Utopia, Limited
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Utopia Limited, or The Flowers of Progress, is a Savoy Opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It was the second-to-last of Gilbert and Sullivan's fourteen collaborations, premiering on October 7, 1893 for a run of 245 performances.
Gilbert's libretto satirizes limited liability companies, and particularly the idea that a bankrupt company could leave creditors unpaid without any liability to its owners. It also lampoons the "Stock Company Act" by imagining the absurd convergence of natural persons and legal entities. In addition, it mocks the conceits of the late 19th-century British empire and several of the nation's beloved institutions. The libretto has been criticized as too long and rambling, and several subplots are never resolved, due to Sullivan refusing to set some scenes.
Utopia is performed much less frequently than most other Gilbert and Sullivan operas. It can be expensive to produce, requiring a large principal cast and two costumes for most of the performers. The subject-matter and plot are obscure for modern audiences. And although it contains some fine music, it perhaps has less than Sullivan's usual quota of unforgettable tunes. Still, Utopia has its fans. George Bernard Shaw stated: "I enjoyed the score of Utopia more than that of any of the previous Savoy operas."
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[edit] Background
During the production of Gilbert and Sullivan's previous opera, The Gondoliers, Gilbert became embroiled in a legal dispute with their producer, Richard D'Oyly Carte, over the cost of a new carpet for the Savoy Theatre – and, more generally, over the accounting for expenses over the course of their long partnership. Sullivan sided with Carte, and the partnership was forced to disband.
After The Gondoliers closed, it would be more than two years before Utopia appeared. The lawsuit had left Gilbert and Sullivan somewhat embittered, and their last two works together may have suffered from a less collegial working relationship than the two men had typically enjoyed while writing earlier operas. Many commentators have found flaws in both the writing and post-premiere editing of these last works that, in earlier days, Gilbert and Sullivan would have been able to fix. Utopia had a less successful run than the previous Gilbert and Sullivan operas, and these flaws were only one of the reasons. In addition, the taste of the London theatregoing public had shifted away from comic opera and towards musical comedies, such as A Gaiety Girl, which were to dominate the London stage for the next two decades.
Utopia also introduced Gilbert's last protegée, Nancy McIntosh, as Princess Zara, and the role was much expanded to accommodate her - which scholar John Wolfson believes[1] damaged and unbalanced the script by detracting from its parody of government. Gilbert and Sullivan disagreed about this and other matters, and Sullivan refused to set one of Gilbert's scenes for McIntosh, which left the Scaphio-Phantis-Zara subplot partially unresolved. Utopia, Limited was to be McIntosh's only part with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. Discussions over her playing the role of Yum-Yum in a proposed revival of The Mikado led to another row between the two that prevented the revival, and Gilbert's insistance upon her appearing in His Excellency caused Sullivan to refuse to set the piece.[2] Three more years would pass before Gilbert and Sullivan collaborated again, on their last work, The Grand Duke.
[edit] Roles
Utopians
- King Paramount the First, King of Utopia (baritone)
- Phantis, Scaphio, Judges of the Utopian Supreme Court (comic baritones)
- Tarara, The Public Exploder (comic baritone)
- Calynx, The Utopian Vice-Chamberlain (speaking)
- The Princess Zara, eldest daughter of King Paramount (soprano)
- The Princess Nekaya (soprano) and The Princess Kalyba (mezzo-soprano), her younger sisters
- The Lady Sophy, their English Gouvernante (contralto)
- Salata (speaking), Melene (speaking), and Phylla (soprano), Utopian Maidens
Imported Flowers of Progress
- Lord Dramaleigh, a British Lord Chamberlain (high baritone)
- Captain Fitzbattleaxe, First Life Guards (tenor)
- Captain Sir Edward Corcoran, KCB, of the Royal Navy (bass)
- Mr. Goldbury, a Company Promoter, afterwards Comptroller of the Utopian Household (baritone)
- Sir Bailey Barre, Q.C., M.P. (tenor)
- Mr. Blushington, of the County Council (baritone)
[edit] Synopsis
[edit] Act I
The action takes place on the imaginary South Pacific island of Utopia, whose monarch, King Paramount, has sent his daughter, Princess Zara, on a voyage to Britain to learn how to civilise his people. The Public Exploder, Tarara, enters, disturbing the langour of the chorus to discuss how he as the duty to blow up the King if the two "Wise Men", Scaphio and Phantis, order him to do so. The Wise Men enter, heralded by the chorus ("O make way for the Wise Men"). The King himself soon enters ("A King of autocratic power we") and, expressing no ill will towards his perpetual blackmailers, he joins the two in a trio commenting on life's farce ("First you're born"). In fact, the King is quite upset – he is unable to marry the Lady Sophy, his younger daughters' English governess, because of self-mocking articles Scaphio and Phantis have forced him to write under a pseudonym.
Princess Zara now returns to Utopia with six British gentleman (the "Flowers of Progress") in tow ("Five years have flown"). She sings a duet with her love interest, Captain Fitzbattleaxe ("Ah! gallant soldier, brave and true") while Scaphio and Phantis agree to duel one another for her love ("It's understood, I think").
In the act's finale, the Utopians assemble and Zara introduces the Flowers of Progress one by one – Fitzbattleaxe (of the army), Sir Bailey Barre (Q.C. and M.P.), Lord Dramaleigh (a Lord Chamberlain), Mr. Blushington (of the county council), Mr. Goldbury (a company promoter) and Captain Corcoran (of the navy – a joking reference to the popular Gilbert and Sullivan character from HMS Pinafore). The Utopian people are duly impressed, and they listen closely to Mr. Goldbury, who convinces the King to transform his entire country into a limited liability corporation – even before Britain herself has accepted such an "innovation"! Everyone but Scaphio, Phantis and Tarara is enthusiastic, and the act ends with the rapturous acceptance of the infusions of British society and institutions.
[edit] Act II
Zara and Fitzbattleaxe share a tender scene. Utopia has transformed itself into a "more perfect" replica of Britain – it has built an army, a navy, and courts, purified its literature, and wholeheartedly adopted Mr. Goldbury's proposal, and every person now has limited liability.
The Flowers of Progress exult in their success ("Society has quite forsaken"), and the people sing of the country's newfound glory ("Eagle high in cloudland soaring"). Scaphio and Phantis are furious because the change poses a threat to their power ("With fury deep we burn"). They demand that Paramount revoke the change, and when he refuses, they remind him of their power over his life ("If you think that when banded in unity"). But the King points out that they cannot blow up a limited company. Scaphio and Phantis plot with Tarara on how to reverse the course of events and retire.
The King, his dignity rediscovered, approaches Lady Sophy and tells her the truth about the articles written about him, and she now happily agrees to marry him ("Oh, rapture unrestrained"). But Scaphio and Phantis succeed in convincing the people of Utopia that the changes are for the worse – they have put an end to war, making the army and navy useless; sanitation is so good that doctors are unemployed; so perfect are the laws that crime has all but ended, emptying the courts – and all demand that the changes be revoked.
Puzzled, Paramount asks his daughter for a solution, and, after a little prodding from Sir Bailey Barre, she realizes that she has forgotten "the most essential element of all": Government by Party! With this adopted, each party will so confound the efforts of the other that no progress will be made at all, leading to the prosperity that everyone seeks. The crowd is overjoyed, Scaphio and Phantis are thrown in prison, and the curtain falls as the people sing their praises of "a little group of isles beyond the wave".
[edit] Musical numbers
- Introduction1
[edit] Act I
- 1. "In lazy languor motionless" (Phylla and Chorus of Girls)
- 2. "O make way for the Wise Men" (Chorus)
- 2a. "In every mental lore" (Scaphio and Phantis)
- 3. "Let all your doubts take wing" (Scaphio and Phantis)
- 4. "Quaff the nectar" (Chorus)
- 4a. "A King of autocratic power we" (King with Chorus)
- 4b. "Although of native maids the cream" (Nekaya and Kalyba)
- 4c. "Bold-faced ranger" (Lady Sophy with Chorus)
- 5. "First you're born" (King with Scaphio and Phantis)
- 6. "Subjected to your heavenly gaze" (King and Lady Sophy)
- 7. "Oh, maiden rich in Girton lore" (Zara, Fitz., Troopers, and Chorus)
- 8. "Ah! gallant soldier" (Zara, Fitz., Troopers, and Chorus)
- 9. "It's understood, I think" (Zara, Fitz., Scaphio, and Phantis)
- 10. "Oh, admirable art" (Zara and Fitz.)
- (11. Cut song for Zara, "Youth is a boon avowed", sung on the first night but now lost.)
- 12. Act I Finale: "Although your Royal summons to appear" (Ensemble) and "When Britain sounds the trump of war" (Zara, Sir Bailey Barre, and Chorus)
- 12a. "What these may be" (Zara, Dramaleigh, Blushington, and Chorus) and "A company promoter this" (Zara, Goldbury, and Chorus)
- 12b. "I'm Captain Corcoran, K.C.B." (Capt. Corcoran with Chorus) and "Ye wand'rers from a mighty State" (Quartet, Chorus, and Soli)
- 12c. "Some seven men form an association" (Mr. Goldbury with Chorus), "Well, at first sight it strikes us as dishonest" (Ensemble), and "Henceforward of a verity" (King Paramount and Ensemble)
[edit] Act II
- 13. "Oh, Zara!" and "A tenor, all singers above" (Fitz.)
- 14. "Words of love too loudly spoken" (Zara and Fitz.)
- 15. "Society has quite forsaken" (King with Chorus of Six Flowers of Progress)
- 16. Entrance of Court
- 17. Drawing Room Music
- 18. "This ceremonial", "Eagle high in cloudland soaring" (King and Ensemble)
- 19. "With fury deep we burn" (Scaphio, Phantis, and King Paramount)
- 20. "If you think that when banded in unity" (King, Scaphio and Phantis)
- 21. "With wily brain" (Scaphio, Phantis, and Tarara)
- 22. "A wonderful joy our eyes to bless" (Mr. Goldbury)
- 23. "Then I may sing and play?" (Nek., Kal., Lord D., and Mr. Goldbury)
- 24. "Oh, would some demon pow'r", "When but a maid of fifteen year" (Lady Sophy)
- 25. "Ah, Lady Sophy, then you love me!" (King and Lady Sophy)
- 25a. "Oh, rapture unrestrained" (King and Lady Sophy)
- 25b. Tarantella
- 26. "Upon our sea-girt land" (Chorus)
- 27. Finale Act II: "There's a little group of isles beyond the wave" (Zara, King Paramount, and Ensemble)
1 On the 1976 recording, the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company preceded the Introduction with Sullivan's Imperial March, which he composed around the same time.
[edit] Original cast
| Soon after Sir Luke Fildes had been rewarded by a grateful country for his services to Art, Gilbert met him at a social gathering and congratulated him on his new honours. In the course of conversation, Sir Luke reminded Gilbert that the Dairy Maid "Patience" had been made up to exactly resemble the subject of his first successful picture, Where are you going to, my pretty maid? "Yes, I remember borrowing the idea for my milkmaid's costume from your picture," replied Gilbert, "but I have repaid that debt long ago by being the responsible cause of your new title." |
| "Responsible for my new title, how do you make that out?" asked the puzzled Sir Luke. |
"Oh, it's easily explained," answered Gilbert. Didn't I write in Utopia:[3]
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| "Well, your prophecy is certainly a pattern of modified accuracy," exclaimed Sir Luke, "I would like to be similarly accurate in your case." |
| -From Edith A. Browne's "Stars of the Stage: W. S. Gilbert" (1907), page 93. |
The opening night principal cast was as follows:
- King Paramount the First - Rutland Barrington
- Phantis - W. H. Denny
- Scaphio - John Le Hay
- Tarara - Walter Passmore
- Calynx - Bowden Haswell
- The Princess Zara - Nancy McIntosh
- The Princess Nekaya - Emmie Owen
- The Princess Kalyba - Florence Perry
- The Lady Sophy - Rosina Brandram
- Salata - Edith Johnston
- Melene - May Bell
- Phylla - Florence Easton
- Lord Dramaleigh - Scott Russell
- Captain Fitzbattleaxe - Charles Kenningham
- Captain Sir Edward Corcoran, KCB - Lawrence Gridley
- Mr. Goldbury - Scott Fishe
- Sir Bailey Barre - Enes Blackmore
- Mr. Blushington - Herbert Ralland
[edit] Notes
- ^ In his book Final Curtain
- ^ Wolfson, pages 61-62
- ^ No 15, "Society has quite forsaken all her wicked courses"
[edit] References
- Wolfson, John (1976). Final curtain: The last Gilbert and Sullivan Operas. London: Chappell in association with A. Deutsch. ISBN 0903443120
- Graham, Bruce: "From Bambouli to Utopia: Offenbach’s Whittington as a possible source for Utopia, Limited" in The Gaiety, Spring 2006, pp. 23-27. Editor: Roderick Murray.
- Browne, Edith A. (1907). Stars of the Stage: W. S. Gilbert. London: John Lane, The Bodley Head.
[edit] External links
- Utopia Limited at The Gilbert & Sullivan Archive
- Utopia Limited at The Gilbert & Sullivan Discography
- Political analysis of the work as a reflection of British imperialism
- Utopia review
- Article on Utopia and Gilbert's satire of corporation law
| Gilbert and Sullivan | |
|---|---|
| The Triumvirate: W. S. Gilbert | Arthur Sullivan | Richard D'Oyly Carte |
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| The Gilbert and Sullivan Operas: Thespis • Trial by Jury • The Sorcerer • H.M.S. Pinafore • The Pirates of Penzance • Patience • Iolanthe • Princess Ida The Mikado • Ruddigore • The Yeomen of the Guard • The Gondoliers • Utopia, Limited • The Grand Duke |
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| Other Works: Other Works by W. S. Gilbert • Other Operas by Arthur Sullivan • Other Music by Arthur Sullivan |
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| People: People associated with Gilbert and Sullivan • Gilbert and Sullivan performers |
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