The piece was one of Clarke's last compositions[3] following several operettas that he had composed for the German Reeds.[4] It premiered at the Savoy Theatre from 2 July 1900 to 3 November 1900 as a companion piece to the Gilbert and Sullivan opera The Pirates of Penzance, for the second London revival of Pirates, and also played from 10 November 1900 to 7 December 1900 as a companion piece to Patience, a total of 131 performances. After this, the work was performed on tour from late 1901 through 1902 as a companion piece to Pirates, Patience and Iolanthe.[1]
Both the score and the libretto appear to be lost, but there survives a copy of a fantasia for flute and piano, based on airs from the piece, and so the vocal score may have been published.[1]
This was a one-act play, seen only by the early comers. It would play to empty boxes, half-empty upper circle, to a gradually filling stalls and dress circle, but to an attentive, grateful and appreciative pit and gallery. Often these plays were little gems. They deserved much better treatment than they got, but those who saw them delighted in them. ... [They] served to give young actors and actresses a chance to win their spurs ... the stalls and the boxes lost much by missing the curtain-raiser, but to them dinner was more important.[6]
Campion played from 30 July to 11 August, while Pinder was substituting as the Pirate King in Pirates. Nell Richardson probably played while Evans was off from 27 August to 8 September. The touring cast was Fred G. Edgar, W. G. Lennox, E. A. White, R. A. Swinhoe, Fred Drawater, Bernard Fisher, Edward L. Bishop and, at times, Frank Robey, Norah Maguire, Florence Beech and Bessel Adams.[1]
Plotedit
Körner's original libretto depicts a young French soldier sent to guard the German border. He hates military life, deserts his post, crosses into Germany, marries a German girl and lives happily as a farmer. Four years later, war breaks out, and the French army crosses the border. The young man is recognised, arrested, and charged with desertion, a capital offence. He decides to claim that he has been at his post the whole time, but the French do not believe this story and put him before a court martial. He is saved by the intervention of the French general who gives him the benefit of the doubt and an honourable discharge from the army, and he returns to living happily as a farmer.[7]
It is not known how much, if at all, Bartholeyns altered the original plot. The dramatis personae of both versions are essentially the same, with the addition of a corporal in the English version. The names of the heroine (Kate/Käthchen) and her father (Walter/Walther) are merely Anglicised.[8]
Referencesedit
^ abcdWalters, Michael and George Low. "The Outpost". Curtain Raisers, The Gilbert and Sullivan Archive, 25 April 2008, accessed 8 May 2010
^Schubert set Körner's libretto to music in 1815, but the piece was not performed until 1869, when it was staged at the Hofoper, Dresden. See: Klassika 2010-01-06 at the Wayback Machine (German reference site)
^Stone, David. "Hamilton Clarke", 2008-12-17 at the Wayback MachineWho Was Who in the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, 15 October 2001, accessed 12 May 2010
^Scowcroft Philip L. "A Twentieth Garland of British Light Music Composers". MusicWeb International, accessed 8 May 2010
^Lee Bernard. "Swash-buckling Savoy curtain-raiser", Sheffield Telegraph, 1 August 2008
^MacQueen-Pope, Walter James. Carriages at Eleven (1947), London: Robert Hale and Co., p. 23
^Klassika 2010-01-06 at the Wayback Machine (German reference site, accessed 12 May 2010)
^The original German libretto is at Theodor Körners sämmtliche Werke accessed 12 May 2010.
External linksedit
Savoy Curtain Raisers at the Gilbert and Sullivan Archive
January 01, 1970
outpost, opera, outpost, opera, operetta, composer, hamilton, clarke, with, libretto, bartholeyns, story, adaptation, singspiel, vierjährige, posten, theodor, körner, with, music, franz, schubert, piece, clarke, last, compositions, following, several, operetta. The Outpost is an opera or operetta by the composer Hamilton Clarke with a libretto by A O D Bartholeyns The story is an adaptation of the Singspiel Der vierjahrige Posten by Theodor Korner with music by Franz Schubert 1 2 The piece was one of Clarke s last compositions 3 following several operettas that he had composed for the German Reeds 4 It premiered at the Savoy Theatre from 2 July 1900 to 3 November 1900 as a companion piece to the Gilbert and Sullivan opera The Pirates of Penzance for the second London revival of Pirates and also played from 10 November 1900 to 7 December 1900 as a companion piece to Patience a total of 131 performances After this the work was performed on tour from late 1901 through 1902 as a companion piece to Pirates Patience and Iolanthe 1 Both the score and the libretto appear to be lost but there survives a copy of a fantasia for flute and piano based on airs from the piece and so the vocal score may have been published 1 The fashion in the late Victorian era and Edwardian era was to present long evenings in the theatre and so producer Richard D Oyly Carte preceded his Savoy operas with curtain raisers like The Outpost 5 W J MacQueen Pope commented concerning such curtain raisers This was a one act play seen only by the early comers It would play to empty boxes half empty upper circle to a gradually filling stalls and dress circle but to an attentive grateful and appreciative pit and gallery Often these plays were little gems They deserved much better treatment than they got but those who saw them delighted in them They served to give young actors and actresses a chance to win their spurs the stalls and the boxes lost much by missing the curtain raiser but to them dinner was more important 6 Contents 1 Roles and original cast 2 Plot 3 References 4 External linksRoles and original cast editWalter H Carlyle Pritchard Henry Charles Childerstone Karl W H Leon Colonel Edwin Bryan Captain Powis Pinder J Lewis Campion Corporal Iago Lewis Lewys Kate Lulu Evans Nell Richardson Campion played from 30 July to 11 August while Pinder was substituting as the Pirate King in Pirates Nell Richardson probably played while Evans was off from 27 August to 8 September The touring cast was Fred G Edgar W G Lennox E A White R A Swinhoe Fred Drawater Bernard Fisher Edward L Bishop and at times Frank Robey Norah Maguire Florence Beech and Bessel Adams 1 Plot editKorner s original libretto depicts a young French soldier sent to guard the German border He hates military life deserts his post crosses into Germany marries a German girl and lives happily as a farmer Four years later war breaks out and the French army crosses the border The young man is recognised arrested and charged with desertion a capital offence He decides to claim that he has been at his post the whole time but the French do not believe this story and put him before a court martial He is saved by the intervention of the French general who gives him the benefit of the doubt and an honourable discharge from the army and he returns to living happily as a farmer 7 It is not known how much if at all Bartholeyns altered the original plot The dramatis personae of both versions are essentially the same with the addition of a corporal in the English version The names of the heroine Kate Kathchen and her father Walter Walther are merely Anglicised 8 References edit a b c d Walters Michael and George Low The Outpost Curtain Raisers The Gilbert and Sullivan Archive 25 April 2008 accessed 8 May 2010 Schubert set Korner s libretto to music in 1815 but the piece was not performed until 1869 when it was staged at the Hofoper Dresden See Klassika Archived 2010 01 06 at the Wayback Machine German reference site Stone David Hamilton Clarke Archived 2008 12 17 at the Wayback Machine Who Was Who in the D Oyly Carte Opera Company 15 October 2001 accessed 12 May 2010 Scowcroft Philip L A Twentieth Garland of British Light Music Composers MusicWeb International accessed 8 May 2010 Lee Bernard Swash buckling Savoy curtain raiser Sheffield Telegraph 1 August 2008 MacQueen Pope Walter James Carriages at Eleven 1947 London Robert Hale and Co p 23 Klassika Archived 2010 01 06 at the Wayback Machine German reference site accessed 12 May 2010 The original German libretto is at Theodor Korners sammtliche Werke accessed 12 May 2010 External links editSavoy Curtain Raisers at the Gilbert and Sullivan Archive Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Outpost opera amp oldid 1145182387, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
