La Montagne noire is a lyric drama in four acts and five scene by Augusta Holmès from 1884 and created in 1895. Historical context Augusta Holmès begin to compose La Montagne noire in 1884 with a libretto by is own hand. It was predicted to be a great success by Édouard Dujardin. The story is inspired by an oriental custom which consists in uniting two men by the oath to consider themselves as brothers, even if it means sacrificing their lives for the other. This is the subject of the drama, the passionate part of which is reminiscent of Carmen. Creation The work was first performed at the Paris Opera on 8 February 1895. The staging was done by Alexandre Lapissida, the vocal director was Édouard Mangin and the choir director L. Delahaye, the choreography by Joseph Hansen, the sets by Marcel Jambon and the costumes by Charles Bianchini. Characters Abstract The action takes place in 1657 in Montenegro, then in a village on the Turkish border. Act I Act I takes place in fortified ruins in the mountains. After a terrible war between Montenegro and Turkey, one of the Montenegrin victors, Mirko, has been proclaimed brother-in-arms of the brave Aslar. The priest unites them at the foot of the holy altars, and to acknowledge this honour, Aslar has sworn to watch over Mirko's body and soul. Mirko is to marry a young girl, Helena. In the midst of the general rejoicing, a woman, pursued by soldiers, bursts in. She is Turkish and her name is Yamina. The crowd, taking her for a spy, wants to put her to death. Mirko, struck by her beauty, intercedes for her, but not without making her confess that she is a courtesan and that she followed the sons of the Prophet into battle. At Mirko's request, Dara, his mother, takes her as a slave. The act ends with a chorus of drinkers. Act II Act II takes place in a village in the mountains. In Act II, Yamina's beautiful eyes and provocative poses have done their work. Mirko, madly in love with the foreigner, remains deaf to his fiancée's pleas. The two lovers flee while Héléna denounces them to the public. Act III Act III takes place in a wild mountain setting. The two lovers are in each other's arms. Yamina, dead tired, falls asleep, while Mirko watches over her. Suddenly, Aslar appears.