▁takes ▁place ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁tw enti eth ▁century ▁in ▁Y á p ac , ▁a ▁min ing ▁settlement ▁in ▁the ▁Per uv ian ▁And es . ▁ ▁Act ▁ 1 ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁scene ▁begins ▁with ▁the ▁P rel ude . ▁It ▁is ▁before ▁dawn ▁and ▁Y á p ac ' s ▁min ers ▁are ▁heading ▁to ▁work . ▁A ▁male ▁cho ir ▁is ▁performing ▁a ▁m ourn ful ▁song ▁" En ▁la ▁n ieve ▁de ▁las ▁c umb res " ▁(" On ▁the ▁Snow ▁of ▁the ▁Pe aks "). ▁At ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁song ▁some ▁min ers ▁fall ▁behind ▁while ▁listening ▁to ▁the ▁she ph erd ▁playing ▁the ▁qu ena ▁( trad itional ▁fl ute ▁of ▁the ▁And es ); ▁they ▁watch ▁him ▁disappear ▁among ▁the ▁clouds ▁that ▁surr ound ▁the ▁pe aks ▁with ▁adm iration , ▁and ▁they ▁env y ▁his ▁freedom . ▁Frank ▁is ▁a ▁young ▁min er ▁who ▁does ▁not ▁accept ▁the ▁mine ▁own ers ' ▁ab use . ▁" Something ▁tells ▁me ▁that ▁life ▁isn ' t ▁this ▁way ", ▁Frank ▁says , ▁but ▁the ▁other ▁min ers ▁acc use ▁him ▁of ▁being ▁un gr ateful ▁to ▁the ▁patron es . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁second ▁scene , ▁Juan ach a ▁and ▁Ru per to ▁( two ▁she ph erd s ) ▁enter ▁the ▁stage . ▁Ru per to ▁is ▁play fully ▁ch asing ▁Juan ach a , ▁whom ▁he ▁is ▁about ▁to ▁marry . ▁Every one ▁leaves ▁the ▁stage ▁but ▁Frank , ▁who ▁performs ▁a ▁mel