Gilbert and Sullivan Archive

THE ROSE OF PERSIA

Web Opera

The Web Opera
Plot Summary
Opening night review from the London Times, published November 30, 1899.
MIDI Documentation and Help

INTRODUCTION

BBC Rose Recording
A recording of The Rose of Persia was included with the May 1999 issue of the BBC Music Magazine. The edition distributed in Great Britain included the full opera on two CD's. The edition distributed elsewhere had an abbreviated edition on a single CD. In the upper right-hand corner of each song page in this Web Opera there is a symbol which indicates the CD and track this song is on in the two-CD edition.

The latest in our very popular series of Web Opeas — The Rose of Persia, with story by Basil Hood and music by Sir Arthur Sullivan. This opera was first produced at the Savoy Theatre, London, on November 29, 1899. The Rose of Persia was the Savoy theatre's biggest success in some time, and it led to another Hood and Sullivan opera, The Emerald Isle. Rose was Sullivan's last completed opera, however, as he died before completing Emerald Isle.

As with our other web operas, full lyrics and dialogue are included. And, if you have the recent BBC Music Magazine CD of this opera, you can follow through the entire opera on these pages.

These midi files were sequenced by Ronald Orenstein.

THE WEB OPERA

"Introduction"

[10K, 3 min. 16 seconds]

Act I

No. 1. "As we lie in languor lazy", Sung by Chorus of Girls, and song "I'm Abu-el-Hassan", Sung by Hassan.

[33K, 3 min. 11 seconds].

No. 2. "When Islam first arose"

[17K, 2 min. 46 seconds] Sung by Abdallah with Chorus of Girls.

No. 3. "O Life has put into my hand"

[9K, 1 min. 52 seconds] Sung by Dancing Sunbeam.

No. 4. "Sunbeam! The Priest keeps saying" and "If a sudden stroke of Fate" Sung by Blush-of-Morning, Dancing Sunbeam, and Abdallah

[14K, 2 min. 4 seconds].

No. 5. "If you ask me to advise you"

[19K, 2 min. 27 seconds] Sung by Rose-in-Bloom, Scent-of-Lilies, and Heart's Desire.

No. 6. "'Neath my lattice through the night"

[16K, 2 min. 14 seconds] Sung by Rose-in-Bloom.

No. 7. "Tramps and scamps and halt and blind"

[12K, 2 min. 24 seconds] Sung by Chorus.

No. 8. "When my father sent me to Ispahan"

[12K, 1 min. 18 seconds] Sung by Hassan with Chorus.

No. 9. "Peace be upon this house" and "I care not if the cup I hold"

[17K, 2 min. 25 seconds] Sung by Yussuf with Chorus.

No. 10. "Musical Maidens are we" and "Dance and Song"

[38K, 4 min. 34 seconds] Sung by Ensemble, with Dancers and Chorus.

No. 11. "We have come to invade"

[14K, 2 min. 11 seconds] Sung by Abdallah and Hassan with Chorus.

No. 12. "The Sultan's Executioner"

[32K, 2 min. 2 seconds] Octet and Dance.

No. 13. "I'm the Sultan's Vigilant Vizier"

[19K, 1 min. 49 seconds] Sung by Sultan, Grand Vizier, Physician, and Excutioner.

No. 14. "Oh, luckless hour! (Finale)"

"O luckless hour" Sung by Chorus of Girls

"O ladies, what assails you?" and "You'll understand that now and then" Sung by Sultan with Chorus

"With marial gait—with kettle-drums" Sung by Chorus

"Attended by these Palace Warders" Sung by Grand Vizier, Physician, Executioner and Chorus

"Oh, fit the arrows of respect" Sung by Chorus

[97K, 13 min. 54 seconds]

Act II

No. 15, "Oh, What is Love?"

[12K, 1 min. 54 seconds] Sung by Heart's Desire and Yussuf.

No. 16. "If You or I Should Tell the Truth"

[22K, 2 min. 25 seconds] Sung by Scent-of-Lilies, Honey-of-Life, Heart's Desire, and Yussuf.

No. 17. "From Morning Prayer the Sultan"

[26K, 2 min. 43 seconds] Sung by Physician, Grand Visier, and Executioner.

No. 18. "Let a Satirist Enumerate a Catalogue"

[17K, 2 min. 28 seconds] Sung by Sultan with Chorus.

No. 19. "In the Heart of My Heart's I've Always"

[30K, 2 min. 42 seconds] Sung by Dancing Sunbeam with others.

No. 20. "Suppose — I say, Suppose"

[14K, 2 min. 31 seconds] Sung by Rose-in-Bloom and Sultan.

No. 21. "Laughing Low, on Tip-Toe"

[17K, 2 min. 51 seconds] Sung by Hassan, Physician, Vizier, and Executioner.

No. 22. "It's a Busy, Busy, Busy, Busy Day for Thee"

[25K, 2 min. 5 seconds] Sung by Scent of Lilies, Heart's Desire, Yussuf, Hassan, and Executioner, with Chorus.

No. 23. "Our Tale is Told"

[10K, 2 min. 7 seconds] Sung by Yussuf.

No. 24. "What Does it Mean?"

[13K, 2 min. 51 seconds] Sung by Dancing Sunbeam, Blush-of-Morning, Yussuf, and a Royal Guard.

No. 25. "It Has Reached Me A Lady"

[27K, 3 min. 16 seconds] Sung by Scent-of-Lilies, Honey-of-Life, Heart's Desire, Dancing Sunbeam, Yussuf, Hassan, and Abdallah.

No. 26. "Hassan, the Sultan with his Court"

[11K, 1 min. 54 seconds] Sung by Hassan, Physician, Executioner, Vizier, Sultan, and Chorus.

No. 27. "There Was Once a Small Street Arab"

[16K, 2 min. 6 seconds] Sung by Hassan with Chorus.

No. 28. "Finale"

[16K, 1 min. 22 seconds]

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Updated 8 October 2003