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    Princess Ida: or Castle Adamant
    Princess Ida: or Castle Adamant
    Princess Ida: or Castle Adamant
    Ebook152 pages1 hour

    Princess Ida: or Castle Adamant

    By W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan

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    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.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherCopyright Group
    Release dateJun 1, 2016
    ISBN9781785437250
    Princess Ida: or Castle Adamant
    Author

    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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      Book preview

      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

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