In
recent years there has been a gentle revival of Sir Arthur Sullivan’s operas
that do not have librettos by W.S. Gilbert. In May 1999 the BBC Music
Magazine issued The Rose of Persia as
its disc of the month. The Gilbert and
Sullivan Society of Edinburgh released an LP of The Chieftain and The
Contrabandista in 1986. It was re-released
on CD in 1999. The Emerald Isle appeared in 1982 and was re-issued on CD in 2003. In 2000 the Prince Consort of
Edinburgh produced the first complete recording of Haddon Hall. It is interesting that George Bernard Shaw believed
this to be the best of the Savoy Operas: apparently the work actually managed
to overtake the box-office receipts for The
Mikado.
After
The Gondoliers (1889) the composer
collaborated with Julian Strurgis in his only ‘grand opera’ - Ivanhoe (1891) which was based on Sir
Walter Scott’s tale. In 2010 the BBC National Orchestra of Wales conducted by
David Lloyd Jones made the first professional recording of this opera on
Chandos. It was a surprising success and received excellent reviews. So it is time that listeners had an
opportunity to hear The Beauty Stone.
And what a surprise this work is. In spite of a problematic plot, Sullivan has
contributed some of his most attractive music.
I
do not believe in giving the plot of an opera in a review: not everyone knows
the story and some may wish to enjoy the unfolding tale. However, it is fair to
say that the ‘book’ is a bit of a confection of Goethe’s Faust, the Brothers
Grimm and Gothic Horror. The libretto is by Joseph Comyns Carr and Arthur Wing Pinero and was reworked from an
old German legend. The main scheme surrounds the transformation of a disabled
girl into a beauty and back again. Other characters in the opera discover that this
‘beauty’ is in the eye of the beholder. The tale is set in the small Belgian
town of Merlemont at the beginning of the 15th century.
The opera
was first heard at the Savoy Theatre, London on 28 May 1898. However it was
hardly a success, lasting for only fifty performances. The main critical concern was that the words
were unworthy of the music. Furthermore, the length of the original production,
lasting more than four hours did not endear the work to audiences more used to
the standard repertoire of ‘G&S’ operas. Much of the dialogue was
subsequently cut. Some of the musical
numbers were also excised to try and make the work more approachable. The present recording has restored the music
but has (wisely) opted for not including the dialogue.
I
am totally impressed and convinced by the music. My thoughts are that this is an
important rediscovery of some of Sullivan’s best work. The music lies between Ivanhoe as a full-blown grand opera and
the better known Savoy operas. Sullivan had imagined this as a music-drama
rather than a comic opera. There is still much of the wit that listeners
associate with The Gondoliers and The Mikado, but there is a depth and
intensity that goes beyond what the operagoer typically associates with
Sullivan’s music. This is subtle music that genuinely explores emotional depths
and allows characters to develop. Any doubts I have about the plot are
nullified by this beautiful score. It is not exaggerating to suggest that it is
a masterwork.
The
booklet is a stunning production: it is a model of its kind. The text is given
in English, German and French, so clearly Chandos feel that The Beauty Stone will have some reach
beyond the shores of the United Kingdom.
The
liner notes are divided into a number of parts. William Parry has given an
historical introduction to the opera. Martin T. Yates has provided a significant
musical analysis which bears study. There is also an extremely detailed
synopsis of the opera’s progress. However, one of the most important elements
of these notes is the contemporary report from The Daily News (25 May 1898) which features an interview with Sir
Arthur.
Interesting
illustrations include an original advertising poster by John Hassall, the programme
for the opening night, and a number of photographs from the 1898 production of the
heroine, Laine, before and after her transformation. The track listings are conveniently tied into
the libretto page.
There
are the usual notices of the principals, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales,
BBC National chorus of Wales and chorus and the conductor Rory Macdonald.
Details of the Sir Arthur
Sullivan Society
are included. My only concern is that
the font is necessarily small: I read it on my computer from the .pdf file.
It
seems superfluous to state that the sound quality of this recording is
excellent. As with any opera, it can be difficult to balance orchestra, chorus
and soloists. Chandos have done a sterling job with this CD. The enunciation of
the principles and chorus is perfectly clear: I hardly needed to follow the
libretto in order to understand the plot.
The singing is unbeatable, with all the soloists entering into the
spirit of the story. What impressed me most was the orchestra: so often G&S
performances are marred by a necessarily pared-down band. The BBC National
Orchestra of Wales make a major contribution to hearing this opera in ideal
conditions.
In
recent years there has been an increasing interest in Victorian and Edwardian
opera in general. Witness the revival of George MacFarren’s Robin Hood and William Vincent Wallace’s
Lurline. The Beauty Stone makes a worthy companion to these as well as the other
operas that Sullivan composed without the aid of Gilbert’s librettos.
In
spite of my reservations about the plot, I have to say that I was impressed by
virtually every bar of this music. This is not second-rate Sullivan, but the Master
at his very best.
Sir Arthur SULLIVAN (1842-1900) The Beauty Stone (1897-98)
Toby
Spence (tenor) - Philip
David
Stout (bass) - Guntran
Stephen
Gadd (baritone) - Simon
Richard
Suart (baritone) - Nicholas
Alan
Opie (baritone) - The Devil
Elin
Manahan Thomas (soprano) - Laine
Catherine
Wyn-Rogers (mezzo-soprano) - Joan
Madeleine
Shaw (mezzo-soprano) - Jacqueline
Rebecca
Evans (soprano) - Saida
Olivia
Gomez (soprano) - Loyse
Sarah
Maxted (mezzo-soprano) - Isabeau
Llio
Evans (soprano) - Barbe
BBC
National Chorus of Wales, BBC National Orchestra of Wales/Rory Macdonald
CHANDOS
CHAN10794 (2)
With thanks to MusicWeb International where this
was first published.
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