The Makropulos Affair

Kolenatý's law office, Prague, 1922 Vitek, Kolenatý's clerk, notes that the probate case of Gregor v. Prus has been going on for almost a century. Kolenatý represents the middle-class Gregors against the wealthy and aristocratic Prus family. Albert Gregor comes in to ask about the case. Kolenatý is at the Supreme Court, but has not returned because he is expecting the final resolution. Vitek's daughter Kristina, enters. She is a young opera singer, and praises Emilia Marty, a famous singer she has seen rehearsing, and admits that she will never be the artist Emilia Marty is. Kolenatý returns to his law office. Emilia Marty enters displaying an interest in the Gregor case, which Kolenatý summarizes for her. Baron Joseph Ferdinand Prus died in 1827, leaving no will or legitimate children. His cousin claimed the estate, but so did Albert's ancestor, Ferdinand Gregor, who asserted that the Baron had promised the estate to him. Each party presented different evidence to support their case, but neither could proffer an actual will. Here Emilia interrupts. Speaking with unusual familiarity of these long-ago events, she states that Ferdinand Gregor was the out-of-wedlock son of Baron Joseph (who was a very centered and diligent man, contradicting Dr. Kolenatý's description) and opera singer Ellian MacGregor. Kolenatý says that the case seems to be on the side of the Prus family, because there is no will. Emilia asks what would be required for Albert Gregor to win, and Kolenatý answer…

Estratto dalla sezione Synopsis dell’articolo Wikipedia di The Makropulos Affair — testo rilasciato con licenza CC BY-SA 4.0. Leggi la trama completa →