British Classical Music: The Land of Lost Content: John Fox ...

  • Subscribe to our RSS feed.
  • Twitter
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Facebook
  • Digg

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Sir Arthur Sullivan: The Beauty Stone on Chandos

Posted on 10:00 PM by humpty
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 Societyare 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.
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to XShare to Facebook
Posted in Arthur Sullivan | No comments
Newer Post Older Post Home

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Popular Posts

  • Ernest Tomlinson: Little Serenade
    Ernest Tomlinson (b.1924) is one of the most prolific of all light music composers. He has been compositionally active since before the Seco...
  • York Bowen: Symphony No.2 in E minor, Op.31
    Until a few years ago York Bowen would have been a name known to precious few listeners, even those committed to British music. A number of ...
  • Frank Bridge & Cyril Scott Piano Quintets on BMS Label
    Frank BRIDGE (1879-1941) Piano Quintet in D minor, H49a (1904-5: rev.1912)   Cyril SCOTT (1879-1970) Piano Quintet No.1 (1924) Raphael Terr...
  • The Golden Age of Light Music: Bright & Breezy on Guild
    The Golden Age of Light Music: Bright and Breezy GUILD LIGHT MUSIC GLCD5180 There are some 81 volumes of Guild’s ‘Golden Age of Light Music’...
  • Alec Rowley: ‘Down Channel’ Overture
    This is one of the works that I have been waiting for. I first heard of this piece in Philip Scowcroft’s essay on ‘ English Composer’s for A...
  • David Dubery: Songs and Chamber Works
    David DUBERY (b.1948) Songs and Chamber music Sonatina for oboe and piano (Threesome for 2 players) (1986); Three Songs to Poems by Robert G...
  • (no title)
    Arthur Benjamin (1893-1960) Violin Concerto (1931) Romantic Fantasy for Violin, Viola and Orchestra (1936) Elegy, Waltz and Toccata [Viola ...
  • Arnold Bax: review of first recording of Tintagel.
    In 1929 Eugene Goossens and the New Symphony Orchestra made the first recording of Arnold Bax’s great tone-poem Tintagel . The critic W.R. A...
  • John Rutter: Shepherd’s Pipe Carol
    My earliest introduction to the music of John Rutter was the second volume of Carols for Choirs . It was in use by Coatbridge High School ‘s...
  • Deems Taylor: Suite, Through the Looking Glass
    I know that Deems Taylor is not British, but I feel that the new release of his Suite, ‘Through the Looking Glass’ on the Naxos CD label is ...

Categories

  • Adam Pounds
  • Adam Saunders
  • Adrian Boult
  • Alan Rawsthorne
  • Alec Rowley
  • Alfred Hollins
  • Algernon Ashton
  • Alun Hoddinott
  • Angela Morley
  • Anthony Burgess
  • Antony Hopkins
  • Arnold Bax
  • Arthur Benjamin
  • Arthur Bliss
  • Arthur Butterworth
  • Arthur Somervell
  • Arthur Sullivan
  • Benjamin Britten
  • Bernard Stevens
  • Bill Worland
  • Book Reviews
  • Brian Easdale
  • British Film Music
  • British Light Music
  • C.W. Orr
  • Carlo Martelli
  • Charles Halle
  • Charles Hubert Hasting Parry
  • Charles Shadwell
  • Charles Villiers Stanford
  • Charles Williams
  • Cheltenham Festival
  • Christopher Wright
  • Claude Debussy
  • Clive Richardson
  • Concert Series
  • Cyril Cork
  • Cyril Scott
  • Cyril Watters
  • David Bedford
  • David Dubery
  • David Ellis
  • David Jennings
  • Deems Taylor
  • Don Banks
  • Donald Harris
  • E.J. Moeran
  • Edward Elgar
  • Edward German
  • Eileen Joyce
  • Elisabeth Lutyens
  • Eric Coates
  • Eric Craven
  • Eric H. Thiman
  • Erik Chisholm
  • Ernest Tomlinson
  • Ethel Smyth
  • Eugene Goossens
  • Felix Mendelssohn
  • Felix White
  • Festival of Britain
  • Francis Edward Bache
  • Frank Bridge
  • Frank Merrick
  • Frank Tapp
  • Franz Reizenstein
  • Frederic Curzon
  • Frederic Hymen Cowen
  • Frederick Delius
  • G.W.L. Marshall-Hall
  • Gareth Glyn
  • George Frederic Handel
  • George French
  • George Lloyd
  • George Macfarren
  • George Melachrino
  • Gerald Finzi
  • Gilbert and Sullivan
  • Gordon Crosse
  • Granville Bantock
  • Greville Cooke
  • Gustav Holst
  • Gustav Mahler
  • Hamilton Harty
  • Hamish MacCunn
  • Harriet Cohen
  • Harry Farjeon
  • Havergal Brian
  • Haydn Wood
  • Hector Berlioz
  • Henry Walford Davies
  • Henry Wood Promenade Concerts
  • Herbert Brewer
  • Herbert Howells
  • Herbert Sumsion
  • Herman Finck
  • Humphrey Searle
  • Ian Venables
  • Ignaz Moscheles
  • Ina Boyle
  • Irene Scharrer
  • J.S. Bach
  • James Friskin
  • Johann Baptist Cramer
  • John Addison
  • John Ansell
  • John Anthill
  • John Blackwood McEwen
  • John Carmichael
  • John Cook
  • John Fox
  • John Holliday
  • John Ireland
  • John Joubert
  • John McCabe
  • John Purser
  • John Rutter
  • Jonathan Harvey
  • Josef Holbrooke
  • Judith Bailey
  • Julius Harrison
  • Kathleen Ferrier
  • Kenneth Leighton
  • Len Stevens
  • Lennox Berkeley
  • Lionel Monckton
  • Lost Music
  • Malcolm Arnold
  • Malcolm Sargent
  • Malcolm Williamson
  • Marcus Dods
  • Matyas Seiber
  • Maurice Greene
  • Montague Phillips
  • Moura Lympany
  • Myra Hess
  • Paul Lewis
  • Percy Fletcher
  • Percy Scholes
  • Percy Whitlock
  • Peter Dickinson
  • Peter Hope
  • Peter Maxwell Davies
  • Peter Racine Fricker
  • Peter Yorke
  • Philip Lane
  • Philip Sawyers
  • Promenade Concerts
  • Ralph Greaves
  • Ralph Vaughan Williams
  • Richard Addinsell
  • Robert Farnon
  • Robert Still
  • Roberto Gerhard
  • Robin Holloway
  • Roger Quilter
  • Ronald Binge
  • Ronald Stevenson
  • Sergei Rachmaninoff
  • Spike Huges
  • Stanley Wilson
  • Theodore Holland
  • Thomas Dunhill
  • Tobias Matthay
  • Trevor Duncan
  • Vivian Ellis
  • Walter Carroll
  • William Alwyn
  • William Blezard
  • William Lloyd Webber
  • William Mathias
  • William Sterndale Bennett
  • William Walton
  • William Wolstenholme
  • York Bowen

Blog Archive

  • ►  2015 (4)
    • ►  January (4)
  • ▼  2014 (123)
    • ►  December (10)
    • ►  November (10)
    • ►  October (11)
    • ►  September (10)
    • ►  August (10)
    • ►  July (11)
    • ►  June (10)
    • ►  May (10)
    • ►  April (10)
    • ►  March (10)
    • ▼  February (10)
      • ‘Encouraging British Music’: Marie Hall & John Ire...
      • The Welsh Connection: 20th Century Choral Music
      • Irene Scharrer: Debussy’s ‘Reflets dans l’eau’ and...
      • Harriet Cohen: Chopin Nocturne, Op.15 No.1 in F ma...
      • Hamilton Harty: Sea Wrack
      • George French: Hey Presto!
      • Herbert Howells: The 'Missing' Recordings of the O...
      • Irene Scharrer playing Cyril Scott’s 'Danse nègre'
      • Sir Arthur Sullivan: The Beauty Stone on Chandos
      • Ronald Binge: Listings of Music recorded on the Gu...
    • ►  January (11)
  • ►  2013 (122)
    • ►  December (11)
    • ►  November (10)
    • ►  October (10)
    • ►  September (10)
    • ►  August (11)
    • ►  July (10)
    • ►  June (10)
    • ►  May (11)
    • ►  April (9)
    • ►  March (11)
    • ►  February (9)
    • ►  January (10)
  • ►  2012 (137)
    • ►  December (11)
    • ►  November (10)
    • ►  October (10)
    • ►  September (11)
    • ►  August (12)
    • ►  July (13)
    • ►  June (11)
    • ►  May (13)
    • ►  April (12)
    • ►  March (11)
    • ►  February (12)
    • ►  January (11)
  • ►  2011 (114)
    • ►  December (13)
    • ►  November (12)
    • ►  October (12)
    • ►  September (12)
    • ►  August (13)
    • ►  July (14)
    • ►  June (14)
    • ►  May (14)
    • ►  April (10)
Powered by Blogger.

About Me

humpty
View my complete profile