The Spectre Knight (music by Alfred Cellier, libretto by James Albery)

Libretto available online at the G&S archive

Synopsis
In the Spectre Knight, eighteen years ago, the Grand Duke’s throne was stolen from him, and he was banished, along with the remains of his court, (his lord chamberlain, and two ladies-in-waiting) and his daughter, Viola, who was just one year old. They have spent the years living alone in a forest glen where they try to maintain some semblance of their former grandeur. Due to their isolation, Viola has never laid eyes on any man save her father and the lord chamberlain, and is delighted when a friar comes to then glen. During their conversation, she tells him that the glen is haunted by a Spectre Knight. The friar, who is no friar, but rather the Grand Duke’s nephew, Otho, in disguise, falls instantly in love with Viola, and resolves to disguise himself as this spectre to win her love. Despite her initial fear, Viola falls headlong in love with the spectre, who then reveals himself to be no ghost, but rather her cousin, who has just overthrown the usurper of her father’s throne, meaning they can all go home again. The Duke permits Viola to marry Otho, and all ends happily.

Background

The Spectre Knight was first performed as a companion piece for The Sorcerer at the Opera Comique on 9 February 1878, it closed on 23 March then performed again from 28 May until 10 August. to accompany H.M.S. Pinafore. In the original run Rutland Barrington played the Lord Chamberlain (also Dr Daly in The Sorcerer) and Richard Temple played The Spectre Knight (also Sir Marmaduke in The Sorcerer).

The composer Alfred Cellier wrote several other curtain raisers to accompany Gilbert and Sullivan operas and was employed at the Opera Comique and afterwards at the Savoy as musical director also touring the USA with H.M.S Pinafore and Pirates of Penzance. It is generally considered that using Sullivan’s themes, he wrote the overture to H.M.S. Pinafore. He composed several successful works including The Sultan of Mocha and Dorothy of which the latter was the longest running piece of musical theatre in the nineteenth century. He also wrote The Mountebanks with W.S Gilbert.

James Albery was a famous playwright of the time considered by some to be second only to Gilbert. (London’s Albery Theatre is not named after him!)

Although the vocal score of The Spectre Knight has been published the libretto was generally considered to be lost until 12 months ago. It was never revived professionally and we can find no record of an amateur performance.

The Miller and His Man (music by Arthur Sullivan, libretto by F C Burnand)

Synopsis
In The Miller and His Man, Cymon, the eponymous fiddle-playing hero, works for Joe Grydon, the miller, and is also madly in love with his daughter, Janetta. Despite her returning his affection, the miserly Gryndon will not allow the match, preferring the financial rewards of giving his daughter to the wicked Marquis de Mincepie. Cymon is in despair, he has lost his love, and also has no money, as Gryndon has not paid his wages. Just as all appears to be lost, he meets a Deluvian Dwarf, called Dumpy. After Cymon gives him some food, Dumpy rewards him by casting a spell on his violin, ensuring that all who hear it will have to do all that Cymon asks them to. Cymon rushes to find Gryndon and the Marquis, and forces them to give up Janetta, and also to pay him the wages owed to him. Thus those that deserve it live happily ever after.

Background
The Miller and His Man is one of the enigmas of Arthur Sullivan’s work. Most students of Sullivan know this piece from a heavily abridged three page version that appeared in The Illustrated London News, (Christmas Eve 1870). This version possibly holds the paradoxical situation of being the most printed of Sullivan’s secular works (about 100,000 copies) while being one of the least performed. The much larger 38 page vocal score has no publication date and there are no contemporary records of its performance. The score is exceedingly rare, there is no copy in The British Library or any other library in the UK. One of the songs “The Marquis de Mincepie” has been recorded commercially, however, the only known performance of the full play was for the London Branch of the Gilbert and Sullivan Society in the 1960s.

The question of how much of the score was written by Sullivan remains unsolved. The declaration "The Incidental Music Composed & Adapted by James F. Simpson" certainly leads one to believe the frequent pieces of connecting music were composed by Simpson. The songs are stated to be by Sullivan but what about the 5 page overture, duet, trio and finale? It seems likely that Sullivan would have composed these too. See what you think.

The librettist F. C. Burnand is best known for having adapted the libretto of Box and Cox for Cox and Box and as having been the editor of Punch.