although he wonders why she has been delayed from their rendezvous. In Scene 5, the Lover overhears the Maiden lamenting her misfortune; he is shocked to find her in the Bailiff's possession: "How can I explain it that she is with the bailiff, she so pure and spotless"? From the balcony, she assures him of her faithfulness, exclaiming: "I love thee; by force the bailiff holds me captive, innocent I am!"; he promises to free her. In Scene 6, the Lover accuses the Bailiff of wrongdoing, to which the imperious lawman responds with threats of reprisal: "And if thou wouldst defy me yet, let castle-dungeon thy repentance bring". A duel is averted when, in Scene 7, the Chatelaine of the castle enters and demands the belligerents sheath their swords. She heeds not the Bailiff's complaint, and grants the Maiden her freedom: "Here force was used against defenseless woman, whose innocence and virtue I know well. Set her free!" In Scene 8, the Chatelaine's servants apprehend the Bailiff, and the Maiden and the Lover embrace. Amid the rejoicing, the Chatelaine affirms her dedication to justice: "Ever yet my wish has been defense of innocence, defense of right". Music The Maiden in the Tower is scored for soprano, contralto, tenor, baritone, mixed choir, flute (doubling piccolo), oboe, 2 clarinets (in B and A), bassoon, 2 horns (in F), trumpet (in F), trombone, strings, bass drum, tambourine, triangle, and cymbals. Relative to his other orchestral works, the forces Sibelius requires for The Maiden in the Tower are modest: only the clarinet and the horn is doubled, and he makes do with neither expansive percussion nor a large string section. The scoring thus gives the piece the feel of chamber music, and in its sonority, it is reminiscent of Karelia (JS 115) from 1893; for example, the overture recalls the Intermezzo from the Karelia Suite (Op. 11). Coloristically, the opera's idiom is relatively cheerful for Sibelius, who is known for his darker textures and melancholy sound—although, Karl Flodin still discerned the composer's "distinctive ". Stylistically, commentators have detected echoes of Gounod's "erotic lyricism", as well as Puccini's Italian and "vocally grateful" bel canto in Scenes 2 and 4. As for Wagner, Sibelius purposefully eschewed the techniques of the German master, his use of Wagnerian harmonies in Scene 4's love duet notwithstanding. First, Sibelius does not use recitatives; rather the work is entirely lyrical and