Princess Ida
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Princess Ida, or Castle Adamant, is a comic opera with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It opened at the Savoy Theatre on January 5 1884, for a run of 246 performances. By Savoy Opera standards, it was not considered a success, and it was not revived in London until 1919.
Princess Ida is based on Tennyson's poem The Princess. Gilbert had written a blank verse parody of the same material in 1870. According to biographer Hesketh Pearson, Gilbert lifted parts of the dialogue from the earlier play into the libretto. Princess Ida thus became the only Gilbert and Sullivan work with dialogue entirely in blank verse. It is also the only one of their works in three acts.
The opera satirizes feminism, women's education, and Darwinian evolution, all of which were controversial topics in conservative Victorian England. Sullivan's score has always been admired, particularly a sequence of songs in Act II known as the "string of pearls". However, modern audiences sometimes find the libretto's stereotyped portayal of sex roles and the simplistic resolution unsatisfying.
Contents |
Roles
- King Hildebrand (baritone)
- Hilarion, King Hildebrand's Son (tenor)
- Cyril, Hilarion's Friend (tenor)
- Florian, Hilarion's Friend (baritone
- King Gama (baritone)
- Arac, King Gama's Son (bass-baritone)
- Guron, King Gama's Son (bass-baritone)
- Scynthius, King Gama's Son (bass-baritone)
- Princess Ida, King Gama's Daughter (soprano)
- Lady Blanche, Professor of Abstract Science (contralto)
- Lady Psyche, Professor of Humanities (soprano)
- Melissa, Lady Blanche's Daughter (mezzo-soprano)
- Sacharissa, Girl Graduate (soprano)
- Chloe, Girl Graduate (speaking role/chorus)
- Ada, Girl Graduate (speaking role/chorus)
- Chorus of Soldiers, Courtiers, "Girl Graduates", "Daughters of the Plough", etc.
Synposis
Act I
In a pavilion at King Hildebrand's Palace, courtiers wait expectantly for the arrival of Princess Ida, who was betrothed in infancy to Prince Hilarion. Hilarion – who is in love with Ida, although he has not seen her since he was two years old – wonders how she may have changed over the ensuing twenty years.
Ida's father, King Gama, and her brothers Arac, Guron and Scynthius, arrive at Hildebrand's Palace without her. King Gama says that Princess Ida has foresworn men, and founded a women's university at Castle Adamant, one of his many country houses. King Hildebrand tells Hilarion to go to Ida to claim her as his bride. Hilarion takes his friends Cyril and Florian with him, and tells them that he will employ gentler means to win Ida's love. Meanwhile, King Gama and his sons are to remain at Hildebrand's Palace as hostages.
Act II
At Castle Adamant, Princess Ida's pupils are taught that "Man, sprung from an Ape, is Ape at heart." Lady Psyche warns that "Man will swear, and Man will storm," while Lady Blanche doles out the Princess's list of punishments. The Princess delivers a stern lecture, predicting that "Woman, in her turn, shall conquer Man." Lady Blanche resents the Princess, and predicts that one day she will replace her as head of the university.
Hilarion, Cyril and Florian sneak into Castle Adamant. They scoff at the idea of a woman's college. Finding some discarded academic robes, the three men disguise themselves as young maidens wishing to join the university, and are welcomed by Princess Ida. Florian realises that their disguises won't fool his sister, Lady Psyche, and they take her into their confidence. Lady Psyche warns them that they will face death if the Princess discovers who they are. Melissa, Lady Blanche's daughter, has overheard them, and falls in love with Florian at first sight. Lady Psyche, Melissa, and the three men celebrate joyously the discovery that men are not monsters, as Princess Ida had claimed.
Lady Blanche, who has not fallen for the men's disguises, confronts Melissa. Though indignant at first, she is persuaded to let the men remain when her daughter points out that if Hilarion is able to woo Princess Ida, Blanche will become head of the university.
During lunch, Cyril gets tipsy and inadvertently gives away his friends' identity. In the ensuing confusion, Princess Ida falls into a stream, and Hilarion rescues her. Although she is grateful to him, Ida condemns Hilarion and his friends to death. King Hildebrand and his soldiers arrive, with Arac, Guron and Scynthius in chains. He reminds her that she is contractually bound to marry Hilarion, and gives her until the following afternoon to comply. The defiant Ida replies that, although Hilarion saved her life, she would rather die than be his bride.
Act III
Ida's students prepare to meet Hildebrand's soldiers in battle, but the terrified girls admit that they are afraid of fighting. Princess Ida is disgusted with their lack of courage, and vows that if necessary she will fight Hildebrand's army alone. King Gama arrives with a message from Hildebrand: The King prefers not to go to war with women. He suggests instead that Hilarion and his friends will fight King Gama's sons, with Ida's hand to be decided on the outcome. Ida is insulted to be "a stake for fighting men," but realises that she has no alternative.
Hilarion, Cyril, and Florian are still in their women's robes. King Gama and his sons ridicule them. Meanwhile, Gama's sons shed their heavy armor, saying that it is too bulky to be effective. The fight ensues, with Hilarion, Cyril and Florian quickly defeating Gama's sons.
Ida yields to Hilarion, and bitterly asks Lady Blanche if she can resign her post with dignity. The delighted Blanche, who will succeed her as head of the university, assures her that she can. Ida laments the failure of her "cherished scheme," but King Hildebrand points out the fatal flaw:
- If you enlist all women in your cause,
- And make them all abjure tyrannic Man,
- The obvious question then arises, "How
- Is this Posterity to be provided?"
Princess Ida replies, "I never thought of that!" Hilarion makes an emotional appeal, urging her to give Man one chance, while Cyril observes that if she grows tired of the Prince, Ida can return to the Castle. Lady Psyche says that she, too, will return to the Castle if Cyril does not behave, but Melissa swears that she will not return under any circumstances.
Finally, Ida admits that she has been wrong, and declares that indeed she loves Hilarion. The curtain falls "With joy abiding."
Musical numbers
- Overture (includes "We are warriors three" and "Minerva! oh, hear me")
Act I
- 1. "Search throughout the panorama" (Florian and Chorus)
- 2. "Now hearken to my strict command" (Hildebrand and Chorus)
- 3. "Today we meet" (Hilarion)
- 4. "From the distant panorama" (Chorus)
- 5. "We are warriors three" (Arac, Guron, Scynthius, and Chorus)
- 6. "If you give me your attention" (Gama)
- 7. "P'raps if you Address the Lady" (Gama, Hildebrand, Cyril, Hilarion, Florian, and Chorus of Girls and Men)
Act II
- 8. "Towards the empyrean heights" (Lady Psyche, Melissa, Sacharissa, and Chorus of Girls)
- 9. "Mighty maiden with a mission" (Chorus of Girls)
- 10. "Minerva! oh, hear me!" (Princess)
- 10a."And thus to Empyrean Heights" (Princess and Chorus)
- 11. "Come, mighty Must" (Blanche)1
- 12. "Gently, gently" (Cyril, Hilarion, and Florian)
- 13. "I am a maiden" (Cyril, Hilarion, and Florian)
- 14. "The world is but a broken toy" (Princess, Cyril, Hilarion, and Florian)
- 15. "A lady fair, of lineage high" (Lady Psyche with Cyril, Hilarion, and Florian)
- 16. "The woman of the wisest wit" (Psyche, Melissa, Cyril, Hilarion, and Florian)
- 17. "Now wouldn't you like" (Melissa and Lady Blanche)
- 18. "Merrily ring the luncheon bell" (Blanche, Cyril, and Chorus of Girls)
- 19. "Would you know the kind of maid" (Cyril)
- 20. "Oh, joy! our chief is saved" (Princess, Hildebrand, Melissa, Lady Psyche, Blanche, Cyril, Hilarion, Florian, Arac, Guron, Scynthius, and Chorus of Girls and Men)
1 Starting in the 1920s, the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company traditionally deleted this song.
Act III
- 21. "Death to the invader" (Melissa and Chorus of Girls)
- 22. "Whene'er I spoke" (King Gama with Chorus of Girls)2
- 23. "I built upon a rock" (Princess)
- 24. "When anger spreads his wing" (Chorus of Girls and Soldiers)
- 25. "This helmet, I suppose" (Arac with Guron, Scynthius, and Chorus)
- 26. "This is our duty" (Chorus)
- 27. "With joy abiding" (Ensemble)
2 In the original production, No. 22 followed No. 23. The present order first appeared in vocal scores published after the first London revival in 1919.
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