PRINCESS IDA

 

 

 

 

Gilbert wrote a play, The Princess, that was performed in 1870.   This was based on Lord Tennyson’s poem “The Princess”.   The play was used in writing the libretto of Princess Ida.   Most of the dialogue was taken from the play and the blank verse was retained.  

 

Sullivan was not keen about Princess Ida, at first, but he liked it very much as it developed.   Princess Ida was the only Savoy opera in three acts and the nearest of them all to grand opera.

 

In Princess Ida, a treaty had been signed 20 years ago by King Hildebrand and King Gama arranging that King Hildebrand’s son, Prince Hilarion, will marry King Gama’s daughter, Princess Ida, when they are both 20 years old.   They have now reached that age, but Princess Ida is more interested in women’s education than in men , and has founded a university only for women.   She has vowed never to marry, but to devote her life to feminist issues.   Prince Hilarion wishes to win Princess Ida’s love and to marry her.  

 

Hilarion and two friends, Florian and Cyril, climb the wall of the university, discover some academic robes which they wear as a disguise, and hope that they will be accepted as three wellborn maidens.   This did not succeed for long, but they think it is worth a try.   Hilarion and his friends are arrested, but it is not long before King Hildebrand arrives with troops and threatens that if Princess Ida refuses to fulfil the vow made when she was a child he will demolish her castle.   Hildebrand gives Ida until tomorrow afternoon to release Hilarion and agree to marry him.   A battle does ensue the following day, but nobody is injured.