Martyn Green (b); Lehman Engel, cond. Columbia, recorded 1953
John Reed (b); Sir Malcolm Sargent, cond. Decca, recorded May 1965
by Ken
Yes, we're still in Gilbert and Sullivan's treasurable if troubled musico-dramatic trove Princess Ida, which we dipped into last week to continue spotlighting the great Gilbert and Sullivan bass, specifically the role Arac, the most talkative of Princess Ida's "three hulking brothers." In a moment I'll share with you the logic whereby we've arrived at this week's ghost post, but first --
LET'S GO BACK TO THE PRELUDE
Yes, I know we already listened to what we decided we were going to call the Prelude (rather than Overture), including the two stereo versions below conducted by Sir Malcolm Sargent. This week, however, we're going to add the performance from his 1932 complete recording of Princess Ida, one of the recordings he made in his days as music director of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. If you listen to the three performances in sequence, I think you'll hear why I've presented them here not quite chronologically. (Note that the 1965 version was made as part of Sir Malcolm's guest-conducting of the D'Oyly Carte's stereo Princess Ida. The 1961 EMI version was a stand-alone recording for a Sullivan overtures LP.)
GILBERT and SULLIVAN: Princess Ida: Prelude
D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, Malcolm Sargent, cond. EMI, recorded Sept. 26, 1932 (digital transfer by F. Reeder)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Malcolm Sargent, cond. Decca, recorded May 1965
Pro Arte Orchestra, Sir Malcolm Sargent, cond. EMI, recorded c1961
NOW, THE LOGIC, OR AT ANY RATE THE
HISTORY, OF THIS POST GOES LIKE THIS
(1) As noted up top, we were listening to Princess Ida in connection with the inimitable Donald Adams.
(2) There's a wonderful three-LP Reader's Digest G-and-S set, which we've sampled, in which some of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company principals recorded excerpts from roles other than their normal ones, which they are likely to have recorded for the D'Oyly Carte's then-regular record company, Decca, and among them was Donald Adams, who recorded several excerpts from what I think of as the G-and-S "comedy baritone" repertory -- characters like Ko-Ko, the tailor-turned-Lord High Executioner in The Mikado, or Sir Joseph Porter in HMS Pinafore, or the poet Bunthorne in Patience.
(3) Although, as it happens, Adams's ventures into this repertory did not include King Gama in Princess Ida, we've listened to bits of the latter opera, and Gama is perhaps the most "characterful" of the G-and-S character-baritone parts.
(4) And since, as it happens, in the very limited excerpts from Princess Ida that we've heard, we've met both Gama's daughter, Ida (in a DownWithTyranny post last night), and her "hulking brothers," Arac, Guron, and Scynthius (last week), I thought it might be fun to hear what kind of genetic pool these, er, highly unusual younger folks have swum out of.
YOU REMEMBER THE PLOT SETUP
When Ida was a 12-month-old princess, she was wedded -- not, as I wrote last week, merely betrothed -- to a twice-as-old prince, Hilarion, the son of King Hildebrand. Now that the time has come to reunite the happy couple, as Act I opens, King Hildebrand and his court are awaiting the arrival of Gama and his entourage, presumed to include Prince Hilarion's princess bride. First to enter are Gama's knightly sons, and after the boys introduce themselves ("We are warriors three," which we heard last week), Gama enters and introduces himself as "a genuine philanthropist," though possibly not of the kind we ordinarily think of.
Princess Ida, Act I, Song, King Gama, "If you give me your attention I will tell you what I am"
KING GAMA: If you give me your attention, I will tell you what I am:
I'm a genuine philanthropist — all other kinds are sham.
Each little fault of temper and each social defect
in my erring fellow-creatures, I endeavour to correct.
To all their little weaknesses I open people's eyes;
and little plans to snub the self-sufficient I devise.
I love my fellow creatures -- I do all the good I can --
yet ev'rybody says I'm such a disagreeable man!
And I can't think why!
To compliments inflated I've a withering reply,
and vanity I always do my best to mortify.
A charitable action I can skillfully dissect,
and interested motives I'm delighted to detect.
I know ev'rybody's income and what ev'rybody earns,
and I carefully compare it with the income-tax returns.
But to benefit humanity however much I plan,
yet ev'rybody says I'm such a disagreeable man!
And I can't think why!
I'm sure I'm no ascetic; I'm as pleasant as can be.
You'll always find me ready with a crushing repartee.
I've an irritating chuckle, I've a celebrated sneer,
I've an entertaining snigger, I've a fascinating leer.
To ev'rybody's prejudice I know a thing or two;
I can tell a woman's age in half a minute -- and I do.
But although I try to make myself as pleasant as I can,
yet ev'rybody says I'm such a disagreeable man!
And I can't think why!
CHORUS: He can't think why!
He can't think why!
Peter Pratt (b), King Gama; D'Oyly Carte Opera Chorus, New Symphony Orchestra of London, Isidore Godfrey, cond. Decca, recorded Oct.-Dec. 1954 [digital transfer by F. Reeder]
John Reed (b), King Gama; D'Oyly Carte Opera Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Malcolm Sargent, cond. Decca, recorded May 1965
Martyn Green (b), King Gama; Columbia Operetta Orchestra, Lehman Engel, cond. Columbia, recorded 1953 (digital transfer by F. Reeder)
Henry Lytton (b), King Gama; D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, Malcolm Sargent, cond. EMI, recorded Sept. 27, 1932 (digital transfer by F. Reeder)
Ida, however, is not to be found in her father's traveling party. It turns out that a hitch has developed. The princess, after years of careful observation, has forsworn men, completely. Ever the optimist, however, Gama suggests that the situation may yet be salvaged.
Princess Ida, Act I, Duet, King Gama and King Hildebrand, "P'raps if you address the lady most politely, most politely"
KING GAMA: P'raps if you address the lady
most politely, most politely --
flatter and impress the lady,
most politely, most politely --
humbly beg and humbly sue --
she may deign to look on you,
but your doing you must do
most politely, most politely, most politely!
ALL: Humbly beg and humbly sue,
she may deign to look on you,
but your doing you must do
most politely, most politely, most politely!
KING HILDEBRAND: Go you and inform the lady,
most politely, most politely,
if she don't, we'll storm the lady
most politely, most politely!
[To GAMA] You'll remain as hostage here.
Should Hillarion disappear,
we will hang you, never fear,
most politely, most politely, most politely!
ALL: He'll'/I'll/you'll remain as hostage here.
Should Hilarion disappear,
they/we will hang me [you] never fear,
most politely, most politely, most politely!
[GAMA, ARAC, GURON, and SCYNTHIUS are marched off in custody, HILDEBRAND following.]
Peter Pratt (b), King Gama; Fisher Morgan (bs), King Hildebrand; D'Oyly Carte Opera Chorus, New Symphony Orchestra of London, Isidore Godfrey, cond. Decca, recorded Oct.-Dec. 1954 (digital transfer by F. Reeder)
John Reed (b), King Gama; Kenneth Sandford (bs-b), King Hildebrand; Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Malcolm Sargent, cond. Decca, recorded May 1965
Henry Lytton (b), King Gama; Richard Watson (bs), King Hildebrand; D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, Malcolm Sargent, cond. EMI, recorded Sept. 27, 1932 (digital transfer by F. Reeder)
As the plot unfolds through Act II, King Gama remains sequestered in the court of King Hildebrand, and we discover in Act III that he has been subjected to what is for him the most hideous and unrelenting torture: He has been treated with the utmost courtesy and consideration. "Oh, don't the days seem dull and long," he asks, "when all goes right and nothing goes wrong? And isn't your life extremely flat, when you've nothing whatever to grumble at?"
Princess Ida, Act III, Song, King Gama, "Whene'er I spoke sarcastic joke"
Peter Pratt (b), King Gama; D'Oyly Carte Opera Chorus, New Symphony Orchestra of London, Isidore Godfrey, cond. Decca, recorded Oct.-Dec. 1954 (digital transfer by F. Reeder)
John Reed (b), King Gama; D'Oyly Carte Opera Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of London, Sir Malcolm Sargent, cond. Decca, recorded May 1965
Martyn Green (b), King Gama; Columbia Operetta Orchestra, Lehman Engel, cond. Columbia, recorded 1953 (digital transfer by F. Reeder)
Henry Lytton (b), King Gama; D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, Malcolm Sargent, cond. EMI, recorded Sept. 27, 1932 (digital transfer by F. Reeder)
CAUTION: THERE MAY BE MORE PRINCESS IDA AHEAD
In the course of preparing materials for this post, I noticed that there's a new(ish) vocal score available, a Gilbert and Sullivan Archive Edition, which apparently is musically more inclusive than the not very satisfactory old Chappell edition that was for so long the only score available -- not to mention including the spoken dialogue. I couldn't resist ordering it on the spot, so now I'm going to have to get some use out of it. Fortunately there's an awful lot of music to cherish in the opera.
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