A Fistful Of Libretti

[poliphilo]

           


I'm a bit smug about this- and I don't suppose there's any way round it, so sorry, but I can't help myself.

I picked up this set of libretti for the Savoy Operas at the Tip Shop and they cost me £2.00 for the lot.

There's no date of publication but the look and feel of them  suggests to me that they're over 100 years old.

It's not a complete set. It lacks The Yeoman of the Guard, Utopia Limited and The Grand Duke. My guess is it belonged to some Eastbourne based am-dram enthusiast- and lacks The Yeoman because it's almost a proper opera and beyond the resources of a local am-dram society and the other two because they never caught on.

Will I actually read them? Yes, I will. And when it comes to the tunes I know I may actually sing them (but under my breath so that Ailz doesn't throw things at me.)

Yesterday, by the way, was World Opera Day. Synchronicity or what!

Comments

[cmcmck]

I have a number of the full scores as I was involved in performance when younger.

I was in Yeoman twice so some local groups can handle it.

[poliphilo]

I had a bit of a thing about G & S when I was a kid. but reading the libretti is something I've never done before. I find that they are in fact laugh-out-loud funny. The productions I've seen have tended to blunt Gilbert's humour- which can be deliciously heartless.

[paserbyp]

£2.00? I believe on Sotheby’s it be much more…

[poliphilo]

I checked to see what people were asking for similar items on eBay etc- and found that I got bargain but not an enormous one.

[paserbyp]

I see…