Princess Ida or Castle Adamant, the eighth comic opera written by librettist W. S. Gilbert and composer Arthur Sullivan, is their only three act opera. First performed at the Savoy Theatre on 5 January 1884, it was their seventh collaboration written for entrepreneur Richard D'Oyly Carte. Based on the poem "The Princess" by Sir Arthur Tennyson its poetic roots are reflected in the dialogue being in blank verse. Gilbert had written a musical farce based on the poem in 1870 and he lifted much of the libretto from his earlier play.
Cast of Characters
King Hildebrand (bass-baritone)
Hilarion, King Hildebrand's Son (tenor)
Cyril, Hilarion's Friend (tenor)
Florian, Hilarion's Friend (baritone)
King Gama (baritone)
Arac, King Gama's Son (bass-baritone)
Guron, King Gama's Son (bass-baritone)
Scynthius, King Gama's Son (bass)
Princess Ida, King Gama's Daughter (soprano)
Lady Blanche, Professor of Abstract Science (contralto)
Lady Psyche, Professor of Humanities (soprano)
Melissa, Lady Blanche's Daughter (mezzo-soprano)
Sacharissa, Girl Graduate (soprano)
Chloe, Girl Graduate (speaking role/chorus)
Ada, Girl Graduate (speaking role/chorus)
Chorus of Soldiers, Courtiers, Girl Graduates, Daughters of the Plough, etc
Act One
The first act takes place in a pavilion at King Hildebrand's Palace. The King and his court are awaiting the arrival of King Gama with his daughter Princess Ida who was betrothed to Hilarion as a baby twenty years earlier.
There is some doubt that Ida will honor the betrothal treaty. The princess is said to have locked herself away with several other women in a forming a female only university and community.
When Gama arrives instead of Ida, he has with him his three warrior sons. King Gama is an objectionable man his body crooked and his tongue sharp. Described by Hildebrand as,
"A twisted monster - all awry -
As though Dame Nature, angry with her work,
Had crumpled it in fitful petulance!"
Gama confirms the rumor of his daughter locking herself away with one hundred women in Castle Adamant. He tells them that even male animals are not allowed within the castle, the morning cockcrow carried out by an accomplished hen.
Hilarion with his two friends Florian and Cyril resolve to retrieve the princess from her university. To ensure the safety of his son and the two courtiers Hildebrand takes Gama and his sons into custody as hostages.
Act Two
This act takes place in the garden of Castle Adamant. It opens with Lady Psyche giving a lecture to the students. Lady Blanche enters with the list student punishments for transgressing the universities rules including Sacharissa who is expelled for bringing in a set of chessmen.
Then Princess Ida enters to exhort her students in their rejection of all things male. After this, they leave the stage to Lady Blanche who reveals her ambition to rule the university before leaving to deliver a lecture in the Hall of Arts.
Hilarion and his friends enter stealthily. Finding some academic robes the three men disguise themselves as female graduates.
The first person to meet the three "new students" is the princess. After assuring herself that they would prefer her maidens to any man and never intend to marry a man (to which the happily agree) she welcomes them into the university.
Left by the princess, the neat person to meet them is Lady Psyche whom Florian recognizes as his sister. As the men face death if found in the castle grounds she agrees to keep their secret. Asked why she decided to renounce mankind she tells them.
"We are all taught and, being taught, believe
That Man, sprung from an Ape, is Ape at heart"
Melissa, Lady Blanche's daughter, then joins them. She is fascinated by them, having never seen a man and agrees to keep their secret. As the five leave, Melissa's mother enters and calls her back.
Blanche is suspicious of the three new students as when they were singing two were tenors and the other a baritone. Melissa's stammering reply and finding a case contain cigars dropped by one of them confirms her suspicions. However, when Melissa points out that if Hilarion success in claiming his bride her mother will be in charge of the university Blanche agrees to keep the secret.
The students gather for luncheon and, while Ida talks with Hilarion, Cyril over imbibes and gets drunk. His increasingly risky comments arouse many suspicions and when he sings a drinking song Hilarion strikes him. Shocked Cyril calls Hilarion by his real name revealing the three men's read identities.
Calling for the maidens to leave Ida runs to a bridge over a stream and falls in. Hilarion dives in and saves her. Despite owing her life to him, the princess orders Hilarion and his companions imprisoned. With that, the three men are bound and led away.
The army of King Hildebrand arrive demanding admittance. The batter down the gate and bring in the princess's three brothers wearing handcuffs. Hildebrand demands that Ida releases Hilarion within twenty-four hours and consents to be his bride or he will kill Arac, Guron and Scynthius. The princess defies him as the act ends.
Act Three
In the courtyard an on the battlements of Castle Adamant the female graduates are, reluctantly, preparing for war using swords and battle-axes. The princess finds that her surgeon is unwilling to heal the wounded and cut of real live legs and arms. Her fusiliers have left their weapons in the armory for fear they might go off! The band is unwell and her chemist is unwilling to produce any gunpowder. Sending the ladies away the princess resolves to fight Hildebrand's army alone.
The ladies return with the news that King Gama and his sons desire admittance to the castle and that they come to fight for her. Despite them being men, the princess grants them admission although only Gama enters.
Gama tells his daughter of the horrendous torture he has undergone. Hildebrand gives him nothing to complain about! As he sings
"Oh, don't the days seem lank and long
When all goes right and nothing goes wrong,
And isn't your life extremely flat
With nothing whatever to grumble at!"
To save her father from further anguish Ida agrees to allow her brothers to act as her champions in a fight against Hilarion and his two friends. She orders the gates opened and Hildebrand's troops as well as the princess's three brothers enter.
Hilarion with Cyril and Florian are bought forward still wearing their women's clothes much to Gama's amusement.
Before the fight, Gama's three sons remove their armor as Arac sings an aria written in the style of Handel. The fight is brief and ends with Hilarion and his friends victorious.
Princess Ida submits to marrying Hilarion. She laments that now her dream of causing all women to abjure tyrannic man was no loner possible. As she says,
"But if I carried out this glorious scheme,
At my exalted name Posterity
Would bow in gratitude!"
To which Hildebrand replies,
"If you enlist all women in your cause,
And make them all abjure tyrannic Man,
The obvious question then arises, 'How
Is this Posterity to be provided?'"
Blanche takes over the university, while Psyche leaves with Cyril saying if he does not behave she will return to Caste Adamant. Melissa joins with Florian saying no matter how he turns out she will not return!
So ends the opera Princess Ida. Perhaps not the most politically correct opera and not one of the most famous of the G and S canon but certainly one of the most tuneful.
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