Princess Ida: or Castle Adamant
By W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan
()
About this ebook
The partnership between William Schwenck Gilbert and Arthur Seymour Sullivan and their canon of Savoy Operas is rightly lauded by all lovers of comic opera the world over. Gilbert’s sharp, funny words and Sullivan’s deliciously lively and hummable tunes create a world that is distinctly British in view but has the world as its audience. Both men were exceptionally talented and gifted in their own right and wrote much, often with other partners, that still stands the test of time. However, together as a team they created Light or Comic Operas of a standard that have had no rivals equal to their standard, before or since. That’s quite an achievement. To be recognised by the critics is one thing but their commercial success was incredible. The profits were astronomical, allowing for the building of their own purpose built theatre – The Savoy Theatre. Beginning with the first of their fourteen collaborations, Thespis in 1871 and travelling through many classics including The Sorcerer (1877), H.M.S. Pinafore (1878), The Pirates of Penzance (1879), The Mikado (1885), The Gondoliers (1889) to their finale in 1896 with The Grand Duke, Gilbert & Sullivan created a legacy that is constantly revived and admired in theatres and other media to this very day.
W. S. Gilbert
W. S. Gilbert (1836-1911) was an English librettist, dramatist, and poet. Born in London, Gilbert was raised by William, a surgeon and novelist, and Anne Mary, an apothecary’s daughter. As a child he lived with his parents in Italy and France before finally returning to London in 1847. Gilbert graduated from Kind’s College London in 1856 before joining the Civil Service and briefly working as a barrister. In 1861, he began publishing poems, stories, and theatre reviews in Fun, The Cornhill Magazine, and Temple Bar. His first play was Uncle Baby, which ran to moderate acclaim for seven weeks in 1863. He soon became one of London’s most popular writers of opera burlesques, but turned away from the form in 1869 to focus on prose comedies. In 1871, he began working with composer Arthur Sullivan, whose music provided the perfect melody to some of the most popular comic operas of all time, including H. M. S. Pinafore (1878), The Pirates of Penzance (1879), and The Mikado (1885). At London’s Savoy Theatre and around the world, The D’Oyly Carte Opera Company would perform Gilbert and Sullivan’s works for the next century. Gilbert, the author of more than 75 plays and countless more poems, stories, and articles, influenced such writers as Oscar Wilde and George Bernard Shaw, as well as laid the foundation for the success of American musical theatre on Broadway and beyond.
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Princess Ida - W. S. Gilbert
Princess Ida by Gilbert & Sullivan
or CASTLE ADAMANT
Libretto by William S. Gilbert
Music by Arthur Sullivan
The partnership between William Schwenck Gilbert and Arthur Seymour Sullivan and their canon of Savoy Operas is rightly lauded by all lovers of comic opera the world over.
Gilbert’s sharp, funny words and Sullivan’s deliciously lively and hummable tunes create a world that is distinctly British in view but has the world as its audience.
Both men were exceptionally talented and gifted in their own right and wrote much, often with other partners, that still stands the test of time. However, together as a team they created Light or Comic Operas of a standard that have had no rivals equal to their standard, before or since. That’s quite an achievement.
To be recognised by the critics is one thing but their commercial success was incredible. The profits were astronomical, allowing for the building of their own purpose built theatre – The Savoy Theatre.
Beginning with the first of their fourteen collaborations, Thespis in 1871 and travelling through many classics including The Sorcerer (1877), H.M.S. Pinafore (1878), The Pirates of Penzance (1879), The Mikado (1885), The Gondoliers (1889) to their finale in 1896 with The Grand Duke, Gilbert & Sullivan created a legacy that is constantly revived and admired in theatres and other media to this very day.
Index of Contents
DRAMATSIS PERSONAE
SCENES
ACT I
ACT II
ACT III
GILBERT & SULLIVAN – A SHORT BIOGRAPHY
GILBERT & SULLIVAN – A CONCISE BIBLIOGRAPHY
Princess Ida, or Castle Adamant debuted on January 5th, 1884 at the Savoy Theatre and ran for 246 performances. It is the only Gilbert and Sullivan Opera in three Acts.
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
King Hildebrand
Hilarion (His son)
Hilarion's friends:
Cyril
Florian
King Gama
His sons:
Arac
Guron
Scynthius
Princess Ida (Gama's daughter)
Lady Blanche(Professor of Abstract Science)
Lady Psyche (Professor of Humanities)
Melissa (Lady Blanche's Daughter)
Girl Graduates:
Sacharissa
Chloe
Ada
Soldiers, Courtiers, Girl Graduates,
Daughters of the Plough,
etc.
SCENES
ACT I - Pavilion in King Hildebrand's Palace
ACT II - Gardens of Castle Adamant
ACT III - Courtyard of Castle Adamant
MUSICAL NUMBERS
Overture (includes We are warriors three and Minerva! oh, hear me)
ACT I
1. Search throughout the panorama (Florian and Chorus)
2. Now hearken to my strict command (Hildebrand and Chorus)
3. Today we meet (Hilarion)
4. From the distant panorama (Chorus)
5. We are warriors three (Arac, Guron, Scynthius and Chorus)
6. If you give me your attention (Gama)
7. Finale Act I (Gama, Hildebrand, Cyril, Hilarion, Florian and Chorus)
P'raps if you Address the Lady
Expressive glances
For a month to dwell in a dungeon cell
ACT II
8. Towards the empyrean heights (Lady Psyche, Melissa, Sacharissa and Chorus of Girls)
9. Mighty maiden with a mission (Chorus of Girls)
10. Minerva! oh, hear me! ... Oh, goddess wise (Princess)
10a.And thus to Empyrean Heights (Princess and Chorus)
11. Come, mighty Must (Lady Blanche)
12. Gently, gently (Cyril, Hilarion and Florian)
13. I am a maiden, cold and stately (Cyril, Hilarion and Florian)
14. The world is but a broken toy (Princess, Cyril, Hilarion and Florian)
15. A lady fair, of lineage high (Psyche with Cyril, Hilarion and Florian)
16. The woman of the wisest wit (Psyche, Melissa, Cyril, Hilarion and Florian)
17. Now wouldn't you like to rule the roast (Melissa and Blanche)
18. Merrily ring the luncheon bell (Blanche, Cyril and Chorus of Girls)
19. Would you know the kind of maid? (Cyril)
20. Finale Act II (Princess, Hildebrand, Melissa, Psyche, Blanche, Cyril, Hilarion, Florian, Arac, Guron, Scynthius and Chorus)
Oh, joy! our chief is saved
Whom thou hast chained must wear his chain
Walls and fences scaling
Some years ago, no doubt you know
We may remark, though nothing can dismay us
To yield at once to such a foe with shame were rife
ACT III
21. Death to the invader (Melissa and Chorus of Girls)
22. Whene'er I spoke (King Gama with Chorus of Girls)4
23. I built upon a rock (Princess)
24. When anger spreads his wing (Chorus of Girls and Soldiers)
25. This helmet, I suppose (Arac with Guron, Scynthius and Chorus)
26. Chorus during the fight, This is our duty plain (Chorus)
27. With joy abiding" [Reprise of Expressive glances] (Ensemble)
ACT I.
SCENE -Pavilion attached to King Hildebrand's Palace. Soldiers and courtiers discovered looking out through opera-glasses, telescopes, etc., Florian leading.
CHORUS AND SOLO (FLORIAN)
Search throughout the panorama
CHORUS
Search throughout the panorama
For a sign of royal Gama,
Who to-day should cross the water
With his fascinating daughter—
Ida is her name.
Some misfortune evidently
Has detained them — consequently
Search throughout the panorama
For the daughter of King Gama,
Prince Hilarion's flame!
Prince Hilarion's flame!
SOLO
Florian
FLORIAN
Will Prince Hilarion's hopes be sadly blighted?
CHORUS
Who can tell? Who can tell?
FLORIAN
Will Ida break the vows that she has plighted?
CHORUS
Who can tell? Who can tell?
FLORIAN
Will she back out, and say she did not mean them?
CHORUS
Who can tell?
FLORIAN
If so, there'll be the deuce to pay between them!
CHORUS
No, no — we'll not despair, we'll not despair,
For Gama would not dare
To make a deadly foe
Of Hildebrand, and so,
Search through the panorama
For a sign of royal Gama,
Who today should cross the water
With his fascinating daughter—
Ida, Ida is her name.
(Enter KING HILDEBRAND with CYRIL)
HILDEBRAND
See you no sign of Gama?
FLORIAN
None, my liege!
HILDEBRAND
It's very odd indeed. If Gama fail
To put in an appearance at our Court
Before the sun has set in yonder west,
And fail to bring the Princess Ida here
To whom our son Hilarion was betrothed
At the extremely early age of one,
There's war between King Gama and ourselves!
(aside to CYRIL)
Oh, Cyril, how I dread this interview!
It's twenty years since he and I have met.
He was a twisted monster — all awry—
As though Dame Nature, angry with her work,
Had crumpled it in fitful petulance!
CYRIL
But, sir, a twisted and ungainly trunk
Often bears goodly fruit. Perhaps he was
A kind, well-spoken gentleman?
HILDEBRAND
Oh, no!
For, adder-like, his sting lay in his tongue.
(His sting
is present, though his stung
is past.)
FLORIAN (looking through glass)
But stay, my liege; o'er yonder mountain's brow
Comes a small body, bearing Gama's arms;
And now I look more closely at it, sir,
I see attached to it King Gama's legs;
From which I gather this corollary
That that small body must be Gama's own!
HILDEBRAND
Ha! Is the Princess with him?
FLORIAN
Well, my liege,
Unless her highness is full six feet high,
And wears mustachios too — and smokes cigars—
And rides en cavalier in coat of steel—
I do not think she is.
HILDEBRAND
One never knows.
She's a strange girl, I've heard, and does odd things!
Come, bustle there!
For Gama place the richest robes we own—
For Gama place the coarsest prison dress—
For Gama let our best spare bed be aired—
For Gama let our