Sullivan's Ivanhoe (1891)

Some background to the opera that has just been recorded by Chandos (CHAN 10578(3)).

Ivanhoe, perhaps Sir Walter Scott's most popular novel, was Sullivan's choice to establish himself as a serious opera composer, in distinction to his immensely popular comic operas and operettas, particularly those in partnership with William S. Gilbert. The commission was from Richard D'Oyly Carte, who was ambitious to expand his opera business beyond the Savoy theatre by building the Royal English Opera House (now the Palace Theatre) as a home for serious English opera. Sullivan's opera launched the enterprise with Ivanhoe, when it opened on January 31, 1891.  The opera ran with a double cast, on consecutive nights, for 155 performances, a tremendous success at the time. Unfortunately, D'Oyly Carte was unable to build on this with further operas and the Royal English Opera House eventually foundered. 


Act 2, scene 1: The glade at Copmanhurst with Friar Tuck and King Richard

Gilbert refused to have any involvement in the new venture and Julian Sturgis, who had written the text for Goring Thomas's Nadeshda, was chosen to write the libretto, which was reasonably faithful to the main flow of the novel.  Sullivan was at the height of his powers when he wrote the opera with his typical fluency in word-setting and mastery of orchestration and it breathes his natural empathy and humanity.

Scott's Ivanhoe had several operatic incarnations in the 19th century, beginning with a Rossini pasticcio in 1826, but none has held the stage.  Despite its initial success, Sullivan's Ivanhoe has had few revivals, the best known being by Sir Thomas Beecham in 1910.

The Sir Arthur Sullivan Society has published (2007) a collection of articles on Ivanhoe, edited by David Eden, entitled Sullivan's Ivanhoe (ISBN 9780955715402). The Gilbert and Sullivan archive has a  number of articles and links to aspects of the opera, including the libretto and vocal score.

This Chandos CD (CHAN 10578(3)) is the first fully professional commercial recording of Ivanhoe and features a fine cast including Janice Watson, Toby Spence, Catherine Wyn-Rogers and Geraldine McGreevy. The BBC National Orchestra of Wales is conducted by Sullivan expert David Lloyd-Jones. The recording is dedicated to the memory of Richard Hickox, who was instrumental in getting the project off the ground. A review of the CD can be found here.

The cast:

          Neal Davies -

          Stephen Gadd -

          James Rutherford -

          Peter Wedd -

          Peter Rose -

          Toby Spence -

          Matthew Brook -

          Leigh Melrose -

          Andrew Staples -

          Janice Watson -

          Catherine Wyn-Rogers -

          Geraldine McGreevy -

 Knights & Ladies,   Attendants,
                        Saxons, Youths etc. -

Richard Coeur-de-Lion

Prince John

Sir Brian de Bois-Guilbert

Maurice de Bracy

Cedric the Saxon

Wilfred, Knight of Ivanhoe

Friar Tuck

Isaac, the Jew of York

Locksley/The Squire

The Lady Rowena

Ulrica

Rebecca


Adrian Partington Singers

          BBC National Orchestra of Wales conducted by David Lloyd-Jones

 

Sample tracks:

1 Plantagenesta!:  Chorus hailing the entrance of Prince John

Ho Jolly Jenkin:  excerpt from Friar Tuck's drinking song in Act 2.