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INTRODUCTION
The Beauty Stone was deliberately conceived as a musical drama different from every other production that had preceded it at the Savoy Theatre. It is an intelligent, well-crafted play with complex characters developed through compelling situations and where the internal conflicts of the characters are as important as the external plot. However, the Savoy audience wanted humour. This, and competition from the new theatrical art form of musical comedy produced at other London theatres, sealed the opera's doom.
Dramatis Personæ
Guntran of Beaugrant
Simon Limal (a Weaver)
Nicholas Dircks (Burgomaster of Mirlemont)
Peppin (a dwarf)
A Seneschal
A Lad of the Town
Baldwyn of Ath
The Lords of Sirault, Velaines, and St. Sauveur
The Devil
Laine (the Weaver's daughter)
Joan (the Weaver's wife)
Jacqueline
Loyse, from St. Denis
Isabeau, from Florennes
Barbe, from Bovigny
A Shrewish Girl
A Matron
Saida
Knights, Dames, Pages, Aldermen, Soldiers, Townsfolk, Country-folk, Dancers, Lute-players, Serving-men, and the rest.
The story is laid in the Flemish town of Mirlemont in the beginning of the 15th century.
ACT I.
SCENE 1. — The Weaver's Home.
SCENE 2. — The Market-place.
ACT II.
SCENE 1. — A Hall in the Castle.
SCENE 2. — The Weaver's Home.
SCENE 3. — Between the Castle and the North Gate.
ACT III.
SCENE 1. — The Terrace of the Castle.
SCENE 2. — The Market-place.
Robin Gordon-Powell has kindly allowed us to use his new vocal score in their revision and to provide music for numbers omitted from the vocal score published in 1898.
The vocal score and a full orchestral score are available from The Amber Ring.
THE WEB OPERA
| INTRODUCTION | ||||
| Act I | ||||
| Scene 1 | ||||
| No. 1 | DUET (Simon, Joan) | "Click, clack" | ||
| DIALOGUE | ||||
| No. 2 | CHORUS | "Hobble, hobble, now we've caught her" | ||
| DIALOGUE | ||||
| No. 2a | CHORUS (with solos) | "Maidens and men of Mirlemont town" | ||
| DIALOGUE | ||||
| No. 3 | PRAYER (Laine) | "Dear Mary Mother" | ||
| DIALOGUE | ||||
| No. 4 | QUARTET (Laine, Joan, Simon, Devil) | "Who stands within?" | ||
| DIALOGUE | ||||
| No. 5 | RECIT. & SONG (The Devil) | "Since it dwelt in that rock" | ||
| Scene 2 | ||||
| No. 6 | CHORUS | "The bells are ringing o'er Mirlemont | ||
| Town" | ||||
| DIALOGUE | ||||
| No. 7 | DUET (Jacqueline, Devil) | "My name is crazy Jacqueline" | ||
| DIALOGUE | ||||
| No. 7a | ENTRANCE OF BERGOMASTER & CROWD | ""The bells are ringing o'er Mirlemont | ||
| Town" | ||||
| DIALOGUE | ||||
| No. 8 | SCENE (Saida, Loyse,Philip, Nicholas) | "Know ye all!" | ||
| DIALOGUE | ||||
| No. 9 | FINALE — ACT I | "Go, bring forth old Simon's daughter" | ||
| ACT II | ||||
| Scene 1 | ||||
| No. 10 | CHORUS | "With cards and dice" | ||
| DIALOGUE | ||||
| No. 11 | SCENE (Saida, Philip, Eastern Girls, | "Though she should dance" | ||
| Chorus) | ||||
| DIALOGUE | ||||
| No. 12 | DUET (Laine and Philip) | "I love thee —" | ||
| DIALOGUE | ||||
| No. 13 | SCENE (Laine, Saida, Philip, the Devil, | "I'll tell them what thou wast —" | ||
| Guntran, Three Lords, Chorus of Men) |
||||
| Scene 2 | ||||
| DIALOGUE | ||||
| No. 13b | TRIO (Laine, Joan, Simon) | "Look you — 'tis she!" | ||
| DIALOGUE | ||||
| No. 14 | DUET (Simon and Joan) | " I would see a maid" | ||
| DIALOGUE | ||||
| No. 15 | QUINTET (Saida, Laine, Joan, Simon, | "Haste thee! haste thee!" | ||
| the Devil) | ||||
| Scene 3 | ||||
| DIALOGUE | ||||
| No. 15b | DUET (Jacqueline, the Devil) | "Up and down, and through the town" | ||
| DIALOGUE | ||||
| No. 16 | FINALE — ACT II | "There he stands" | ||
| ACT III | ||||
| Scene 1 | ||||
| No. 17a | INTRODUCTION & SONG (Laine) | "An hour agone 'twas the moon that | ||
| shone" | ||||
| DIALOGUE | ||||
| No. 17b | SONG (Laine) | "The white moon lay on the ruined hay" | ||
| DIALOGUE | ||||
| No. 18 | SONG (Jacqueline) | "Why dost thou sigh and moan?" | ||
| DIALOGUE | ||||
| No. 19 | SONG (Saida) | "Mine, mine at last!" | ||
| DIALOGUE | ||||
| No. 19a | SONG (Laine) | "With roses red they crowned her head" | ||
| DIALOGUE | ||||
| No. 20 | SCENE (Saida, the Devil) | "So all is lost for ever!" | ||
| Scene 2 | ||||
| No. 21 | CHORUS & DANCE | "O'er Mirlemont City the banners" | ||
| DIALOGUE | ||||
| No. 22 | FINALE — ACT III | "Hail to the lord of our land" | ||
Page modified 22 October 2011