That reminds me of the old story of HMS Pinafore... during a performance, some roustabouts tried to steal the scenery. They were chased off empty-handed by the show's cast and crew in part because Gilbert, a stickler for realism, had outfitted the actors playing the ship's Marines with real bayonets.
I am being called back for Willis and Mountararat. I have four days to prepare two arias, a trio, a quartet, and a bunch of dialogue. I am grateful to you for these uploads!
The great, much-missed Richard Van Allan. Please credit. We've also just lost the wonderful Keel Watson, who sang Private Willis in the ENO revival of Iolanthe.
When all night long a chap remains On sentry-go, to chase monotony He exercises of his brains, That is, assuming that he's got any. Though never nurtured in the lap Of luxury, yet I admonish you, I am an intellectual chap, And think of things that would astonish you. I often think it's comical - Fal, lal, la! How Nature always does contrive - Fal, lal, la! That every boy and every gal That’s born into the world alive Is either a little Liberal Or else a little Conservative! Fal, lal, la! When in that House M.P.'s divide, If they’ve a brain and cerebellum, too, They’ve got to leave that brain outside, And vote just as their leaders tell 'em to. But then the prospect of a lot Of dull M. P.’s in close proximity, All thinking for themselves, is what No man can face with equanimity. Then let’s rejoice with loud Fal la - Fal la la! That Nature always does contrive - Fal lal la! That every boy and every gal That’s born into the world alive Is either a little Liberal Or else a little Conservative! Fal lal la!
@@itscleto8961 To which I would add...... Then let's rejoice with loud Fal la - Fal la la! That Nature always does contrive - Fal la la! That every boy and every girl That's born into the world down here Is either a sour Remainer Or else a swivel-eyed Brexiteer!
Can you imagine this in the Palace of Westminster? What would Sir Keir Starmer think given that the Labour Party didn't exist in those days? Uproar in the House!!!
I think Gilbert was an incredible lyricist. Has anyone noticed you can take the final comment two ways? Either a "little" liberal, etc. - meaning a "little bit" Liberal - or a "little" Liberal, meaning a "little tot or child" Liberal, etc. Do you think he meant it either way? I do!
figaro248 it was never a staged performance, as such. it's from a film version of the opera made by the Brent Walker company in 1982. more info: gasdisc.oakapplepress.com/iolwalk.htm
It seems to be the same guy who was in the TV version of The Mikado - "Richard Van Allan"... ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-8SkOWxcbzn0.html
Hello, Yes you're right - this is most certainly Richard Van Allan. I saw him regularly when he was a principal bass at English National Opera. A splendid performer!
@@peterwalters6924 @figaro248 - yes, it is the very great and sadly lamented bass Richard van Allen, one of the great ENO singers from the 70s to the 90s. He famously created the role of Pooh-Bah in Jonathan Miller's famous black-and-white Mikado at ENO and was a regular there until his retirement. They also did a few special productions for him, most notably a rare staging of Massenet's gorgeous Don Quixote.
The artwork is bitchin' though, and I would love to see an Iolanthe that took place on scenery designed to look like pen-and-ink drawings. Or maybe watercolors for the first act, since the fairies own the natural world, and then pen-and-ink B/W for the second since we're in Punch-land. In any case they must have had a shortage of film because they ignored all the rallantandro in the score.
you seem to have missed off the end of act 1, it's a very important piece of the opera. Namely the bit where the fairies put Strephen into power as a left leaning politian inthe 1800s - all under their spell. Guilbert and Sullivan is excellent satire. To leave out bits isn't really fair. It's more clever than that- the British know how to laugh at themselves
