Powell Lloyd
Encyclopedia
Harold Powell Lloyd (1900 - 1987) was an English
opera
tic tenor
and opera director and producer.
and later with Amy Martin and Herbert Oliver. He began his career as an actor at the Old Vic
in his early 20s, excelling in the plays of William Shakespeare
. During this time he also sang in the opera chorus. In 1923 he began to appear as a soloist with Lilian Baylis
's opera company at the Old Vic; mostly in buffo roles. While there he met his future wife, operatic mezzo-soprano Edith Coates
. The couple married in 1933 and often performed together.
Lloyd remained with Baylis's company when they moved to the Sadler's Wells Theatre
in 1931 and later became a producer and director for the company. Among the many roles he created on stage at Sadler's Wells were Bardolfo in Falstaff
, Basilio in The Marriage of Figaro
, Bobyl in The Snow Maiden
, Goro in Madama Butterfly
, Monostatos in The Magic Flute
, Spoletta in Tosca
, and Vašek in The Bartered Bride
. He also had two major successes at the Royal Opera, London
: the witch in Hänsel und Gretel (1934) and David in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
(1936) under conductor Thomas Beecham
. The latter role was recorded on Columbia Records
.
Lloyd's career was put on hold while the London stages were closed during World War II
. After the war he worked mainly as an opera director and producer. He worked for the Sadler's Wells Theatre, Theatre Scarborough
, the Carl Rosa Opera Company
, and the opera houses in Dublin and Johannesburg during the 1940s. In 1951, he directed Balfe
's opera The Rose of Castille
at the first Wexford Festival. In 1955 he joined the Welsh National Opera
where he worked for a decade. He also was involved with producing works for radio and television broadcasts.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
tic tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
and opera director and producer.
Biography
Lloyd studied singing at Morley CollegeMorley College
Morley College is an adult education college in London, England. It was founded in the 1880s and has a student population of 10,806 adult students...
and later with Amy Martin and Herbert Oliver. He began his career as an actor at the Old Vic
Old Vic
The Old Vic is a theatre located just south-east of Waterloo Station in London on the corner of The Cut and Waterloo Road. Established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, it was taken over by Emma Cons in 1880 when it was known formally as the Royal Victoria Hall. In 1898, a niece of Cons, Lilian...
in his early 20s, excelling in the plays of William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
. During this time he also sang in the opera chorus. In 1923 he began to appear as a soloist with Lilian Baylis
Lilian Baylis
Lilian Mary BaylisCH was an English theatrical producer and manager. She managed the Old Vic and Sadler's Wells theatres in London, and ran an opera company, which became the English National Opera , a theatre company, which evolved into the English National Theatre, and a ballet company, which...
's opera company at the Old Vic; mostly in buffo roles. While there he met his future wife, operatic mezzo-soprano Edith Coates
Edith Coates
Edith Coates OBE was an English operatic mezzo-soprano. A highly gifted actress with a striking stage presence, Coates initially found success in larger dramatic roles before transitioning into portraying mainly character parts in the 1950s. She began her career with Lilian Baylis's opera company...
. The couple married in 1933 and often performed together.
Lloyd remained with Baylis's company when they moved to the Sadler's Wells Theatre
Sadler's Wells Theatre
Sadler's Wells Theatre is a performing arts venue located in Rosebery Avenue, Clerkenwell in the London Borough of Islington. The present day theatre is the sixth on the site since 1683. It consists of two performance spaces: a 1,500 seat main auditorium and the Lilian Baylis Studio, with extensive...
in 1931 and later became a producer and director for the company. Among the many roles he created on stage at Sadler's Wells were Bardolfo in Falstaff
Falstaff (opera)
Falstaff is an operatic commedia lirica in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi, adapted by Arrigo Boito from Shakespeare's plays The Merry Wives of Windsor and scenes from Henry IV. It was Verdi's last opera, written in the composer's ninth decade, and only the second of his 26 operas to be a comedy...
, Basilio in The Marriage of Figaro
The Marriage of Figaro
Le nozze di Figaro, ossia la folle giornata , K. 492, is an opera buffa composed in 1786 in four acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte, based on a stage comedy by Pierre Beaumarchais, La folle journée, ou le Mariage de Figaro .Although the play by...
, Bobyl in The Snow Maiden
The Snow Maiden
The Snow Maiden: A Spring Fairy Tale is an opera in four acts with a prologue by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, composed during 1880–1881. The Russian libretto, by the composer, is based on the like-named play by Alexander Ostrovsky .The first performance of Rimsky-Korsakov's opera took place at the...
, Goro in Madama Butterfly
Madama Butterfly
Madama Butterfly is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini, with an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. Puccini based his opera in part on the short story "Madame Butterfly" by John Luther Long, which was dramatized by David Belasco...
, Monostatos in The Magic Flute
The Magic Flute
The Magic Flute is an opera in two acts composed in 1791 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a Singspiel, a popular form that included both singing and spoken dialogue....
, Spoletta in Tosca
Tosca
Tosca is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It premiered at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900...
, and Vašek in The Bartered Bride
The Bartered Bride
The Bartered Bride is a comic opera in three acts by the Czech composer Bedřich Smetana, to a libretto by Karel Sabina. The opera is considered to have made a major contribution towards the development of Czech music. It was composed during the period 1863–66, and first performed at the...
. He also had two major successes at the Royal Opera, London
Royal Opera, London
The Royal Opera is an opera company based in central London, resident at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Along with the English National Opera, it is one of the two principal opera companies in London. Founded in 1946 as the Covent Garden Opera Company, it was known by that title until 1968...
: the witch in Hänsel und Gretel (1934) and David in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg is an opera in three acts, written and composed by Richard Wagner. It is among the longest operas still commonly performed today, usually taking around four and a half hours. It was first performed at the Königliches Hof- und National-Theater in Munich, on June 21,...
(1936) under conductor Thomas Beecham
Thomas Beecham
Sir Thomas Beecham, 2nd Baronet CH was an English conductor and impresario best known for his association with the London Philharmonic and the Royal Philharmonic orchestras. He was also closely associated with the Liverpool Philharmonic and Hallé orchestras...
. The latter role was recorded on Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
.
Lloyd's career was put on hold while the London stages were closed during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After the war he worked mainly as an opera director and producer. He worked for the Sadler's Wells Theatre, Theatre Scarborough
Theatre Scarborough
Theatre Scarborough, previously Playhouse 66, is a nonprofit theatre organization in the Scarborough region of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The organization consists of three groups: Scarborough Music Theatre, Scarborough Players and the Scarborough Theatre Guild.Established in late 1958, Theatre...
, the Carl Rosa Opera Company
Carl Rosa Opera Company
The Carl Rosa Opera Company was founded in 1873 by Carl August Nicholas Rosa, a German-born musical impresario, to present opera in English in London and the British provinces. The company survived Rosa's death in 1889, and continued to present opera in English on tour until 1960, when it was...
, and the opera houses in Dublin and Johannesburg during the 1940s. In 1951, he directed Balfe
Michael William Balfe
Michael William Balfe was an Irish composer, best-remembered for his opera The Bohemian Girl.After a short career as a violinist, Balfe pursued an operatic singing career, while he began to compose. In a career spanning more than 40 years, he composed 38 operas, almost 250 songs and other works...
's opera The Rose of Castille
The Rose of Castille
The Rose of Castille is an opera in three acts, with music by Michael William Balfe to an English-language libretto by Augustus Glossop Harris and Edmund Falconer, after the libretto by Adolphe d'Ennery and Clairville for Adolphe Adam's Le muletier de Tolède...
at the first Wexford Festival. In 1955 he joined the Welsh National Opera
Welsh National Opera
Welsh National Opera is an opera company founded in Cardiff, Wales in 1943. The WNO tours Wales, the United Kingdom and the rest of the world extensively. Annually, it gives more than 120 performances of eight main stage operas to a combined audience of around 150,000 people...
where he worked for a decade. He also was involved with producing works for radio and television broadcasts.