Overview
Synopsis
The Grand Duke was the fourteenth and final Savoy Opera written by W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan. In the fictional German grand duchy of Pfennig-Halbpfennig, the miserly, mean-spirited Grand Duke, Rudolph, has made himself deeply unpopular with his people. Members of Ernest Dummkopf's theatrical company are plotting to assassinate Rudolph and promote Ernest to the Dukedom. They guard their plot with a unique secret signal: the practice of eating a sausage roll! However, when the troupe’s leading comedian. Ludwig, accidentally reveals their plans to the Grand Duke’s private detective, a notary suggests using an old law of the 'Statutory Duel', which is due to expire the next day. This bloodless duel is resolved through drawing cards, with the loser simply declared to be dead (but then able to come back to life the following day when the law expires). Ludwig wins against Ernest and soon inveigles his way into Rudolph’s court. When Rudolph fears that an old betrothal contract might get in the way of his forthcoming marriage to the wealthy Baroness Caroline von Krakenfeldt, Ludwig cunningly suggests that they could use the statutory duel law to allow Rudolph to ‘die’ and disappear for a day, by which time the contract will have expired.
With Ludwig now the Grand Duke, he now finds himself claimed by not one but four women as their husband. In the midst of the chaos, the notary returns to explain that the statutory duel law decrees that the Ace counts lowest, and Ludwig's victories over both Ernest and the Grand Duke are therefore invalid. Ludwig is returned to his first love, Lisa, Ernest marries the troupe’s leading lady, and Rudolph must honor his betrothal contract to the Princess of Monte Carlo.
Show Information
- Music
- Arthur Sullivan
- Lyrics
- W.S. Gilbert
- Libretto
- W.S. Gilbert
- Category
- Operetta
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 1896
- Genres
- Satire, Comedy
- Settings
- Period, Multiple Settings
- Time & Place
- The Grand Duchy of Pfennig-Halbpfennig, 1750
- Cast Size
- large
- Orchestra Size
- Large
- Dancing
- Some Dance
- Licensor
- None/royalty-free
- Ideal For
- College/University, Community Theatre, Regional Theatre, Mostly Female Cast, Includes Mature Adult, Adult, Young Adult Characters, Large Cast
Context
Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone, Tenor |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano, Alto |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Tenor, Baritone |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Tenor, Baritone |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano, Alto |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano, Alto |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano, Alto |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Alto, Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Ensemble |
Either Gender |
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Baritone, Bass |
Songs
Act One
- 1. "Won't it be a pretty wedding?" (Chorus)
- 1a. "Pretty Lisa, fair and tasty" (Lisa and Ludwig with Chorus)
- 2. "By the mystic regulation" (Ludwig with Chorus)
- 3. "Were I a king in very truth" (Ernest with Chorus)
- 4. "How would I play this part" (Julia and Ernest)
- 5. "My goodness me! What shall I do?", "Ten minutes since I met a chap" (Ludwig and Chorus)
- 6. "About a century since" (Notary)
- 7. "Strange the views some people hold" (Julia, Lisa, Ernest, Notary, and Ludwig)
- 8. "Now take a card and gaily sing" (Julia, Lisa, Ernest, Notary, and Ludwig)
- 9. "The good Grand Duke" (Chorus of Chamberlains)
- 9a. "A pattern to professors of monarchical autonomy" (Grand Duke)
- 10. "As o'er our penny roll we sing" (Baroness and Grand Duke)
- 11. "When you find you're a broken-down critter" (Grand Duke)
- 12. Finale, Act I
- - "Come hither, all you people" (Ensemble)
- - "Oh, a monarch who boasts intellectual graces" (Ludwig with Chorus)
- - "Ah, pity me, my comrades true" (Julia with Chorus)
- - "Oh, listen to me, dear" (Julia and Lisa with Chorus)
- - "The die is cast" (Lisa with Chorus)
- - "For this will be a jolly Court" (Ludwig and Chorus)
Act Two
- 13. "As before you we defile" (Chorus)
- 14. "Your loyalty our Ducal heart-string touches" (Ludwig with Chorus)
- 14a. "At the outset I may mention" (Ludwig with Chorus)
- 15. "Yes, Ludwig and his Julia are mated" (Ludwig)
- 15a. "Take care of him – he's much too good to live" (Lisa)
- 16. "Now Julia, come, consider it from" (Julia and Ludwig)
- 17. "Your Highness, there's a party at the door" (Chorus)
- 17a. "With fury indescribable I burn" (Baroness and Ludwig)
- 18. "Now away to the wedding we go" (Baroness and Chorus)
- 19. "So ends my dream", "Broken ev'ry promise plighted" (Julia)
- 20. "If the light of love's lingering ember" (Julia, Ernest, and Chorus)
- 21. "Come, bumpers – aye, ever-so-many" (Baroness with Chorus)
- 22. "Why, who is this approaching?" (Ludwig and Chorus)
- 23. "The Prince of Monte Carlo" (Herald and Chorus)
- 24. "His highness we know not" (Ludwig)
- 25. "We're rigged out in magnificent array" (Prince of Monte Carlo)
- 26. Dance
- 27. "Take my advice – when deep in debt" (Prince of Monte Carlo with Chorus)
- 28. "Hurrah! Now away to the wedding" (Ensemble)
- 28a. "Well, you're a pretty kind of fellow" (Grand Duke with Chorus)
- 29. "Happy couples, lightly treading" (Ensemble)
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
A long accompanied song for a solo voice.
A short and usually humorous opera, generally incorporating more spoken dialogue than traditional opera.
A style of comic opera that developed in Victorian England in the late nineteenth century. W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan were the original and most successful practitioners.
An actress or other female performer playing a lively, flirtatious role in a play or opera.
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Guide Written By:
Alexandra Appleton
Writer, editor and theatre researcher