SULLIVAN : IVANHOE

 Radio New Zealand Concert network
Sunday 31st of October 2010 at 3.04 - 6 pm 

COMPOSER
INTRODUCTION
SYNOPSIS
RECORDING 
REVIEW
EXCERPTS
LIBRETTO
PIANO SCORE

SULLIVAN: Ivanhoe, an opera in three acts
Richard Coeur-de-Lion...................... Neal Davies
Prince John/Lucas de Beaumanoir....... Stephen Gadd
Sir Brian de Bois Guilbert, the Templar......James Rutherford
Maurice de Bracy............................... Peter Wedd
Cedric the Saxon, Thane of Rotherwood..... Peter Rose
Wilfred, Knight of Ivanhoe.................. Toby Spence
Friar Tuck.......................................... Matthew Brook
Isaac.................................................. Leigh Melrose
Locksley/Squire.................................. Andrew Staples
Lady Rowena..................................... Janice Watson
Ulrica.............................................. Catherine Wyn-Rogers
Rebecca............................................. Geraldine McGreevy
Adrian Partington Singers, BBC National Orch of Wales
David Lloyd-Jones (Chandos CHAN 10578)

For a change it is not Gilbert and Sullivan but Scott (or Sturgis) and Sullivan. Walter Scott's novel was the source, and Julian Sturgis was the librettist.

Sullivan composed Ivanhoe after The Gondoliers in the period when he was feuding with Gilbert over a new carpet in the theatre. It was first performed on the 31st of January in 1891 (Prince of Wales present, but not Her Majesty).  It marked the opening of D'Oyly Carte's new Royal English Opera House, which eventually became The Palace theatre (we saw Les Misérables there during its long run of 19 years).

I have always been fascinated by this "romantic opera" of Sullivan. When the movie came out (in 1952 with Elizabeth Taylor and Robert Taylor, not the 1982 TV one with James Mason and Sam Neill) I was captivated with the story (Memory, did I read the book? We'll get back to you on that one). But I knew about this opera from a radio program on the life of that complex being known as G&S;  it had Arthur presenting his score to the Queen (wee Victoria, as in wee are not amused, and you can read his dedication if you get the libretto or vocal score offered above); I seem to remember her saying she wanted to see The Mikado instead; but she was the one who had told him he should compose a serious opera, and she attended his sacred cantata The Golden Legend.

This is not the first recording of the work: there was an earlier one by a Scottish ensemble, the  G&S Society of Edinburgh (PEARL) David Lyle conductor; and now it is a Welsh consortium under David Lloyd-Jones; neither of these Gaelic/Celtic cohorts are what you would expect for acting as Saxons and Normans.

The Scottish recording has been in my possession since I saw it some years ago in a record shop in Sydney's Town Hall Subway Station; A$ 78.00 still sounds a hefty price. Each of the 3 acts has its own disc. I played the first act today and followed the words and music on the score on the computer screen, clicking on the right-side page to move it along; yes, the soundtrack needs subtitles. But I have just got a copy of the libretto (PDF), to keep.

King Richard the Lion-hearted is there, disguised as the Black Knight; Wilfred Knight of Ivanhoe (the hero) is slinking about in the hooded robe of a palmer (pilgrim) instead of a returning crusader (because his father Cedric disowned him); Robin Hood is here under the alias Locksley (or vice versa, depending on whether you think he is vicious and a purveyor of vice). Notice that the villain, the Norman Templar, bears my name (the blackguard), which is Celtic, not French or Viking (Normans being Francophiliac North men,  Vikings with French names, from Normandy, not Brittany).

I have to report a lot of dubious comments on operawonk articles, including Chinese, Japanese, and Russian spam. Some of it seems sincere, but I have my doubts and suspicions.

For Mayr's MEDEA IN CORINTO I wrote nothing, but provided three useful references. One anonymous person said it had helped them with their school assignment and they would be grateful if I could send more information (no e-mail address given!)

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Well, this time you got me baring my soul and offering a host of very good references to informative notes on Ivanhoe the opera.