Gilbert's comic opera The Mountebanks, with music by Alfred Cellier, was first performed on 4 January 1892 at the Lyric Theatre, London, but its genesis had taken place much earlier. This was the notorious "lozenge plot" that Gilbert had tried to press on Sullivan so often, but without success. After the "carpet quarrel," Gilbert offered the libretto to other composers. The opera had a highly respectable run of 229 performances, but has rarely been revived, although the Lyric Theatre Company of Washington D.C. recorded it in 1964.
- Review from The Illustrated London News, 9th January, 1892.
- Scores:
- Downloadable Vocal Score: A complete downloable vocal score in PDF format produced by Jim Cooper of Troupers Light Opera, New Canaan, Connecticut, from original MIDI files by Clifton Coles and Ronald Orenstein, and with editing by Adam Cuerden.
- Vocal scores and libretti of The Mountebanks may be rented from St. David's Players of Cullompton, Exeter, England. Send queries to Ian Bond at Ian@kentisview.freeserve.co.uk.
- Tams-Witmark Music Library, Inc. - The Tams-Whitmark Music Library, which is located in New York City, has available the original D'Oyly Carte Orchestration for Mountebanks.
Page modified
15 December, 2007
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