Songs and Scenas from three famous
Comic Operas
Arranged and Produced by GORDON MCCONNEL
I
' The Emerald Isle'
Lyrics by BASIL HOOD
Music by ARTHUR SULLIVAN and EDWARD GERMAN
2.
' Veronique '
English Lyrics by LILIAN ELDÉE
(with alterations and additions by PERCY GREENBANK )
Music by ANDRE Messager
3.
' The Grand Duchess'
English Lyrics by ADRIAN Ross
Music by OFFENBACH
The Singers
DICK FRANCIS
GARDA HALL
JAN VAN DER GUCHT
MICHAEL COLE
BERNARD ANSELL and MARIE BURKE
THE BBC REVUE CHORUS and THE BBC THEATRE ORCHESTRA
Conducted by ALFRED REYNOLDS
The present programme of ' Comic Opera ' consists of excetpts from three now rarely heard operas which when first produced were exceedingly popular. The first, The Emerald Isle, was begun by Sir Arthur Sullivan and finished by Sir Edward German. Before he died, Sullivan completed the first two numbers and noted down the melodies of ten other numbers, including the finale to Act 1. These were orchestrated and, excepting the choruses and concerted parts, harmonised by Sir Edward German , who also contributed nine original numbers.
Offenbach (1819-1880) was one of the leading composers of light opera during the nineteenth century, when it reached the peak of its vogue. This opera, The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein, which is concerned with a temperamental and headstrong lady who ' dotes on the military', was first produced in 1867. Later, this opera found its way to London and enjoyed considerable popularity. It was revived at the Savoy Theatre in -1897. The original English production of Messager's Veronique was given at the Apollo Theatre in 1904. The conductor, Arthur Wood , tells us that it was the first wave of the foreign invasion, and the success of Veronique led to the production of The Little Michus in the following year, and later to that influx of Viennese operettas which began with The Merry Widow and still continues in a number of modern productions.