The Wandering Scholar
Encyclopedia
The Wandering Scholar, Op.50 is a chamber opera
in one act by the English composer Gustav Holst
. The libretto
, by Clifford Bax
, is based on the book The Wandering Scholars
by Helen Waddell
.
The opera received its premiere at the David Lewis Theatre, Liverpool
on 31 January, 1934. The performance celebrated the laying of the foundation stone of Herbert James Rowse
's Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, the successor to the previous Hall which burned down in 1933. Holst did not hear the live performance because he was too ill to attend. The manuscript contains notes in Holst's own hand such as "More harmony" and "Tempo?", which indicated that Holst had thoughts of revising the work. However, Holst did not revise the manuscript before his death in May 1934. Benjamin Britten
prepared a chamber-orchestra version of the score for performance, and this version was given at the Cheltenham Music Festival
in 1951. In 1968, Britten and Imogen Holst
edited the opera for publication.
Louis is preparing to go to town to obtain provisions, and tries to kiss Alison before leaving, but she rebuffs him. After Louis departs, Alison pulls out a concealed almond-cake, a bottle of Burgundy, and pork, to entertain Father Philippe, who has designs on her. Father Philippe arrives, and makes a pass at Alison. She initially claims that she will not deceive her husband, but after she points out the attic and that the pork will take 20 minutes to cook, they start to move towards the attic. Just then, Pierre, a poor wandering scholar, arrives and begs for food. Alison is sympathetic to Pierre's plight, but Father Philippe wants Pierre to leave immediately. Alison allows Pierre to stay, finding him handsome. Pierre begins to tell his story. Father Philippe then brandishes Louis' cudgel and drives Pierre away.
Father Philippe then makes a second attempt to take Alison up to the attic, expressing concern about whether the ladder will bear his weight. Alison, however, hears Louis returning, and is concerned because she and Louis had no provisions when he had left for town. Alison and Father Philippe hide the cake, Burgundy and pork, and Father Philippe conceals himself. Louis and Pierre enter, with Louis asking Alison to provide food for Pierre. Alison protests that Louis was supposed to go to town to obtain provisions. Pierre begins to tell a tale about a herd of pigs, and lets slip that there is a piece of pork in the pot on the stove. Louis is stunned at this, and asks Alison if there is pork in the pot. Alison denies this, but Louis asks to take the lid off, which reveals the pork. Alison feigns surprise, and as Pierre continues his story of the pigs and a wolf, where the story parallels the earlier situation with him, Alison and Father Philippe. Alison protests that Pierre is some sort of demonic wizard who made the food magically appear, but Pierre finishes his tale with an allusion to a hidden priest who would have robbed them. Louis discovers Father Philippe and drives him out of the house. Alison brings the cooked pork to the table. Louis orders Pierre to sit at the table. Alison is about to do the same, but Louis orders her not to sit, and instead to go up to the attic. She obeys nervously, with Louis following her with his cudgel. Pierre settles down to food and drink as the curtain falls.
Chamber opera
Chamber opera is a designation for operas written to be performed with a chamber ensemble rather than a full orchestra.The term and form were invented by Benjamin Britten in the 1940s, when the English Opera Group needed works that could easily be taken on tour and performed in a variety of small...
in one act by the English composer Gustav Holst
Gustav Holst
Gustav Theodore Holst was an English composer. He is most famous for his orchestral suite The Planets....
. The libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
, by Clifford Bax
Clifford Bax
Clifford Bax was a versatile English writer, known particularly as a playwright, a journalist, critic and editor, and a poet, lyricist and hymn writer. He also was a translator, for example of Goldoni...
, is based on the book The Wandering Scholars
The Wandering Scholars
The Wandering Scholars is a non-fiction book by Helen Waddell, first published in 1927 by Constable, London. It deals primarily with medieval Latin lyric poetry and the main part is a study of the goliards...
by Helen Waddell
Helen Waddell
Helen Jane Waddell was an Irish poet, translator and playwright.-Biography:She was born in Tokyo, the tenth and youngest child of Hugh Waddell, a Presbyterian minister and missionary who was lecturing in the Imperial University. She spent the first eleven years of her life in Japan before her...
.
The opera received its premiere at the David Lewis Theatre, Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
on 31 January, 1934. The performance celebrated the laying of the foundation stone of Herbert James Rowse
Herbert James Rowse
Herbert James Rowse was a British architect, born in Crosby, Merseyside on the northern outskirts of Liverpool. He graduated from the Liverpool University School of Architecture in 1907 three years after the influential Professor Charles Reilly became Head of the School.Rowse was one of the ...
's Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, the successor to the previous Hall which burned down in 1933. Holst did not hear the live performance because he was too ill to attend. The manuscript contains notes in Holst's own hand such as "More harmony" and "Tempo?", which indicated that Holst had thoughts of revising the work. However, Holst did not revise the manuscript before his death in May 1934. Benjamin Britten
Benjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to...
prepared a chamber-orchestra version of the score for performance, and this version was given at the Cheltenham Music Festival
Cheltenham Music Festival
The Cheltenham Music Festival is one of the oldest music festivals in Britain, held annually in Cheltenham in June/July since 1945. The festival is renowned for premieres of contemporary music, hosting over 250 music premieres as of July 2004....
in 1951. In 1968, Britten and Imogen Holst
Imogen Holst
Imogen Clare Holst, CBE was a British composer and conductor, and sole child of composer Gustav Holst.Imogen Holst was brought up in west London and educated at St Paul's Girls' School, where her father was director of music...
edited the opera for publication.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 31 January 1934 (Conductor: J.E. Wallace) |
|---|---|---|
| Pierre, a scholar | 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... |
Pryce |
| Father Philippe, a priest | bass | Joseph Ward |
| Louis, a farmer | baritone Baritone Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or... |
Maher |
| Alison, his wife | soprano Soprano A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody... |
Irene Eastwood |
Synopsis
The setting is a 13th-century farmhouse in France, the home of Louis, a farmer, and his wife Alison.Louis is preparing to go to town to obtain provisions, and tries to kiss Alison before leaving, but she rebuffs him. After Louis departs, Alison pulls out a concealed almond-cake, a bottle of Burgundy, and pork, to entertain Father Philippe, who has designs on her. Father Philippe arrives, and makes a pass at Alison. She initially claims that she will not deceive her husband, but after she points out the attic and that the pork will take 20 minutes to cook, they start to move towards the attic. Just then, Pierre, a poor wandering scholar, arrives and begs for food. Alison is sympathetic to Pierre's plight, but Father Philippe wants Pierre to leave immediately. Alison allows Pierre to stay, finding him handsome. Pierre begins to tell his story. Father Philippe then brandishes Louis' cudgel and drives Pierre away.
Father Philippe then makes a second attempt to take Alison up to the attic, expressing concern about whether the ladder will bear his weight. Alison, however, hears Louis returning, and is concerned because she and Louis had no provisions when he had left for town. Alison and Father Philippe hide the cake, Burgundy and pork, and Father Philippe conceals himself. Louis and Pierre enter, with Louis asking Alison to provide food for Pierre. Alison protests that Louis was supposed to go to town to obtain provisions. Pierre begins to tell a tale about a herd of pigs, and lets slip that there is a piece of pork in the pot on the stove. Louis is stunned at this, and asks Alison if there is pork in the pot. Alison denies this, but Louis asks to take the lid off, which reveals the pork. Alison feigns surprise, and as Pierre continues his story of the pigs and a wolf, where the story parallels the earlier situation with him, Alison and Father Philippe. Alison protests that Pierre is some sort of demonic wizard who made the food magically appear, but Pierre finishes his tale with an allusion to a hidden priest who would have robbed them. Louis discovers Father Philippe and drives him out of the house. Alison brings the cooked pork to the table. Louis orders Pierre to sit at the table. Alison is about to do the same, but Louis orders her not to sit, and instead to go up to the attic. She obeys nervously, with Louis following her with his cudgel. Pierre settles down to food and drink as the curtain falls.
Recordings
- HMV ASD3097 (original LP issue) / EMI CDC 7 49409 2 (CD reissue): Norma BurrowesNorma BurrowesNorma Burrowes is an Irish coloratura soprano, particularly associated with Handel and Mozart roles.-Life and career:...
(Alison), Michael Rippon (Louis), Michael LangdonMichael LangdonMichael Langdon was a British bass opera singer.Langdon was born in Wolverhampton. He had six half brothers and sisters, the youngest, Maud being 19 years his senior. His father, Harry was sixty when his youngest son was born and by all accounts a very strong personality...
(Father Philippe), Robert TearRobert TearRobert Tear, CBE was a Welsh tenor and conductor.Tear was born in Barry, Glamorgan, Wales, UK, the son of Thomas and Edith Tear. He attended Barry Boys' Grammar School and during this period sang in the chorus of the first Welsh National Opera's production of 'Cavalleria Rusticana' in April 1946...
(Pierre); English Opera GroupEnglish Opera GroupThe English Opera Group was a small company of British musicians formed in 1947 by the composer Benjamin Britten for the purpose of presenting his and other, primarily British, composers' operatic works. The group later expanded in order to present larger-scale works, and was renamed the English...
; English Chamber OrchestraEnglish Chamber OrchestraThe English Chamber Orchestra is a British chamber orchestra based in London. The full orchestra regularly plays concerts at Cadogan Hall, and the ECO Ensemble performs at Wigmore Hall...
; Steuart BedfordSteuart BedfordSteuart John Rudolf Bedford is a British orchestral and opera conductor. He is the brother of composer David Bedford and a grandson of Liza Lehmann....
, conductor - Chandos CHAN 9734: Ingrid Attrot (Alison), Alan OpieAlan OpieAlan Opie is a Cornish baritone, primarily known as an opera singer.He attended Truro School and studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the London Opera Centre before joining the Sadler's Wells Opera...
(Louis), Donald Maxwell (Father Philippe), Neill Archer (Pierre); Northern SinfoniaNorthern SinfoniaThe Northern Sinfonia is a British chamber orchestra, based initially in Newcastle upon Tyne, and currently in Gateshead. For the first 46 years of its history, the orchestra gave the bulk of its concerts at the City Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne. Since 2004, the orchestra has been resident at The...
; Richard HickoxRichard HickoxRichard Sidney Hickox CBE was an English conductor of choral, orchestral and operatic music.-Early life:Hickox was born in Stokenchurch in Buckinghamshire into a musical family...
, conductor