The Burgundians save for Lionel and the Englishmen are The Ghosts, so Joan is convicted by the same Frenchmen who celebrated her literally moments earlier.
- Joan is convicted in Reims, right after Charles's coronation, and therefore dies months earlier than her historical counterpart.
- Although Joan's strained relationship with her father is most likely a fact, he was not the one who turned the public and the king against her (let alone in a matter of minutes).
- Baritone of Strength: Lionel, the French commander Dunois, several Bit Character soldiers, and even Joan's Knight Templar father – all are sung by deep voices, and Joan is frequently sung by a mezzo. Meanwhile, tellingly, the rather inert and indecisive King Charles is a tenor, and Joan's village suitor Raymond, well-meaning but pretty weak, is likewise a tenor.
- Betty and Veronica: Joan has no problem keeping her vow of chastity around Parent-Preferred Suitor Tenor Boy Raymond who comes from the same village as herself. Meanwhile, Lionel is at first her enemy, and they almost kill each other, but once she sees his face, she is in love.
- Bittersweet Ending: France is saved from the invaders and Charles is crowned, but Joan is executed on false charges (brought against her by her own father, no less), and Lionel is killed trying to save her. However, Joan, despite the bit of trouble with her vow of chastity, ascends to Paradise.
- Some stagings make the ending more ambiguous or an outright Downer Ending. In the 2019 Opera for Everyone staging in Saint-Petersburg, for example, Lionel is Dragged Off to Hell (the libretto doesn't say anything definite about his posthumous fate), and even Joan's future isn't fully certain since the last time we see her, an angel and a demon are battling over her soul.
- Celibate Heroine: Joan vows to never succumb to earthly passions. The vow becomes difficult to keep after she meets Lionel.
- Dies Differently in Adaptation: Played straight compared to Schiller's play. In the play, Joan dies of battle wounds, while Tchaikovsky is more historically accurate in that one respect and changed it to her being burned at the stake.
- Easily Forgiven: Lionel repents of serving for the traitorous Duke of Burgundy and turns to King Charles's side after falling in love with Joan (which takes him the grand total of a few minutes), and he is immediately accepted into Charles's service and lavished with honors.
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Raymond would have loved to marry Joan but sees that she is headed to a different destiny. He tries to stop Thibault from abusing Joan, too.
- Love at First Sight: Joan falls in love with Lionel right after seeing his face. For him, it takes longer to reciprocate – about a couple of minutes.
- Promoted to Love Interest: Downplayed. In the play, Joan and Lionel did have a romantic moment after their battle but later coldened towards each other. Here, they are deeply in love to the very end.
- Together in Death: When Lionel dies, Joan tells him to wait until they meet again – and, indeed, she is executed shortly afterwards.
- While Rome Burns: Charles is introduced entertaining his mistress Agnes with songs and dances, even though the enemies are closing on him, Orléans is besieged, and the treasury is empty.
