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The Worlds of Gilbert and Sullivan

The success of Rose of Persia gave encouragement to Arthur Sullivan and  Basil Hood to have a go at writing another opera in August 1900. The result was an opera on an Irish Subject: The Emerald Isle¹.

This was the last operetta that Sullivan composed (well, nearly composed). During its composition he was fighting his illness on several fronts - he was very ill. Some of the score he composed while abroad (resting!), and tried to finish it in Tunbridge Wells 'recuperating'. However before it was completed he visited his mother's grave in extreme weather conditions and this was his final downfall on 22 November 1900.

Briefly the story of the opera was set shortly after the rebellion of 1798. It tells of attempts by the local Irish peasantry to frighten the Lord Lieutenant's soldiers with stories of the fairy Cleena, who could send them to sleep for one-hundred years . The rebel leader, Terence O'Brian, however falls in love with Lady Rosie Pippin, the Lord Lieutenant's daughter! Terence is assisted by an amiable set of locals - Blind Murphy, Molly O'Grady and Professor Bunn, a teacher of elocution.

At his death Arthur had finished two numbers in full score, with vocal parts for a further fifteen others, and the first act finale. It is sometimes thought that the dying Arthur himself heard the call of the fairy Cleena and was more than willing to join her in the land of The Emerald Isle!

Helen D'Oyly Carte was so impressed with his score that she invited Edward German, the up-and-coming English light music composer to finish what Sullivan had started. It was finally successfully produced at the Savoy on 27 April 1901.

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Introductory pages in the Vocal Score²:

The Emerald Isle;
or, 
The Caves of Carrig Cleena.

A New and Original Comic Opera
In Two Acts.

Written by
BASIL HOOD.

Composed by
ARTHUR SULLIVAN
and
EDWARD GERMAN.

___________

Arranged from the full score by
WILFRED BENDALL

___________

Vocal Score, Complete..  ..  ..12/6Net

___________

Chappel & Co., Ltd.,
50, New Bond Street, LONDON, W1
New York -  Sydney

A Publishers' Note states:
The numbers of the opera composed by Sir Arthur Sullivan, with the exception of Nos 1 and 2, which were completed by him, have been orchestrated and harmonised by Mr Edward German.

The introductory pages go on to indicate:

First produced at the Savoy Theatre on Saturday, April 27th, 1901, under the management of Mrs D'Oyly Carte.

___________

And here are some names to conjure with:

Characters

We have arranged eight pieces as our selection from the music in this show:

Shall we start by calling in on An Irish Type! . . .?

Footnote 1  We dedicate this section to Irish people everywhere. Click to return to story.

Footnote 2:     See publication details in the MusicSmiles bibliography. Click to return to story.

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