Sir Arthur Sullivan

Sir Arthur Sullivan BBC National Orchestra of Wales Rory Macdonald Courtesy of the David B. Lovell Collection Original poster design by John Hassall Courtesy of the David B. Lovell Collection Programme for the opening night of ‘The Beauty Stone’ Sir Arthur Sullivan, 1898 Arthur Sir Photograph by Elliot & Fry, London / Courtesy of the David B. Lovell Collection SIR ARTHUR SULLIVAN (1842–1900) THE BEAUTY STONE (1897 – 98) An Original Romantic Musical Drama in Three Acts Libretto by Arthur Wing Pinero (1855 – 1934) and Joseph William Comyns Carr (1849 – 1916) Philip, Lord of Mirlemont .........................................................................Toby Spence tenor Guntran of Beaugrant ................................................................................... David Stout bass Simon Limal, a Weaver ..................................................................... Stephen Gadd baritone Nicholas Dircks, Burgomaster of Mirlemont...............................Richard Suart baritone The Devil...................................................................................................... Alan Opie baritone Laine, the Weaver’s daughter ............................................ Elin Manahan Thomassoprano Joan, the Weaver’s wife ..........................................Catherine Wyn-Rogers mezzo-soprano Jacqueline ..............................................................................Madeleine Shaw mezzo-soprano Saida ........................................................................................................Rebecca Evans soprano Loyse, from St Denis ............................................................................Olivia Gomez soprano Isabeau, from Florennes .........................................................Sarah Maxted mezzo-soprano Barbe, from Bovigny ...................................................................................Llio Evans soprano 5 Peppin, a dwarf Baldwyn of Ath The Lords of Serault, Velaines, and St Sauveur A Seneschal A Lad of the Town A Shrewish Girl A Matron Knights, Dames, Pages, Aldermen, Soldiers, Townsfolk, Country-folk, Dancers, Lute-players, Serving-men, and the rest The story is laid in the Flemish town of Mirlemont in the beginning of the fifteenth century. BBC National Chorus of Wales Adrian Partington chorus master BBC National Orchestra of Wales Lesley Hatfield leader Rory Macdonald 6 Ruth Crafer Rory Macdonald R uth uth V incent as incent L aine, before her transformation, in the original production original the in transformation, her before aine, Photograph in The Sketch, 6 July 1898 / Courtesy of the David B. Lovell Collection R uth uth V incent as incent L aine, after her transformation, in the original production original the in transformation, her after aine, Photograph in The Sketch, 6 July 1898 / Courtesy of the David B. Lovell Collection COMPACT DISC ONE Time Page 1 Introduction. Allegro alla Marcia – 2:59 p. 117 Act I 54:15 Scene 1. The Weaver’s Home 2 1 Duet. Simon: ‘Click, clack, click, clack’ 3:13 p. 117 with Joan 3 2 Chorus with Solos. Chorus: ‘Hobble, hobble, now we’ve caught her’ 1:41 p. 118 with Joan and Simon 4 2a Semi-Chorus: ‘Maidens and men of Mirlemont town’ 1:03 p. 119 5 3 Prayer. Laine: ‘Dear Mary Mother, unto thee I bring’ 3:36 p. 119 6 4 Quartet. Simon: ‘Who stands within?’ 5:08 p. 120 with Joan, Devil, and Laine 7 5 Recitative and Song. Devil: ‘Sinc a e it dwelt in that rock whose hallowed crest’ – ‘I gave it away to a love-lorn maid’ – Devil: ‘VOS QUIBIS DEUS BENEDIXIT BENEDICITE!’ – 4:34 p. 122 8 5a Appearance of Laine. Andante 0:15 p. 123 9 5b After Devil’s Song. Change of Scene. Moderato – 1:17 p. 123 10 Time Page Scene 2. The Market-place 10 6 Full Chorus. Maidens: ‘The bells are ringing o’er Mirlemont town’ – 2:34 p. 124 11 Competitor’s Friends: ‘Maidens and men of Mirlemont town’ 2:13 p. 124 12 7 Duet. Jacqueline: ‘My name is crazy Jacqueline’ – with Devil Dance 4:09 p. 125 13 7a Entrance of the Burgomaster and Crowd. Chorus: ‘The bells are ringing o’er Mirlemont town’ 2:49 p. 127 14 8 Scene. The Beauty Contest. Nicholas: ‘Know ye all, both great and small’ – 1:56 p. 128 with Philip 15 Loyse: ‘I am Loyse from St Denis’ – 3:13 p. 128 with Chorus, Saida, Philip, and Nicholas 16 Isabeau: ‘In the hills beyond Florennes’ – 2:13 p. 129 with Chorus, Saida, Devil, Philip, and Nicholas 17 Barbe: ‘I am Barbe of Bovigny’ 2:16 p. 129 with Chorus 18 9 Finale of Act I. Chorus: ‘Go, bring forth old Simon’s daughter!’ – 1:04 p. 130 19 Philip: ‘By Our Lady, she is fair!’ – 2:15 p. 130 with Chorus, Nicholas, and Saida 20 Saida: ‘Oh, turn thine eyes away’ – 2:02 p. 131 with Philip and Chorus 11 Time Page 21 Saida: ‘In vain ye plead, some magic spell enthralls him!’ – 2:30 p. 131 with Guntran, Devil, Chorus, Joan, Simon, and Philip 22 Laine: ‘I can but tell I knelt and prayed’ 4:06 p. 132 with Philip, Chorus, then All TT 57:18 COMPACT DISC TWO Act II 51:21 Scene 1. A Hall in the Castle 1 10 Chorus of Knights and Dames. All: ‘With cards and dice, and with wine and laughter’ 2:22 p. 134 2 10a Melos. Andante 1:11 p. 134 3 11 Scene. Chorus of Knights and Dames: ‘Though she should dance’ – 2:07 p. 135 4 Song. Saida: ‘Safe in her island home, whose sloping glades’ – 5:44 p. 135 with Knights, Eastern Maidens, and Dames 5 Knights: ‘Nay, see ye not this maid is fair?’ 2:18 p. 137 with Dames and Philip 6 12 Duet. Philip: ‘I love thee! I love thee!’ 3:39 p. 137 with Laine 7 13 Scene. Song. Guntran: ‘I’ll tell them what thou wast when first I knew thee’ – 2:31 p. 139 12 Time Page 8 Philip: ‘How say you? Shame! My sword! my sword!’ – 1:26 p. 139 with Laine, Devil, and Saida 9 Laine: ‘Nay, wert thou more than all he said thou art’ – 2:00 p. 140 with Philip 10 Saida: ‘She’s gone! Love’s hour has come at last!’ – 2:07 p. 140 with Devil and Philip 11 Guntran: ‘Lords of Sirault, Velaines, and St Sauveur’ 4:10 p. 141 with Three Lords, Philip, then All 12 13a Change of Scene. Andante tranquillo 1:43 p. 142 Scene 2. The Weaver’s Home 13 14 Trio. Joan: ‘Look yon – ’tis she! our little Laine!’ 3:55 p. 142 with Laine and Simon 14 15 Duet. Simon: ‘I would see a maid who dwells in Zolden’ 3:52 p. 144 with Joan 15 16 Quintet. Devil: ‘Haste thee! Haste thee!’ 2:06 p. 145 with Laine, Joan, Saida, and Simon Scene 3. Between the Castle and the North Gate 16 17 Duet (with Dance). Jacqueline: ‘Up and down’ – with Devil Dance 4:25 p. 146 13 Time Page 17 18 Finale of Act II. Guntran: ‘There he stands, that lord ye knew’ – 3:20 p. 148 with Chorus and Philip 18 Laine: ‘My lord!’ 2:11 p. 148 with Philip, Joan, and Chorus Act III 20:35 Scene 1. The Terrace of the Castle 19 19 Introduction. Moderato con moto – Song. Laine: ‘An hour agone ’twas the moon that shone’ 4:20 p. 150 20 20 Song. Jacqueline: ‘Why dost thou sigh and moan?’ 2:02 p. 150 21 21 Recitative and Song. Saida: ‘Mine, mine at last! Poor vanquished slave, begone!’ – ‘What laggard steed doth carry’ 3:23 p. 151 22 22 Scene. Saida: ‘So all is lost for ever! And ’twas thou’ – 2:31 p. 152 with Devil 23 22a Change of Scene[. Allegro vivace e agitato] – 0:35 p. 152 Scene 2. The Market-place 24 23 Chorus and Dance. Chorus: ‘O’er Mirlemont city the banners are flying’ – Dance 2:02 p. 153 25 23a Exit of Guntran and Crowd. Allegro moderato 0:49 p. 153 26 24 Finale of Act III. Chorus: ‘Hail to the lord of our land!’ 4:50 p. 153 with Guntran, Joan, Laine, Simon, Jacqueline, Philip, Devil, then All TT 72:04 14 R osina Brandram as Joan in the original production original the in asJoan Brandram osina Photograph in The Sketch, 6 July 1898 / Courtesy of the David B. Lovell Collection Cartoon by Thomas Downey,Judy , 22 June 1898 / Courtesy of the David B. Lovell Collection Cartoon by Thomas Downey,Judy , 22 June 1898 / Courtesy of the David B. Lovell Collection Sir Arthur Sullivan, Arthur Wing Pinero, and and Pinero, Wing Sullivan, Arthur Arthur Sir R ichard D’Oylyichard Carte Cartoon by Alfred Bryan, The Entr’acte, 29 January 1898 / Courtesy of the David B. Lovell Collection Sullivan: The Beauty Stone Historical introduction ambitious of all the operas produced at the If the romantic opera Ivanhoe (1891) by Savoy. Sir Arthur Sullivan (1842 – 1900) seems to Sullivan was used to working with just have come down to us only as a footnote to one librettist; The Beauty Stone provides the his collaboration with W.S. Gilbert, then sole example of a text being supplied by two The Beauty Stone (first performed on 28 May collaborators. Nor were these two men from 1898) must surely emerge even more obscurely the usual mould of (comic) opera librettists – from the mists of time. Two things have long they were both, in different spheres, amongst stood against any desire to revive the opera, or the most important artists of their day. The even to take it seriously. First, its one and only key force in the development of the opera was run, at the Savoy Theatre, lasted for just fifty Joseph William Comyns Carr (1849 – 1916), performances, and the opera was accordingly a leading figure in London’s cultural life, who Sullivan’s biggest flop – how could the public drew together many of the diverse strands at the time have been wrong? Secondly, of of Sullivan’s career. Having started his all the Savoy Operas (a genre already broad working life as a barrister, Carr was to find enough to encompass Trial by Jury and writing more to his taste (Gilbert would have The Yeomen of the Guard, not to mention understood the impulse); before long he was HMS Pinafore and Haddon Hall) this one one of London’s leading art critics and a key is the least susceptible to categorisation; in figure on the more progressive wing of British fact, it hardly seems reasonable to call it a art.

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