opera
Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...
Sir Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European literature, European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'' (18 ...
libretto
A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to th ...
grand opera
Grand opera is a genre of 19th-century opera generally in four or five acts, characterized by large-scale casts and Orchestra, orchestras. The original productions consisted of spectacular design and stage effects with plots normally based on o ...
. at The Gilbert and Sullivan Archive. This has been surpassed only by Broadway's 2003 production of ''
La bohème
''La bohème'' ( , ) is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions '':wikt:quadro, quadri'', ''wikt:tableau, tableaux'' or "images", rather than ''atti'' (acts). composed by Giacomo Puccini between 1893 and 1895 to an Italian libretto b ...
''. Later that year it was performed six more times, making a total of 161 performances.Dailey, Chapter 7 It was toured by Carl Rosa Opera Company in 1894–1895 but has rarely been performed since. The first complete, fully professional recording was released in 2010 on the
Chandos Records
Chandos Records is a British independent classical music recording company based in Colchester. It was founded in 1979 by Brian Couzens.Michael William Balfe
Michael William Balfe (15 May 1808 – 20 October 1870) was an Irish composer, best remembered for his operas, especially ''The Bohemian Girl''.
After a short career as a violinist, Balfe pursued an operatic singing career, while he began to co ...
and his contemporaries, the fashion in London, led by the
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales (, ; ) is a title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the History of the English monarchy, English, and later, the British throne. The title originated with the Welsh rulers of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd who, from ...
, was for opera houses to present mostly imported operas from Italy, France and Germany. English opera went into decline, and no through-composed operas were written in England after 1844 until 1874.Gordon-Powell, Robin. ''Ivanhoe'', full score, Introduction, vol. I, pp. VII to VIII, 2008, The Amber Ring After this, a few English composers wrote new operas in English, some with English themes, and the Carl Rosa Opera Company produced many of these in the late 1870s and 1880s.Lamb (1973), p. 475 Arthur Sullivan had long dreamed of writing a grand opera in what he called an "eclectic" style that would build on the existing European styles. In an 1885 interview, he said:
:"The opera of the future is a compromise. I have thought and worked and toiled and dreamt of it. Not the French school, with gaudy and tinsel tunes, its lambent lights and shades, its theatrical effects and clap-trap; not the Wagnerian school, with its somberness and heavy ear-splitting airs, with its mysticism and unreal sentiment; not the Italian school, with its fantastic airs and fioriture and far-fetched effects. It is a compromise between these three – a sort of eclectic school, a selection of the merits of each one. I myself will make an attempt to produce a grand opera of this new school. ... Yes, it will be an historical work, and it is the dream of my life. I do not believe in opera based on gods and myths. That is the fault of the German school. It is metaphysical music – it is philosophy. What we want are plots that give rise to characters of flesh and blood, with human emotions and human passions. Music should speak to the heart, and not to the head. Such a work as I contemplate will take some time."
During the late 1870s and through the 1880s,
Richard D'Oyly Carte
Richard D'Oyly Carte (; 3 May 1844 – 3 April 1901) was an English talent agent, theatrical impresario, composer, and hotelier during the latter half of the Victorian era. He built two of London's theatres and a hotel empire, while also establi ...
had earned great success by producing the
Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900) and to the works they jointly created. The two men collaborated on fourteen com ...
operas. By the late 1880s, perhaps encouraged by the operas produced by Carl Rosa, Carte aspired to do for
grand opera
Grand opera is a genre of 19th-century opera generally in four or five acts, characterized by large-scale casts and Orchestra, orchestras. The original productions consisted of spectacular design and stage effects with plots normally based on o ...
what he had done for comic opera, with the assistance of
Arthur Sullivan
Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan (13 May 1842 – 22 November 1900) was an English composer. He is best known for 14 comic opera, operatic Gilbert and Sullivan, collaborations with the dramatist W. S. Gilbert, including ''H.M.S. Pinaf ...
, who had long yearned to compose more serious works. In May 1888, Sullivan noted in his diary that, after a performance of his
cantata
A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian language, Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal music, vocal Musical composition, composition with an musical instrument, instrumental accompaniment, ty ...
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...
, the queen said to him, "You ought to write a grand opera – you would do it so well!"Gordon-Powell, Robin. ''Ivanhoe'', full score, Introduction, vol. I, p. IX, 2008, The Amber Ring Carte began building the Royal English Opera House in December 1888, and he commissioned Sullivan to write the venture's inaugural work.
George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...
wondered, in August 1889, about the wisdom of building a new opera house when the three existing ones (
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House (ROH) is a theatre in Covent Garden, central London. The building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. The ROH is the main home of The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet, and the Orch ...
,
Her Majesty's Theatre
His Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre situated in the Haymarket, London, Haymarket in the City of Westminster, London. The building, designed by Charles J. Phipps, was constructed in 1897 for the actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, who ...
and the
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and listed building, Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) an ...
), were underutilised. During 1890, Carte contacted several composers, including Frederick Cowen, asking them to compose operas to succeed ''Ivanhoe'' in the new house.
Sullivan asked his usual collaborator
W. S. Gilbert
Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (18 November 1836 – 29 May 1911) was an English dramatist, librettist, poet and illustrator best known for his collaboration with composer Arthur Sullivan, which produced fourteen comic operas. The most fam ...
to supply the
libretto
A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to th ...
for a grand opera, but Gilbert declined, writing that in grand opera the librettist's role is subordinate to that of the composer, and that the public would, in any case, not accept a serious work from his pen. Gilbert recommended Julian Sturgis to write the libretto. Sturgis had written the libretto for ''Nadeshda'' by Arthur Thomas (1885), which had been produced with success by Carl Rosa. ''Ivanhoe'' had been treated operatically previously, including an 1826 pastiche opera with music by
Rossini
Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. He gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote many songs, some chamber music and piano p ...
and operas by Marschner in 1829, Pacini in 1832 and Nicolai in 1840. Both Sullivan and the critics noted that Scott's novel, with its many scenes, would make for a complex adaptation. Sturgis set to work on ''Ivanhoe'' in the spring or early summer of 1889. The libretto uses some of the language directly from the novel and does not change the basic story. However, in condensing the lengthy and action-packed novel for a stage work, the libretto relies on the audience's knowledge of the novel and omits many scenes, also entirely omitting the characters of Gurth the Swineherd, Oswald, Cedric's manservant, some of King John's advisors, and Athelstane the Unready, among others.Richard Traubner, writes in ''
Opera News
''Opera News'' was an American classical music magazine. It was published from 1936 to 2023 by the Metropolitan Opera Guild—a non-profit organization, located at Lincoln Center, that was founded to promote opera and support the Metropolitan ...
'', that "Sturgis's libretto, given his quotes from Scott and the quasi-medieval English, is still sketchy, and the complex story does not really move forward with any operatic satisfaction."
While Sturgis worked on ''Ivanhoe'', Sullivan was composing ''
The Gondoliers
''The Gondoliers; or, The King of Barataria'' is a Savoy Opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 7 December 1889 and ran for a very successful 554 performances (at that time t ...
'', with a libretto by Gilbert, for the
Savoy Theatre
The Savoy Theatre is a West End theatre in the Strand in the City of Westminster, London, England. The theatre was designed by C. J. Phipps for Richard D'Oyly Carte and opened on 10 October 1881 on a site previously occupied by the Savoy ...
. After ''The Gondoliers'' opened and Sullivan took his annual holiday in
Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo ( ; ; or colloquially ; , ; ) is an official administrative area of Monaco, specifically the Ward (country subdivision), ward of Monte Carlo/Spélugues, where the Monte Carlo Casino is located. Informally, the name also refers to ...
, he finally began the composition of ''Ivanhoe'' in May 1890, finishing the score in December 1890. Chorus rehearsals for ''Ivanhoe'' began in November, with
Alfred Cellier
Alfred Cellier (1 December 184428 December 1891) was an English composer, orchestrator and conductor.
In addition to conducting and music directing the original productions of several of the most famous Gilbert and Sullivan works and writing th ...
as chorus master, and his brother François Cellier, who became musical director of the new theatre.Gordon-Powell, Robin. ''Ivanhoe'', full score, Introduction, vol. I, p. X, 2008, The Amber Ring In April 1890, Gilbert had challenged Carte over partnership expenses at the Savoy Theatre, including a new carpet for the lobby. To Gilbert's surprise and indignation, Sullivan sided with Carte – after all, Carte was producing his opera – and Gilbert sued Carte and Sullivan in May. The lawsuit was ongoing during much of the period of composition of ''Ivanhoe'', and Sullivan wrote to Gilbert in September 1890 that he was "physically and mentally ill over this wretched business. I have not yet got over the shock of seeing our names coupled ... in hostile antagonism over a few miserable pounds".Lamb (1973), p. 477 Sullivan completed the score too late to meet Carte's planned production date, and costs mounted as the producer had to pay performers, crew and others, while the theatre sat empty. Sullivan was required to pay Carte a contractual penalty of £3,000 for his delay.
Production and aftermath
''Ivanhoe'' and The Royal English Opera House opened on 31 January 1891, with the Prince and Princess of Wales and other members of the royal family in attendance.Gordon-Powell, Robin. ''Ivanhoe'', full score, Introduction, vol. I, p. XI, 2008, The Amber Ring The production was lavish: An orchestra of 64 players, 72 choristers and 120 supernumeraries were employed. Percy Anderson designed the costumes, Hawes Craven and others designed the sets, staging was by Hugh Moss, and François Cellier and Ernest Ford alternated as conductors. Ford also arranged the piano score for ''Ivanhoe''. In the opening night programme, Carte set forth his goals:
I am endeavouring to establish English Grand Opera at the New Theatre which I have built.... Whether he experimentwill succeed or not depends on whether there is a sufficient number of persons interested in music and the drama who will come forward and fill the theatre.... I have made arrangements with other distinguished composers and authors to write operas to follow ''Ivanhoe'', which operas will be produced if the enterprise is a pecuniary success. The intention is to 'run' each opera, that is to say, to play it six times a week, at any rate at first. This is the only way in which the expenditure necessary to secure a proper representation in the matter of scenery and costumes can be recouped.... It rests with he publicwhether a National Opera House shall be established on a permanent basis or not.
Thus, departing from the usual practice for grand opera to be presented in repertory, Carte presented ''Ivanhoe'' every night, with alternative singers being provided for the chief roles – not as separate 'first' and 'second' casts, but in different mixtures. One cast member who went on to a fine career was the young
tenor
A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below m ...
Savoy Theatre
The Savoy Theatre is a West End theatre in the Strand in the City of Westminster, London, England. The theatre was designed by C. J. Phipps for Richard D'Oyly Carte and opened on 10 October 1881 on a site previously occupied by the Savoy ...
. No expense was spared to make the production a success, including "every imaginable effect of scenic splendour". The opera ran for an unprecedented 155 consecutive performancesTraubner, Richard "Sullivan: ''Ivanhoe''" ''Opera News'', June 2010 – Vol. 74, No. 12 and had strong revenues at first. It received very favourable press, with a few reports expressing reservations about the libretto. Of more than a dozen opening night reviews, only Shaw's and Fuller Maitland's reviews were negative.
''Ivanhoe'' closed in July, when the opera house closed for the summer at the end of the opera season. When the house re-opened in November, after a delay, Carte produced
André Messager
André Charles Prosper Messager (; 30 December 1853 – 24 February 1929) was a French composer, organist, pianist and conductor. His compositions include eight ballets and thirty , opérettes and other stage works, among which his ballet (1 ...
David Bispham
David Scull Bispham (January 5, 1857 – October 2, 1921) was an American operatic baritone.
Biography
Bispham was born on January 5, 1857, in Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalitie ...
in his first London stage performance) alternating in repertory with six more performances of ''Ivanhoe'' (which ran at a substantial loss this time), and then ''La Basoche'' alone, closing in January 1892. Though praised, ''La Basoche'' could not fill the large house, and losses were mounting. Carte had commissioned new operas from Cowen, Thomas,
Herman Bemberg
Herman Emanuel Bemberg Ocampo (29 March 1859 – 21 July 1931)Baker, Theodore; rev. by Nicolas Slonimsky (1978) ''Baker's Biographical dictionary of musicians – 6th ed.'' New York: Schirmer Books, 138. was a German people, German-Argentine compos ...
and Hamish MacCunn.. Although Bemberg's opera ''Elaine'' was finished, and Cowen's ''Signa'' would be completed in March, Carte evidently had decided that producing these would be impracticable or too expensive and that he could not make a success of the new house. ''The Pall Mall Gazette'' wrote, "The question, then, uppermost is whether Londoners really want English opera at all.... Mr D'Oyly Carte is to be pitied, and it is hard to see how he can continue to throw his operatic pearls before those who do not value them. After all, the Englishman's opera-house is the music-hall."
Notwithstanding ''Ivanhoe's'' initial success, the opera house was a failure, and later writers unfairly blamed ''Ivanhoe'' for this failure. It was, as critic
Herman Klein
Herman Klein (born Hermann Klein; 23 July 1856 – 10 March 1934) was an English music critic, author and teacher of singing. Klein's famous brothers included Charles Klein, Charles and Manuel Klein. His second wife was the writer Kathleen Cla ...
Henry Wood
Sir Henry Joseph Wood (3 March 186919 August 1944) was an English conductor best known for his association with London's annual series of promenade concerts, known as the Proms. He conducted them for nearly half a century, introducing hundr ...
, who had been
répétiteur
A (; from the French verb meaning 'to repeat, to go over, to learn, to rehearse') is an accompanist, tutor or coach of ballet dancers or opera singers. The feminine form is .
Opera
In opera, a is the person responsible for coaching singers ...
for the production of ''Ivanhoe'', recalled in his autobiography that " fCarte had had a repertory of six operas instead of only one, I believe he would have established English opera in London for all time. Towards the end of the run of Ivanhoe I was already preparing the ''
Flying Dutchman
The ''Flying Dutchman'' () is a legendary ghost ship, allegedly never able to make port, but doomed to sail the sea forever. The myths and ghost stories are likely to have originated from the 17th-century Golden Age of the Dutch East India C ...
'' with Eugène Oudin in the name part. He would have been superb. However, plans were altered and the Dutchman was shelved." After a season of performances by
Sarah Bernhardt
Sarah Bernhardt (; born Henriette-Rosine Bernard; 22 October 1844 – 26 March 1923) was a French stage actress who starred in some of the most popular French plays of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including by Alexandre Dumas fils, ...
, Carte was forced to sell the theatre. A consortium led by Sir
Augustus Harris
Sir Augustus Henry Glossop Harris (18 March 1852 – 22 June 1896) was a British actor, impresario, and dramatist, a dominant figure in the West End theatre, West End theatre of the 1880s and 1890s.
Born into a theatrical family, Harris brief ...
purchased the house, renaming it the Palace Music Hall and later the Palace Theatre of Varieties. The building is known today as the Palace Theatre.Lamb (1973), p. 478.
There was a successful touring revival of ''Ivanhoe'' by the Carl Rosa Opera Company from December 1894 to June 1895 in a cut version (the opera originally ran almost four hours). The cast changed during the tour; at some performances the role of Maurice de Bracy was taken by W. H. Stephens, who had created the role of Locksley at the Royal English Opera House. Carl Rosa again toured the piece later in 1895, and at some performances (for example at the
Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool
The Royal Court Theatre is a theatre located at 1 Roe Street in Liverpool, England. The current Royal Court Theatre was opened on 17 October 1938, after fire destroyed its predecessor. It was rebuilt in Art Deco style and soon became Liverpool' ...
, on 21 March 1896) Rebecca was sung by Esther Palliser, who had played Rowena (and later Rebecca) in London in 1891. A production in Berlin in November 1895 generated no further interest, but a concert performance was given at the Crystal Palace in 1903. Afterwards, apart from two performances in Sir Thomas Beecham's 1910 season at the
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House (ROH) is a theatre in Covent Garden, central London. The building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. The ROH is the main home of The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet, and the Orch ...
, ''Ivanhoe'' disappeared from the professional repertory, except for a week of performances in New York City at the Park Theatre by The Society of American Singers in 1919. The opera was broadcast twice on
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927. The service provides national radio stations cove ...
in 1929, with the London Wireless Orchestra conducted by
Percy Pitt
Percy Pitt (4 January 1869 – 23 November 1932) was an England, English organist, Conductor (music), conductor, composer, and Director of Music of the BBC from 1924 to 1930.
Biography
A native of London, Pitt studied music in Europe at ...
, who had conducted the 1910 performances. Stanford Robinson conducted another broadcast between the wars. The few modern performances of the music have included a 1973 revival by Joseph Vandernoot and his Beaufort Opera, which was recorded and broadcast by the BBC, and a concert by the Boston Academy of Music on 23 November 1991.
Roles and original cast
Below are listed the roles in the opera. Alternative singers were provided for the chief roles – not as separate 'first' and 'second' casts, but in different mixtures:
* Richard Coeur-de-Lion, King of England (''Disguised as the Black Knight'') (
bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Wood
* Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...
) – Norman Salmond and Franklin Clive
* Prince John (
baritone
A baritone is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the bass (voice type), bass and the tenor voice type, voice-types. It is the most common male voice. The term originates from the ...
) – Richard Green and Wallace Brownlow
* Sir Brian de Bois Guilbert (''Commander of the
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, mainly known as the Knights Templar, was a Military order (religious society), military order of the Catholic Church, Catholic faith, and one of the most important military ord ...
tenor
A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below m ...
) (all performances)
* Lucas de Beaumanoir (''Grand Master of the Templars'') (
bass-baritone
A bass-baritone is a high-lying bass or low-lying "classical" baritone voice type which shares certain qualities with the true baritone voice. The term arose in the late 19th century to describe the particular type of voice required to sing three ...
) – Adams Owen (all performances)
* Cedric the Saxon (''Thane of Rotherwood'') (bass-baritone) – David Ffrangcon-Davies and W. H. Burgon
* Wilfred, Knight of Ivanhoe (''His son, disguised as a Palmer'') (tenor) – Ben Davies and Joseph O'Mara
* Friar Tuck – Avon Saxon (bass-baritone) (all performances)
* Isaac of York – Charles Copland (bass) (all performances)
* Locksley – W. H. Stephens (tenor) (all performances)
* The Squire – Frederick Bovill (tenor) (all performances)
* Wamba, Jester to Cedric – Mr. Cowis (non-singing role) (all performances)
* The Lady Rowena (''Ward of Cedric'') (
soprano
A soprano () is a type of classical singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hertz, Hz to A5 in Choir, choral ...
) – Esther Palliser, Lucille Hill and Medora Henson.
* Ulrica – Marie Groebl (
mezzo-soprano
A mezzo-soprano (, ), or mezzo ( ), is a type of classical music, classical female singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A bel ...
) (all performances)
* Rebecca (''Daughter of Isaac of York'') (soprano) – Margaret Macintyre and Charlotte Thudichum
Synopsis
In 1891, the audience knew Scott's best-selling novel intimately. Sullivan and Sturgis relied on this fact, and so the opera intentionally dramatises disconnected scenes from the book and does not attempt to retell the whole story. This presents a challenge to modern audiences who may be far less familiar with the story.
Act 1
Scene 1: ''The Hall of Cedric of Rotherwood. Evening.''
As Cedric's men prepare supper, he laments the King's many journeys abroad, the scurrilous behaviour of the Norman knights, and the absence of his estranged son, Ivanhoe. Isaac of York, a Jew, enters and asks for shelter. Although Cedric considers Jews to be accursed, he offers Isaac hospitality according to the Saxon tradition. A squire announces Sir Brian de Bois Guilbert, of the Knights Templar, and Maurice de Bracy, a knight and advisor to Prince John, who are on their way to a Royal tournament at Ashby de la Zouche. They are Normans, and Cedric, a Saxon, loathes them. However, they too are granted hospitality. Ivanhoe is with them, in disguise. De Bracy asks after Cedric's fair ward, Rowena. Cedric replies hotly that his ward will only marry a Saxon. Ivanhoe tells of a tournament he witnessed in the Holy Land where the English knights soundly defeated the Templars. Sir Brian was beaten by Ivanhoe, whom he wishes to challenge again. Rowena and the disguised Ivanhoe, whom no one recognises, assure Sir Brian that Ivanhoe will meet his challenge. After Rowena exits, Sir Brian and de Bracy agree that they will abduct her after the tournament at Ashby.
Scene 2: ''An Ante-Chamber in the Hall at Rotherwood''
Rowena laments the absence of her lover, Ivanhoe. He enters, still disguised as a holy palmer. She tells him that she hopes to be with Ivanhoe again. Ivanhoe tells Isaac that he has overheard Sir Brian planning to seize him the next day. Isaac promises to equip Ivanhoe (whom he recognises as a knight) with a horse and armour, and Ivanhoe in turn promises that, if they fly Cedric's hall directly, Isaac will be safe with him. They leave for the tournament at Ashby.
Scene 3: ''The Tournament at Ashby''
At the tournament, King Richard, disguised as the Black Knight, has made a great impression with his victories. Prince John enters with Rowena, who has been named Queen of Beauty for the tournament. The Prince shrugs off a message that his brother, the King, has escaped from France. The Prince asks for challengers to the Norman knights. Ivanhoe, now in disguise as the Disinherited Knight, challenges Sir Brian. In a fierce clash, Ivanhoe again defeats Sir Brian, but is himself wounded. Ignoring Ivanhoe's protest, a Herald removes his helmet at Prince John's command so that he may be crowned victor of the tournament, and he is recognised by Cedric and Rowena.
Act 2
Scene 1: ''Friar Tuck's Hut, in the Forest at Copmanhurst''
King Richard, who is in hiding after his escape, shares a feast with Friar Tuck and challenges him to a song contest. The King sings "I ask nor wealth nor courtier's praise", while the Friar sings "Ho, jolly Jenkin" (which is the most popular detached excerpt from the opera). Locksley (Robin Hood) enters with the urgent message that Cedric and Rowena have been captured by de Bracy and Sir Brian, and the wounded Ivanhoe, travelling with Isaac and his beautiful daughter Rebecca, have also been captured. All are imprisoned at Torquilstone. The King, Locksley, Friar Tuck and all the outlaws rush off to rescue them.
Scene 2: ''A Passageway in Torquilstone''
Cedric and Rowena are prisoners, and De Bracy plans to forcibly marry her. De Bracy tells them that Ivanhoe, Isaac and Rebecca, are also prisoners. He promises that Ivanhoe will be safe if Rowena and Cedric comply with his wishes. Cedric is prepared to sacrifice Ivanhoe, but Rowena begs him to be merciful to them, as well as to Ivanhoe. She appeals to his honour, as a Knight and, begging him to save Ivanhoe, she promises to pray for de Bracy. After they have left, Sir Brian enters, and declares passionately his intention to woo, and win, Rebecca.
Scene 3: ''A Turret Chamber in Torquilstone''
Ulrica warns Rebecca that she faces an evil and dark fate, and that death is the only path to safety. The despondent Rebecca prays for God's protection. Sir Brian enters, intent on winning Rebecca. He asks her to submit to him, promising to raise her to the throne of kings and to cover her with jewels. She utterly rejects him and leaps on the parapet, threatening to jump. A bugle sounds, heralding the arrival of King Richard and his forces. Sir Brian rushes off to defend the castle.
Act 3
Scene 1: ''A Room in Torquilstone''
Ivanhoe, pale and weak from his wounds, thinks of his love for Rowena, and falls asleep. Rebecca, who is in love with Ivanhoe, enters to tend him. When they hear distant trumpets, Rebecca goes to a window and describes the unfolding battle to the frustrated Ivanhoe, who complains that he is unable to participate. Ulrica sets the castle on fire. Sir Brian enters and carries off Rebecca. Ivanhoe is unable to protect her. At the last minute, King Richard enters the chamber and rescues Ivanhoe from the conflagration.
Scene 2: ''In the Forest''
King Richard and Ivanhoe rest in a forest. De Bracy has been captured. The King sends him to Prince John with an ultimatum to surrender. Cedric and Rowena appear. At the King's urging, Cedric is reconciled with Ivanhoe and agrees to Ivanhoe's marriage with Rowena. Isaac enters in haste. The Templars have accused Rebecca of witchcraft for supposedly bewitching the Christian Knight to betray his Order and his vows, and making him fall in love with an accursed Jewess. They have sentenced her to burn at the stake. Ivanhoe rushes out to rescue her.
Scene 3: ''The Preceptory of the Templars, Templestowe''
The funeral pyre has been built. Rebecca will be burned at the stake unless a champion is willing to fight for her. Sir Brian urges them to relent, but the Templars take his irrational passion as further evidence of her witchcraft. Sir Brian offers to save her if she will agree to be his, but Rebecca refuses. Rebecca is bound to the stake. The exhausted Ivanhoe arrives with his sword drawn, offering to fight for her. Rebecca tries to dissuade him, fearing that the wounded knight cannot prevail. Sir Brian attacks Ivanhoe, who appears to be beaten. But as Sir Brian is about to strike the fatal blow, he falls dead, unable to survive the evil passions warring in his soul. The Templars regard this as proof of God's judgement and Rebecca's innocence, and she is freed. She gazes wistfully at Ivanhoe as he is reunited with Rowena, who has entered with Cedric and King Richard. The King banishes the Templars from English soil.
Music
'' The Gramophone'' calls ''Ivanhoe'' "one of the most important works in the history of British opera".O’Connor, Patrick. "The serious comedian", ''The Gramophone'', February 2010, pp. 42–45 ''The Gramophone'' quoted conductor David Lloyd-Jones as saying that in writing the opera,
"Sullivan ... was very much in touch with all the music of his time.... There are bits which are definitely Wagnerian: the use of dotted rhythms, always in 4/4 time – you get the whiff of ''
Meistersinger
A (German for "master singer") was a member of a German guild for lyric poetry, composer, composition and a cappella, unaccompanied art song of the 14th to 16th centuries. The Meistersingers were drawn from middle class males for the most part ...
'' or ''
Lohengrin
Lohengrin () is a character in German Arthurian literature. The son of Parzival (Percival), he is a knight of the Holy Grail sent in a boat pulled by swans to rescue a maiden who can never ask his identity. His story, which first appears in Wo ...
'', I think. There is, also, for example, a remarkable duet at the end of act 2, I would say
Verdi
Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi ( ; ; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto, a small town in the province of Parma, to a family of moderate means, recei ...
an in its sweep. There are, of course, the stand-up arias, never a full ensemble until right at the end. Rebecca's aria is a very interesting piece. Whenever she is singing he uses the
cor anglais
The cor anglais (, or original ; plural: ''cors anglais''), or English horn (mainly North America), is a double-reed woodwind instrument in the oboe family. It is approximately one and a half times the length of an oboe, making it essentially ...
to stress the sort of Eastern quality, and Sullivan claimed that this theme was one he had heard as a student in Leipzig, when he had attended a service at the
Synagogue
A synagogue, also called a shul or a temple, is a place of worship for Jews and Samaritans. It is a place for prayer (the main sanctuary and sometimes smaller chapels) where Jews attend religious services or special ceremonies such as wed ...
there. You can tell, and he quickly establishes it in the music, that he was not writing an operetta! Look at this, very early on, some virtuoso stuff. It needs a really accomplished orchestra. He had always been cramped by the small orchestra, only ever one oboe, that he had to make do with at the Savoy. Here he was really able to expand, you can feel it in the music."
Richard Traubner, writing in ''Opera News'', disagrees: "''Ivanhoe'' ... reflects the ballad-rich British grand operas Sullivan grew up with, by Balfe (''
The Bohemian Girl
''The Bohemian Girl'' is an English language Romantic opera composed by Michael William Balfe with a libretto by Alfred Bunn. The plot is loosely based on a Miguel de Cervantes' tale, ''La gitanilla''.
The best-known aria from the piece is "I D ...
'') or Wallace ('' Maritana''). The skill and flair Sullivan exhibits in the Savoy operettas in humor, gaiety and superb word-setting are barely required in ''Ivanhoe''. It sounds instead like an extension of the hoary oratorio form popular in Victorian Britain ... with its plethora of hymn-like numbers interspersed with ballads of no particular interest and some strong ensembles." Traubner continues, "Sullivan's score would have been wonderful for a film, with its numerous Korngoldian fanfares and stirring, very English-national choruses. The long drinking scene in act 1, with its 'Glory to those who fight for the true Cross', and the 'Ho, Jolly Jenkin' ensemble with Friar Tuck, also referring to drinking, are the most exciting things in the opera. Sadly, the dramatic arias required for an opera to achieve universal popularity are largely absent. ... Rebecca's prayer does have a certain Near Eastern aroma".
Recordings and books
There have been few recordings of the opera. The 1973 revival by Beaufort Opera production was recorded and broadcast on 29 November 1973 by
BBC Radio London
BBC Radio London is the BBC Local Radio, BBC's local radio station serving Greater London.
It broadcasts on FM broadcasting, FM, Digital Audio Broadcasting, DAB, digital TV and via BBC Sounds from studios at Broadcasting House in Langham Plac ...
. A 1989 recording was made by The Prince Consort. A 1995-hour-long "compressed version" was recorded and presented by Roderic Dunnett (the ''Opera Now'' magazine reviewer) for his
BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It replaced the BBC Third Programme in 1967 and broadcasts classical music and opera, with jazz, world music, Radio drama, drama, High culture, culture and the arts ...
Richard Bonynge
Richard Alan Bonynge ( ) (born 29 September 1930) is an Australian conductor and pianist. He is the widower of Australian dramatic coloratura soprano Dame Joan Sutherland. Bonynge conducted virtually all of Sutherland's operatic performances ...
and the Opera Australia orchestra on ''The Power of Love – British Opera Arias'' (1999, Melba MR 30110).
The first complete, fully professional recording of ''Ivanhoe'' was released in February 2010, with David Lloyd-Jones conducting the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, on the
Chandos Records
Chandos Records is a British independent classical music recording company based in Colchester. It was founded in 1979 by Brian Couzens.Toby Spence, Neal Davies, Geraldine McGreevy and Janice Watson. The BBC's review of the album concludes, "This new account, boasting a strong cast of top British singers, is thoroughly committed, with vibrant playing from the BBC National Orchestra of Wales under the steady hand of David Lloyd-Jones. There are a few passages where inspiration seems to flag – either from composer or conductor – but in general this is a terrific achievement. From the lively pomp of the jousting scene, with its brilliant double chorus, to moments of exquisite tenderness and passion, to thrilling battles and powerful drama, this recording makes a compelling case for a monumental work that deserves a modern audience." The album charted at #5 on the Specialist Classical Chart for the week ending 6 February 2010 Andrew Lamb wrote in '' The Gramophone'' that the success of the recording is due to Lloyd-Jones's "dramatic pacing", that the three key roles of Ivanhoe, Rebecca and Sir Brian are well cast. Raymond Walker agreed: "David Lloyd-Jones must be congratulated for the energetic pace he sets, never rushed but always advancing in a purposeful way." He also praised the singers and chorus. Richard Traubner was a dissenting voice. Though he praised the singers, he felt that many of the tempi were too rushed.
In 2007, the Sir Arthur Sullivan Society published a booklet containing information about the opera including original articles, contemporary reviews and news articles. In 2008, a book was published about ''Ivanhoe'' and its 19th-century "precursors" by Jeff S. Dailey, based on his 2002 doctoral dissertation for
New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...
. Dailey offers explanations of why Scott's novels, ''Ivanhoe'' in particular, were frequently adapted. He discusses the text and music of the opera. In the chapter on criticism of the opera (Chapter 9), he notes that ''Ivanhoe'' received generally favourable reviews early on, except from
George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...
, but that later critics, some of whom probably never saw the work, tended to be dismissive.
In 2008, Robin Gordon-Powell edited a full score and orchestral parts for the opera, published by The Amber Ring. Since the original performance materials were destroyed in the 1964 fire at the Chappell & Co. warehouse, an authentic score and parts had not been available. This score was used by Chandos in the 2010 recording.Ivanhoe score, ed. Gordon-Powell, Robin Full Score, 2008 The Amber Ring
References
Notes
Sources
*Dailey, Jeff S. ''Sir Arthur Sullivan's Grand Opera ''Ivanhoe'' and Its Musical Precursors: Adaptations of Sir Walter Scott's Novel for the Stage, 1819–1891'' (2008) Edwin Mellen Press
*Jacobs, Arthur. ''Arthur Sullivan: A Victorian Musician'', 2nd ed. Aldershot: Scolar Press, 1992.
*Lamb, Andrew. "Arthur Sullivan". ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'', ed. Stanley Sadie, London: Macmillan, 1980.
*Lamb, Andrew. "Ivanhoe and the Royal English Opera" ''The Musical Times'', Vol. 114, No. 1563, May 1973, pp. 475–78
Further reading
*Eden, David, ed. ''Sullivan's Ivanhoe''. Sir Arthur Sullivan Society, 2007.
*Eden, David. "Ivanhoe Explained". ''Sir Arthur Sullivan Society Magazine'', No. 61, Winter 2005.
*Eden, David. "Development of Broadcast Opera". ''Sir Arthur Sullivan Society Magazine'', No. 62, Summer 2006.
*Eden, David. "A Note on ''Ivanhoe''". ''Sir Arthur Sullivan Society Magazine'', No. 64, Summer 2007.
*Eden, David. "The Broadcast of Ivanhoe". ''Sir Arthur Sullivan Society Magazine'', No. 67, Spring 2008.
*Eden, David. "Ivanhoe on Tour 1895". ''Sir Arthur Sullivan Society Magazine'', No. 68, Summer 2008.
*Lamb, Andrew. "Arthur Sullivan". ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'', ed. Stanley Sadie, London: Macmillan, 1980.
*Taylor, Benedict. "Sullivan, Scott, and ''Ivanhoe'': Constructing Historical Time and National Identity in Victorian Opera". ''Nineteenth-Century Music Review'', Vol. 9 No. 2, December 2012, 295-321.
*
*Young, Percy. Sir Arthur Sullivan. London: J M Dent & Sons, 1971.