The original cast

The original cast of The Maid of Artois was a distinguished gathering of popular singers of the time, all in their twenties and thirties:

Mme Maria Malibran (contralto), Isoline,  was born in Paris and went to Italy where she studied, spoke a number of languages, well known at the the Paris Opéra (where she met Balfe) and at La Scala, Milan. She first came to Drury Lane in 1834 when 26 to star in the first English La Sonnambula and Fidelio.

Mr John Templeton (tenor) from Scotland was 34 when he appeared as Jules de Montangon. He had made his debut with Malibran in La Sonnambula at Drury Lane in 1834.

Mr Henry Phillips (baritone) was Bristol born and 35 when he appeared as the Marquis. With theatrical parents he was noted for Handelian solos and played Caspar when Der Freischutz opened in London in 1824. He manipulated composers by demanding a ballad for his part so it could be sold separately to promote his name.

Mr Arthur Seguin (bass), Synnelet, an Irish Londoner trained at the Royal Academy of Music and was noted for his wide compass, making a name when singing at Govern Garden in their 1833-4 season. He joined Drury Lane for Balfe's The Siege of Rochelle the previous year when aged 26.

Mr Hatton (Officer of the Guard) was a 26 year old Liverpudlian singer and self-taught composer who arrived in London in 1832. He went on the supply Drury Lane with an operetta,  The Queen of the Thames, in 1844.

Miss Elizabeth Poole (soprano), the youngest of the company (aged 16), came to Drury Lane in 1834 when she took a minor Page role in Gustavus in 1834 and went on to sing regularly in English opera and give recitals. It is likely she sang in The Siege of Rochelle which followed Gustavus.

The cast of the current recording

Isoline                   Kay Jordan

Jules                    Stephen Brown

Marquis                Jonathan Pugsley

Synnelet               George Hulbert

Coralie                  Rebecca Rudge

Sans Regret          John Molloy 

Martin                   Adrian Lawson

Centinnel              John Elliott

Count Saulnier      Geoffrey Brocklehurst

Victorian Opera Northwest chorus and orchestra, conducted by Philip Mackenzie