GILBERT AND SULLIVAN'S NEW OPERA. " Princess Ida, or Castle Adamant."

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 40, 8 March 1884, Page 6

GILBERT AND SULLIVAN'S NEW OPERA. " Princess Ida, or Castle Adamant."

Trickling slowly out from the stalls of the Savoy Theatre last Saturday evening, your enterprising correspondent (as usual the right man in the right place) found himself behind the ample coat-tails of the President of the Royal Academy, Avhose dictum on all art questions is — so Lord Chief Justice Coleridge recently declared in the Belt Appeal Case —infallible. " Well, what do you think of 'Princess Ida,' Sir Frederick ?'' asked a bejewelled damsel hanging on the great man's arm. "On the whole the best thing of the sort since 'Pinafore,'" was the prompt reply. "I agree with you," he continued, "that Gilbert has -written several funnier, or perhaps one ought to say topsy-turvier, libretto*, but Sullivan's music is from overture to jinale perfection. Never have common-place lyrics been more exquisitely set." Sir Frederick Leigh ton's verdict on "Princess Ida " w ill, I fancy, be the public's too. The words of the new opera are entirely subsidiary to the music ; moreover, it depends on gorgeous mounting and spectacular effect to a much greater extent than any of its predecessors. The curtain rises on "The Pavilion of King Hildebrand," a grand Gothic summerhouse, through the arches of which a beautiful perspective of mountain, lake, and valley is visible. Here we find King Hildebrand and a glittering court of knights and retainers, who inform us in a cheelft'ul chorus that they are " searching the panorama " for a sign of another great king, to wit royal Gama, Who this day should cross the water With his fascinating daughterIda is her name. It seems the Piincoss Ida was plighted at the early age of one to Hilarion (Hildebrand's heir), and to-day, both children being of age, King Gama is pledged to deliver over his daughter to her fiancee. Hildebrand, however, lias heard rumours that make him feel dhubtful about Gama's keeping his promise. "It is," he says, "very odd, indeed, but 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 hero To whom our son Hilarion was betrothed At the extremely early age of one, There's war be' ween King Gama and ourselves! Come bustle thero ! For Gama place the richest robes we own— For Gama place the coais tt prison dress— For Gama let our best spare bed be aired— For Gama let our deepest dungeon yawn— For Gama lay the costliest banquet'out— - For Gama place cold water and dry bread ! For as King Gama brings the Princess hero, Or brings her not, s i shall King Gama have Much more than everything— much less than nothing! To this appeal the court respond with a rollicking chorus — "If She Come Here, We'll Give Him a Cheer '' — which strongly resembles, "Now Give Three Cheers for the Sailor Bold," in " Pinafore," and was twice encored on Saturday. Your old acquaintance, Mr Henry Bracey, then enters as Prince Hilarion, and sings an exquisite ballad, descriptive ot his first and only meeting with Ida, " twenty years ago." "To-day we meet my, baby bride and I; But ah ! my hopes are balanced by my fears. What transmutations have been conjured by The bilent alchemy of twenty years!"

BALLAD. Ida was a twelvemonth old, Twen'y years ago ! I was twice her age, I'm told, Twenty yeare ago ! Hubband twice as ol<l as wife Art .ies ill for married life ; Bakful prophecies were rife Twenty years ago ! Still. I was a tin}' prince j Twenty years ago. She has gained upon me, since Twenty years ago. Though she's twenty-one, it's true, I am barely tvycnty-twc— False and foolish prophets you, Twenty years ago ! Gama, a deformed, decrepit old man, with a bitter tongue, now arrives, preceded by his three warrior sons — Arac, Guron, and Scynthius. The latter are encased in coats of mail from head to foot, and carry immense swords, bigger than themselves. "We are," they warble stolidly, "warriors three — sons of Gama rex. Like most sons are we — masculine in sex. Politics we bar — they are not our bent. On the whole we are- not intelligent. No ! not intelligent !'" King Gama considers himself "a genuine philanthropist," and sings on his entry a "patter-song," which is one of the best comic hits in the opera.

I. If you give me your attention, T wUI te]] you what, I am : I'm a genuine philanthropibt— 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-suflicient I devise. I love my fellow-creatures— l do all the good I canYet everybody says I'm such a disagreeable man ! And I can't think why ! The second verse is much in the same style, and therefore scarcely m orth quoting ; but this last one everybody think? excellen fc :

111. 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 everybody'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 everybody says I'm such a disagreeable man ! And I can't think why ! After this, Gama commences to make himself agreeable — Gama. So this is Castle Hildebrand? Well, well ! Dame Rumour whispered that the place was grand ; She told me that your taste was exquisite, Superb, unparalleled ! Hild. (gratified) Oh, really, king ! Gama. But fahe's a liar I Why, how old you've grown ! Is this Hilanon? Why, you've changed too— You were a singularly handsome child ! (To Flo.) Are you a courtier? Come then, ply your trade, Tell me some lies. How do you like your king? Vile rumour says he's all but imbecile. Now, that's not true? Flo. My lord, we love our king. His wise remarks are valued by his court As precious stones. Gama. And for the selfsame cause, Like precious stones, his sensible remarks Derive their value from their scarcity ! Hildebrand stops Gama's pleasantries by demanding why he has not brought Ida, to which the latter replies that he no longer possesses authority over the Princess. Hild. Where is she now ? Gama. In Castle Adamant, One of my many country houses. She rules a woman's University,

With full a hundred girls, who loam of her. Flo. Aro thevo no males whatever |in those walla? Gama. None, gentlemen, excepting letter mails— And thoy are driven (as males often are In other large communities) by womon. Why, bless my heart, she's so particular Shell scarcely suffer Dr. Watts's hymns— And all the animals sho owns are "hers"! The ladies rise at cockcrow ovtry morn— Cykil. Ah, then they have male poultry? Gama. Not at all, (Confidentially.) The ".rowing's done by an accomplished hen ! Hilarion now determines to start off, accompanied by his two friends, Cyril and Florian, and invade this ladies' University. Hilde brand agrees to the plan, but announces his intention of keeping Gama and his three warrior sons as hostages for Hilarion's safe return. The act ends with a lovely trio by Hilarion, Cyril, and Florian. Here is one verse — Expressive glances shall be our lances, And pops of sillory our light artillery ; AVc'll storm their oowors with scontcd showers Of fairest flowers that we can buy. Oh ! dainty triolet Oh ! fragrant violet Oh ! gontlo heigho-let (Or little sigh). On sweet urbanity, Though mere insanity lo touch their vanity We will rely. The second act (or rather tho first, for the opening one is called the prologue) introduces us to the gardens of the Ladies' University at Castle Adamant, where we find the students gorgeously robed in gowns of coloured velvet?, exquisitely embroidered, seated at the feet of Lady Psyche, who is lecturing on man — Man will swear and Man will stormMan is not at all good formMan is of no kind of useMan's a donkey— Man's a gooseMan is course and Man is plainMan is more or less insaneMan's a ribald — Man's a rake, Man is Nature's sole mistake The lecture over, the list of punishments for the day is read out, and we learn that ono of the "sweet girl graduates" is to be expelled for introducing a set of chessmen into the establishment, and another to lose three terms for sketching a perambulator in her drawing-book. Presently tho Princess enters, supported by Lady Blanche, a somewhat elderly and soured maiden. The j students greet their principal with a grand chorus, in which they address her as : Mighty maiden with a mission, Paragon of common sense ; Running fount of erudition. Miracle of eloquence. The Princess's inaugural address to the undergraduates on "Man" follows, but is too long to give here, and the same remaik applies to a song by Lady Blanche on "Abstract Philosophy," which was loudly re-demanded. The students go with the Princess to the lecture hall, and as soon as they are out of sight Hilarion, Florian, and Cyril make their appearance. They look round curiously: %< A woman's college," says Florian ; " maddest folly going. What can girls learn within its w.alls worth knowing?" "Hush, scoffer," replies Hilarion ; j " ere you sound your puny thunder, list to their aims and bow your head in wonder." He then sings a merry little ditty, of which the following is a verse :—: — They intend (o send a wire To the moon— to the moon ; And they'll set the Thames on fire Very soon— very soon ; Then they learn to make Bilk purses With their rigs— with their rigs From the ears of Lady Circe's Piggy-wig — piggy-wigs. And weazels at their slumbers They trepan— they trepan ; To get sunbeams from cucu?ubers, They've a plan— they've a plan. They've a firmly rooted notion They can cross the Polar Ocean, And they'll find Perpetual Motion, If thoy can— if they can. Ciiokus.— These are the phenomena That every pretty domina j Hopes that we shall see At this Universitee. The three youths disguise themselves in ieminine academic robes, and are innocently accepted by the Princess as new recruits. Pitix. If, a& you say, you wish to join our ranks l And will subscribe to all our rules, 'tis , well. Flo. To all your rules we cheerfully subscribe. Prix. Yoxi say you're noblewomen. Well you'll find N-> sham degrees for noblewomen here. As for your fellow-students, mark me well : There aie a hundred maids within the»e walls, All good, all learned, and all beautiful : They are prepared to love you: will you swear To give the fulness of your love to them ? Hil. Upon our words and honours, ma'am, we will ! Piun. But we go further : will you undertake That you will never marry any man ? Flo. Indeed we never will ! Prix. Consider well, You imist prefer our maids to all mankind ! Hil. To all mankind we much prefer your maids ! Very soon some of the girl graduates discover the young men's secret, but for various reasons they agree to keep it, and all goes well till luncheon time, when Cyril takes too much wine, and sings an uproarious drinking song, with the refrain, "Kiss Me, Kiss Me." The horror-struck Princess at once realises the strangers are men, and calls for her guards, "the daughters of the plough," to arrest them. In her excitement, however, she steps off the bridge into the river, and would be rowned only Hilarion plunges in and brings her safely to land. Despite this act act of heroism, Her .Royal Highness still orders the three intruders into durance vile, but no sooner has she done so than the castle walls are broken in, and Hildebrand, accompanied by Gama's warrior sons, makes his appearance. The King informs Ida briefly that she must choose between marrying Hilarion and losing her three warrior brothers, whom he will certainly harg if she refuses, " and " he adds (for all this is told in song) — I'm a peppery kind of King Who s indisposed for parleying Is fit, tho wit of a bit of a chit, And that's the long and the short of it. The three brothers then parenthetically warble in dolorous unison : We may remark, though nothing can Dismay us, That if you thwart this gentleman, He'll slay us. We don't fear death, of course— we're taught To shame it : But still upon the whole we thought We'd name it. (To each other) Yes, yes, better perhaps to name it. j Ida, however, remains unsoftened, and the curtain descends on a tableau in which she hurls defiance at Hildebrand and his soldiers. The last act is very short. We are in the courtyard of Castle Adamant, "where the girl graduates, in glittering golden armour, are tremblingly awaiting Hildebrand's onslaught. Ida endeavours to nerve her girl warriors for the battle, but the more she talks the more cowardly they grow, and at last one by one they fall away and propose giving in. Fortunately, Gama now arrives with a proposal from Hildebrand that the dispute shall be settled by a set-to between Hilarion, Cyril, and Florian, and the warrior brothers Arac, Guron, and Scynthius. He urges the ao« ;

coptance of these terms, because, of all things, he desires to be free again. During bis imprisonment he has been horribly persecuted. "My stubborn will," he says, "is bent. I dare not face That devilish monarch's black malignity ! Ho tortures me with torments worse than death, I haven't anything to grumble at ! He finds out wnat partioular meats I love, And gives me them. The very choicest wines. The costliest robes -the richest rooms are mine : Ho suffers none to thwart my simplest plan, And gives strict orders none should contradict me ! Ho s made my life a curse ! ( Weeps.) Pi< in. My tortured father ! Song— Gama. Whene'er I spoke Sarcastic joke Kepleto with malico spiteful, This people mild Politely smiled, And voted me delightful ! Now when a wight Sits up all night 111-natured jokes devising, And all his wiles Are met with smiles, It's hard, there's no disguising! On, don t the days seem lank and long When all goes right and nothing goes wrong, And isn't your life extremely flat With nothing whatever to grumble at? When Gorman bands From music stands Played Wagner impor/ecfly— I bade them go— They didn't say no. But off they went directly ! The organ boys They stopped their noise With readiness surprising, And grinning herds <)f hurdy-gurds lie' ircd apologising ! Oh, don't tho days seem lank and long, &c. I ottered gold In sums untold To all vyho'd contradict me— I said I'd pay A pound a day To any ono who kicked mo — 1 bribed with toj s Great vulgar boys To utter something spiteful, Hut, bless you, no ! They would be so Confoundedly politeful ! In short, these aggravating lads They tickle my tas'es they feed my fads; r J hey give me this, and they give me that, And I've nothing whatever to grumble at ! [He bursts into tears, and falls sobbino on a bank.] PuiN. My poor old father ! How he must have suffered ! Well, well, I yield ! Gama. [Hysterically.] She yields ! I'm saved, I'm saved ! The fight between the six young men takes place, and, of course, Hilarion, Cyril, and Florian ate successful The Princess then admits loving Hildebrand's heir, and the curtain descends with a repetition of the charming love song in the prologue. Much space though the foregoing has taken up, it gives but the merest outline of the opera. Many of the most fascinating numbers (musically) have not been referred to at all. There is a charming duet in "early English " style with the refrain "Sing hoity, toity, sorry for some, Marry come up t my day will come, Sing ! sne shall learn That the worm will turn Sing ' happy-go-lucky, my lady, oh' !" The Princess's ballad, "I Built Upon a Rock," is also a gem, and I musn't omit to mention the burlesque dancing trio of Hilarion, Cyril, and Florian when they first don the feminine academic robes. The most generally popular number in the opera will, however, in all probability be Lady Psyche's ballad of " The Ape and the Lady," which, by way of finale, I quote entire: — A Lady fair, of lineage high, Was loved by an Ape, in the days gone by— The Maid was radiant as the sun, The Ape was a most unsightly one— So it would not do— His scheme fell through, For the Maid, when his love took formal chape, Expressed such terror At his monstrous error, That he stammered an apology and made his 'scape, The picture of a disconcerted ape. With a view to rise in the social scale, He shaved his bristles, and he docked his tail. He grew monstaehios, and he took lm tub, And he paid a guinea to a toilet clubHut it would not do, The scheme fell through— For the maid was Beauty's fairest Queen, With golden tresses, Like a real Princess's, While the Ape, despite his razor keen. Was the apiest Ape that ever was seen ! Ho bought white ties, and he bought dress suits, He crammed his feet into bright tight boots— And to start in life on a bran new plan, Ho christened himself Darwinian Man ! But it would not do, The scheme fell through— For the Maiden fair, whom the monkey craved. Was a radiant Being, With a biain far seeing— While a Man, however well-behaved, At best is only a monkey shaved !