The first performance of W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan's third opera, The Sorcerer, occurred at the Opera Comique on 17 November 1877. It marked their second collaboration for Richard D'Oyly Carte and was the first full-length piece they wrote for him.
Cast of Characters
Sir Marmaduke Pointdextre, an Elderly baronet (bass baritone)
Alexis, of the Grenadier Guards, his son (tenor)
Dr. Daly, Vicar of Ploverleigh (baritone)
Notary (bass)
John Wellington Wells, of J. W. Wells & Co. Family Sorcerers (baritone)
Lady Sangazure, a Lady of Ancient Lineage (contralto)
Aline, her Daughter, betrothed to Alexis (soprano)
Mrs. Partlet, a Pew Opener (contralto)
Constance, her Daughter (mezzo-soprano)
Chorus of villagers
Act One
The opera opens in the grounds of Sir Marmaduke's mansion as the villagers are preparing for the celebration of Alexis's betrothal to Aline. The men leave the stage after the opening chorus.
Mrs. Partlet enters with her daughter, Constance, who is unhappy as she is in love with the vicar and does not know how to tell him. When Dr. Daly, the vicar, arrives Mrs. Partlet tries to broach him on the subject of marriage but he does not understand that her daughter loves him. The vicar fears that it is too late for him to marry and that he will always be a bachelor.
The ladies leave the vicar alone and when Sir Marmaduke and his son arrive, he greets them. When Dr Daly leaves, Alexis and his father discuss the forthcoming ceremony a marriage, which meets with the baronet's approval. However, he is not happy with Alexis's enthusiasm for the marriage, which Sir Marmaduke deems unseemly. Sir Marmaduke admits to loving Aline's mother when they were younger but he did so without the show of emotion evident in his son.
As the two men withdraw, Aline enters accompanied by the female villagers. Having sung of her love, her mother joins her. Lady Sangazure's greeting is tinged with sadness but for herself not her daughter.
Alexis, his father and the men of the village, soon join the women. While Alexis an Aline greet each other with a show of love their parents greetings are formal. However, in their asides to the audience they both reveal a passionate love for each other.
A notary arrives with the marriage contract, which Alexis and Aline duly sign. Then everyone leaves the young couple alone.
Alexis confides to Aline that he wishes the entire village to feel the kind of love that the two of them share. To this end, he has employed John Wellington Wells, a sorcerer, to administer a love philter to everyone attending the celebratory feast.
Mr. Wells arrives and introduces himself with one of Gilbert and Sullivan's typical patter songs, "My name is John Wellington Wells". After assuring the couple that the love philter only works on unmarried people he performs an incantation as he laces a teapot with the philter.
The villagers return to enjoy the feast prepared for them including the drugged tea. After drinking the tea, all of them start feeling drowsy and confuse before falling asleep on the floor.
Act Two
This is still in the garden but it is now night, as 12 hours have elapsed.
Alexis, Aline and Mr. Wells enter to check on the sleeping villagers. When Alexis notices that his father is absent, Mr. Wells tells him that he had arranged for Sir Marmaduke, Lady Sangazure and Dr. Daly to be carried home to their beds as this seemed more fitting than letting them sleep al-fresco.
The three withdraw as the villagers start to awake. As they set eyes on a member of the opposite sex, they immediately fall in love. Constance arrives with the elderly deaf notary with whom she has fallen in love. He is the embodiment of everything she detests in a man but now she loves him dearly.
As the happy couples leave, Alexis and Aline enter. Alexis is overjoyed with the success of the love philter. He asks Aline to take the philter as well to ensure their love but she looks on the suggestion as if he doubts her love. Alexis looks on her refusal as a denial of their love.
Dr. Daly joins them with the news that most of the villagers have approached in a body to arrange marriages. He also believes Sir Marmaduke is intending remarrying. Unfortunately, for the vicar he has not found an unattached woman.
When Sir Marmaduke arrives with his intended Alexis is less than happy to find that his father has paired with Mrs. Partlet instead of Lady Sangazure. However, he welcomes her politely if coldly.
As they all leave, the sorcerer enters berating himself for the wrongs his spell is causing. Lady Sangazure arrives and seeing the unattached Mr. Wells, promptly falls in love with him. As he has not drunk the philter, he does not return her love. Instead, he details his faults to try to put her off. When this fails, he lies telling her that he is engaged to a girl on a South Pacific Island.
Aline resolves to take the philter as Alexis wishes. Hurrying to see Alexis after drinking the potion, she meets Dr. Daly first and falls in love with him. Alexis is furious at what he sees as a betrayal of their love, although Aline was unable to prevent it happening.
They turn to Mr. Wells in an attempt to reverse the affects of the potion. He tells them the only way to reverse the situation is for either himself or Alexis to sacrifice themselves to Ahrimanes.
Alexis offer to sacrifice himself but Aline objects. When all the others are restored to their normal selves, she will have lost her love. The two men allow the villagers to choose the sacrifice and the chose to offer Mr. Wells to Ahrimanes. The sorcerer bows to his fate and kneels as he calls on the spirits to take him.
When the sorcerer disappears in a cloud of smoke all are returned to their former loves. Alexis is with Aline, Sir Marmaduke with Lady Sangazure, Constance with Dr. Daly and the Notary joins with Mrs. Partlet. With the natural order returned the ensemble head for another feast in Sir Marmaduke's mansion.
Thus ends the Sorcerer, a whimsical and tuneful piece from the comic genius Gilbert and his skilled composer Sullivan. While not their best piece it is still worth seeing, if you get a chance to do so.
Reference Source:
The Gilbert and Sullivan Archive