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    Ruddigore: or The Witch's Curse
    Ruddigore: or The Witch's Curse
    Ruddigore: or The Witch's Curse
    Ebook147 pages1 hour

    Ruddigore: or The Witch's Curse

    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
    ISBN9781785437267
    Ruddigore: or The Witch's Curse
    Author

    W. S. Gilbert

    W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900) were theatrical collaborators during the nineteenth century. Prior to their partnership, Gilbert wrote and illustrated stories as a child, eventually developing his signature “topsy-turvy" style. Sullivan was raised in a musical family where he learned to play multiple instruments at an early age. Together, their talents would help produce a successful series of comic operas. Some notable titles include The Pirates of Penzance, The Sorcerer, H.M.S. Pinafore, and The Mikado.

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      Book preview

      Ruddigore - W. S. Gilbert

      Ruddigore by Gilbert & Sullivan

      or The Witch's Curse

      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

      DRAMATIS PERSONAE

      SCENES

      TIME

      MUSICAL NUMBERS

      ACT I

      ACT II

      GILBERT & SULLIVAN – A SHORT BIOGRAPHY

      GILBERT & SULLIVAN – A CONCISE BIBLIOGRAPHY

      The tenth opera written by Gilbert & Sullivan was Ruddigore, or The Witch's Curse. The supernatural opera debuted on January 21, 1887 at the Savoy Theatre and ran for 288 performances. It was only with a revival in 1920 that it was substantially cut and provided with a new overture arranged by Geoffrey Toye.

      DRAMATIS PERSONAE

      MORTALS

      SIR RUTHVEN MURGATROYD (disguised as Robin Oakapple, a Young Farmer)

      RICHARD DAUNTLESS (his Foster-Brother, a Man-o'-war's man)

      SIR DESPARD MURGATROYD, OF RUDDIGORE (a Wicked Baronet)

      OLD ADAM GOODHEART (Robin's Faithful Servant)

      ROSE MAYBUD (a Village Maiden)

      MAD MARGARET

      DAME HANNAH (Rose's Aunt)

      ZORAH and RUTH (Professional Bridesmaids)

      GHOSTS

      SIR RUPERT MURGATROYD (the First Baronet)

      SIR JASPER MURGATROYD (the Third Baronet)

      SIR LIONEL MURGATROYD (the Sixth Baronet)

      SIR CONRAD MURGATROYD (the Twelfth Baronet)

      SIR DESMOND MURGATROYD (the Sixteenth Baronet)

      SIR GILBERT MURGATROYD (the Eighteenth Baronet)

      SIR MERVYN MURGATROYD (the Twentieth Baronet)

      and

      SIR RODERIC MURGATROYD (the Twenty-first Baronet)

      Chorus of Officers, Ancestors, Professional Bridesmaids, and Villagers

      SCENES

      ACT I - The Fishing Village of Rederring, in Cornwall

      ACT II - The Picture Gallery in Ruddigore Castle

      TIME - Early in the 19th Century

      MUSICAL NUMBERS

      Original Overture (arranged by Hamilton Clarke, includes I once was as meek, Oh, why am I moody and sad?, Welcome, gentry, The battle's roar is over and When a man has been a naughty Baronet)

      Revised Overture (arranged by Geoffrey Toye, 1920; includes I once was as meek, When the night wind howls, I know a youth, My eyes are fully open, I shipped, d'ye see and Hornpipe)

      ACT I

      1. Fair is Rose (Chorus of Bridesmaids)

      2. Sir Rupert Murgatroyd (Hannah and Chorus)

      3. If somebody there chanced to be (Rose)

      4. I know a youth (Rose and Robin)

      5. From the briny sea (Chorus of Bridesmaids)

      6. I shipp'd, d'ye see, in a revenue sloop (Richard and Chorus)

      6a. Hornpipe

      7. My boy, you may take it from me (Robin and Richard)

      8. The battle's roar is over (Rose and Richard)

      9. If well his suit has sped (Chorus of Bridesmaids)

      10. In sailing o'er life's ocean wide (Rose, Richard, and Robin)

      11. Cheerily carols the lark (Margaret)

      12. Welcome, gentry (Double Chorus)

      13. Oh, why am I moody and sad? (Sir Despard and Chorus)

      14. You understand? I think I do (Richard and Sir Despard)

      15. Finale Act I

      Hail the bride of seventeen summers (Ensemble)

      Madrigal, When the buds are blossoming (Ensemble)

      When I'm a bad Bart, I will tell taradiddles! (Robin and Chorus)

      Oh, happy the lily (Ensemble)

      ACT II

      16. I once was as meek (Sir Ruthven and Adam)

      17. Happily coupled are we (Rose and Richard)

      18. In bygone days (Rose with Chorus of Bridesmaids)

      19. Painted emblems of a race (Sir Ruthven, Sir Roderic, and Chorus of Ancestors)

      20. When the night wind howls (Sir Roderic and Chorus)

      21. He yields, he yields (Chorus)

      22. (original) Away, remorse! ...For thirty-five years I've been sober and wary (Robin)

      22. (replaced) Away, remorse! ... Henceforth all the crimes (Robin) (The original song was replaced about a week into the original run.

      23. I once was a very abandoned person (Margaret and Despard)

      24. My eyes are fully open (Margaret, Sir Ruthven, and Despard)

      25. Melodrame

      26. There grew a little flower (Hannah with Sir Roderic)

      27. Finale Act II (Ensemble)

      When a man has been a naughty baronet

      For happy the lily (reprise) (Ensemble) (See Versions).

      ACT I

      SCENE -  The fishing village of Rederring (in Cornwall).  ROSE MAYBUD’S cottage is seen L.

      Enter CHORUS OF BRIDESMAIDS.  They range themselves in front of Rose's cottage.

      CHORUS OF BRIDESMAIDS

      Fair is Rose as bright May-day;

      Soft is Rose as the warm west-wind;

      Sweet is Rose as the new-mown hay—

      Rose is queen of maiden-kind!

      Rose, all glowing

      With virgin blushes, say—

      Is anybody going

      To marry you to-day?

      SOLO—ZORAH

      Every day, as the days roll on,

      Bridesmaids' garb we gaily don,

      Sure that a maid so fairly famed

      Can't long remain unclaimed.

      Hour by hour and day by day,

      Several months have passed away,

      Though she's the fairest flower that blows,

      No one has married Rose!

      CHORUS

      Rose, all glowing

      With virgin blushes, say—

      Is anybody going

      To marry you to-day?

      ZORAH 

      Hour by hour and day by day,

      Months have passed away.

      CHORUS. 

      Fair is Rose as bright Mayday, etc.

      (Enter DAME HANNAH, from cottage.)

      HANNAH

      Nay, gentle maidens, you sing well but vainly, for Rose is still heart-free, and looks but coldly upon her many suitors.

      ZORAH

      It's very disappointing.  Every young man in the village is in love with her, but they are appalled by her beauty and modesty, and won't declare themselves; so, until she makes her own choice, there's no chance for anybody else.

      RUTH 

      This is, perhaps, the only village in the world that possesses an endowed corps of professional bridesmaids who are bound to be on duty every day from ten to four—and it is at least six months since our services were required.  The pious charity by which we exist is practically wasted!

      ZORAH

      We shall be disendowed—that will be the end of it! Dame Hannah—you're a nice old person—you could marry if you liked.  There's old Adam—Robin's faithful servant—he loves you with all the frenzy of a boy of fourteen.

      HANNAH

      Nay—that may never be, for I am pledged!

      ALL

      To whom?

      HANNAH

      To an eternal maidenhood!  Many years ago I was betrothed to a god-like youth who woo'd me under an assumed name. But on the very day upon which our wedding was to have been celebrated, I discovered that he was no other than Sir Roderic Murgatroyd, one of the bad Baronets of Ruddigore, and the uncle of the man who now bears that

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