So Rodrigue (Le Cid) and his sweetheart Chimène want to get married, and given that their fathers both approve and Rodrigue's just been knighted, things seem to be going pret-ty darned well (there's a scene where the Infanta declares to Chimène her love for Rodrigue, suggesting a love triangle, but no, she just acknowledges that she can't have him and the idea is completely dropped--weird). But at the same time this is happening, the King is planning to name a new governor for the Infanta, and Chimène's father, Le comte le Gormas, really wants the position. But what's this? The position is awarded to Rodrigue's father, Don Diègue (it's hard to keep all these French versions of Spanish names straight)! Diègue tries to be conciliatory to Gormas, but the latter insults him and storms off, leaving him shaking with rage. So, naturally, he prevails upon his son to seek revenge for him. Rodrigue does briefly consider whether murdering his girlfriend's dad for rudeness might be a bad idea, but ultimately decides, hey, filial piety; what can you do. So he, does (in a duel, so you can decide whether that technically constitutes murder). His dad is super-psyched about this (he really is coming across as a bit of a psychopath, isn't he?), but Rodrigue is gloomy because he knows this is gonna fuck up his relationship. And indeed, Chimène demands before the King that justice be done. But what's this? The Moors are attacking! So judgment on Rodrigue is suspended as he's let off to lead the Spanish forces. Before the battle, he meets with Chimène and sorta-kinda reconcile, though a resumption of their romance seems questionable. But then he goes and wins the battle and earns the name "El Cid" (this is wildly at odds with the actual history, but it would be weirder if it weren't), and she decides, oh you scamp, I can't stay mad at you! So that is that, though I dunno--I feel like even if she can forgive him, having his creepy dad looming over them all the time is still going to be an issue.
(And I do NOT know what that thing is about the Infanta's governor being such a peach position. I mean, I get that it must have a lot of prestige attached to it, but what does it even entail? And, let's face it, can old guys get away with jockeying to be the guardian, I guess, of young girls without it seeming pervy as hell? I submit that it cannot.)
You really, really expect this to be a tragedy, don't you? I mean, a knight killing his girlfriend's father out of a warped sense of honor? This is Verdi stuff. There are commonalities with La forza del destino. I suppose you could argue that it's in line with some of Rossini's romances (like La donna del lago or Guillaume Tell), but I dunno, man. Of course, if you happen to know the history, you'd know that this couple got married and did not die at this time, but come on, who would know that but a super-big nerd?
STILL. I know I'm on record as being lukewarm about Massenet, for reasons that I can't explain or even really conceptualize--his work is square in the same wheelhouse as tons of opera that I love, so that's the deal? Well...as it turns out, I may or may not have had a breakthrough, because I thought this was kinda good. I dunno; maybe my sensibilities have changed or maybe it's just that I hadn't seen an opera of this sort for so long I was happy to accept anything--but I thought it was pretty all right, and in spite of the goofiness, I enjoyed the drama. Maybe I should go back and rewatch some Massenet, or maybe not. It is a mystery!
Le Cid was at one point available on youtube, in a mediocre-quality video taken from a 2000-ish TV broadcast from the Washington Opera starring Placido Domingo. It's since been taken down. I sure hope nobody had already downloaded it, because then they might reupload it. I shudder to think.
