Thespis (opera)
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- For the ancient Greek actor, see Thespis.
Thespis, or The Gods Grown Old, was the first collaboration between librettist W. S. Gilbert and composer Arthur Sullivan. Gilbert and Sullivan wrote a total of fourteen comic operas together, the rest of which are referred to as the Savoy Operas. Thespis premiered in London at the Gaiety Theatre, on December 26 1871, and ran for 64 performances.
It would be four more years before the pair would collaborate on their next opera, the one-act Trial by Jury, in 1875. When that work was a surprise success, there were discussions of quickly reviving Thespis for the 1876 Christmas season, but the plans were abandoned when Richard D'Oyly Carte's backers demanded a new show for their money and not a revival.
Thespis is an extravaganza in which the gods of Olympus, who have become elderly, are temporarily replaced by a troupe of nineteenth-century actors and actresses, one of whom is the eponymous Thespis, the Greek father of the drama. The style of the piece was consistent with the Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld and La belle Hélène, which (in translation) then dominated the English musical stage.
Sullivan's complete score is believed to be lost, but three parts of Thespis are known to have survived. The song "Climbing Over Rocky Mountain" was re-scored and slightly re-written for inclusion in The Pirates of Penzance, and the song "Little Maid of Arcadee" was published by Cramer during the original run. In 1990, the second-act ballet was discovered by Roderick Spencer and Selwyn Tillett.
After 1872, Thespis was not performed at all until 1953. Since then, according to Tillett and Spencer (2002) [link], about two dozen separate versions of the piece have been written. About half of these use adapted music from Sullivan's other works, both with and without Gilbert; the others use original scores written to Gilbert's text, either in a Sullivanian style or not.
Discovery of the ballet
In 1990, Roderick Spencer and Selwyn Tillett discovered the ballet from Act II of Thespis. Three of five movements from a Thespis copyist's score were found with the suviving performance materials for Sullivan's 1864 ballet, L'Île Enchantée. These unrelated materials were fortuitously preserved together, because Sullivan had re-used parts of both of them in his 1894 ballet, Victoria and Merrie England. Spencer and Tillett were able to suggest plausible candidates for the missing second and fourth movements of the Thespis ballet, based on contemporary accounts of them, and also bibliographical evidence. Spencer and Tillett's identification of the full five-movement ballet was generally accepted as correct, and it was issued on CD by two different record companies.Dramatis Personae
Gods
- Jupiter, Aged Deity
- Apollo, Aged Deity
- Mars, Aged Deity
- Diana, Aged Deity
- Mercury
Thespians
- Thespis
- Sillimon
- Timidon
- Tipseion
- Preposteros
- Stupidas
- Sparkeion
- Nicemis
- Pretteia
- Daphne
- Cymon
Setting
Act I – Ruined Temple on the Summit of Mount Olympus
Act II – The same Scene, with the Ruins Restored
Synopsis
Act I
On Mount Olympus, the aged deities lament their waning influence. Mercury complains that the gods are lazy, and leave all their duties to him. Jupiter says that matters have reached a crisis, but he is unsure what can be done about it. The gods see a swarm of mortals ascending the mountain, and withdraw to observe them from a distance.Thespis's acting company enters for a picnic celebrating the marriage of two of its members, Sparkeion and Nicemis. Daphne, Sparkeion's former fiancée, annoys Nicemis by flirting with him. In retaliation, Nicemis flirts with Thespis. Thespis explains to his troupe that a successful manager must be aloof, or he will lose his influence.
Jupiter, Mars, and Apollo enter. All of the actors flee in terror, except for Thespis. Jupiter asks Thespis whether he is impressed with the father of the gods. Thespis replies that the gods are unimpressive, and suggests that they go down to earth to judge for themselves why people don't take them seriously. They agree that Thespis and his acting company will keep things running on Mount Olympus during the gods' absence. Each actor takes the place of one of the gods, with Thespis himself replacing Jupiter. Mercury stays behind to offer any advice the actors may need.
Act II
Under Thespis's direction, Olympus has been restored to its former splendor. However, Mercury says that the substitute gods are incompetent. For instance, the replacement for Mars is a pacifist, and the replacement for Hymen refuses to marry anyone.The actors find that the romantic entanglements of the gods they've replaced conflict with their attachments in real life. Venus (Pretteia) is supposed to be married to Mars, but the actor playing Mars is her father. Calliope (Daphne) is supposed to be married to Apollo (Sparkeion), but Sparkeion is already married to Nicemis. Thespis is asked for a ruling, and decides that Sparkeion is married to Daphne while they are gods, but his marriage to Nicemis will resume when they are mortals once again.
The gods return. They are furious at the havoc Thespis's company have created. They watch incognito as Mercury presents to Thespis all of the complaints from earth that have accumulated while the gods have been gone. After listening to a long list of grievances, the gods shed their disguises and banish the actors from Olympus. As punishment for their folly, Jupiter sends them back to earth as "eminent tragedians, whom no one ever goes to see."
Musical numbers
- The music survives for numbers shown in bold.
Act I
- 1. "Throughout the night, the constellations" (Women's Chorus, with Solo)
- 2. "Oh, I'm the celestial drudge" (Mercury)
- 3. "Oh incident unprecedented" (Mercury, Mars, Apollo, Diana, and Jupiter)
- 4. "Here far away from all the world" (Sparkeion and Nicemis)
- 5. "Climbing over rocky mountain" (Chorus with Solos)
- 5a. Picnic Waltz
- 6. "I once knew a chap who discharged a function" (Thespis)
- 7. Act I Finale: "So that's arranged – you take my place, my boy" (Ensemble)
Act II
- 8. "Of all symposia" (Sillimon and Chorus)
- 9. "Little maid of Arcadee" (Sparkeion)
- 10. "Olympus is now in a terrible muddle" (Mercury)
- 11. "You're Diana. I'm Apollo" (Sparkeion, Daphne, Nicemis and Thespis)
- 12. "Oh rage and fury, Oh shame and sorrow." (Jupiter, Apollo, and Mars)
- 13. Act II Finale: "We can't stand this" (Ensemble)
References
Recordings
- Penny, Andrew, conductor (1992). "Thespis". On Sir Arthur Sullivan – Ballet Music (CD). Marco Polo 8.223460.
- Pryce-Jones, John, conductor (1991). "Thespis – Ballet in Act 2". On Iolanthe (CD). That's Entertainment Records CDTER2 1188.
External links
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