The Emerald Isle
The Emerald Isle; or, The Caves of Carrig-Cleena, is a two-act comic opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and Edward German, and a libretto by Basil Hood.
The opera premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 27 April 1901, closing on 9 November 1901 after a run of 205 performances.
The opening night cast included such Savoy regulars as Robert Evett, Walter Passmore, Henry Lytton, Rosina Brandram, Isabel Jay and Louie Pounds.
The opera was given a production in New York City at the Herald Square Theatre for 50 performances, opening on 1 September 1902 and closing on 18 October 1902.
The New York cast included Kate Condon as Molly and Jefferson De Angelis as Bunn.
They finally found a winning formula in The Rose of Persia by Arthur Sullivan and Basil Hood in 1899, and the two men quickly agreed to collaborate again on a new comic opera, The Emerald Isle.
[6] However, in mid-1900, Sullivan put aside his work on the opera, travelling to Germany and then focusing on a commission to compose what became his "Te Deum Laudamus – A Thanksgiving for Victory", celebrating the coming end of the Second Boer War.
At his death, Sullivan had finished two musical numbers from The Emerald Isle in their entirety, leaving behind sketches of at least the voice parts for about half of the others.
[8] Carte himself died on 27 April 1901, and the opera was produced by his widow, Helen, who engaged William Greet as manager of the Savoy Theatre during the run of The Emerald Isle.
In a picturesque Irish village, the chorus speculate that Terence O'Brian, a local hero who has long been absent abroad, will soon return.
O'Brien is sceptical, but as Bunn has overheard them, they decide it would be better to forcibly initiate him into their secret society, the Clan-na-Gael.
O'Brien tells Bunn that the ceremony will take place at midnight, at the Caves of Carrig-Cleena.
Molly warns O'Brien that the Caves of Carrig-Cleena are a dangerous hiding place for the rebels, because fairies reside there.
She tells him that the Fairy Cleena, their Queen, has taken a fancy to Blind Murphy, and does his house chores.
O'Brien is now even more convinced that Bunn can't be trusted, but as he wants to be alone with Rosie, he directs Susan to keep an eye on the Professor.
However, he has received an anonymous note warning that the rebel leader Terence O'Brien is in the area, and his hiding place is Carrig-Cleena.
Learning that Murphy is a musician, the Lieutenant hires him to play the bagpipes, anticipating a victory over the rebels.
Bunn comes out of Murphy's cottage dressed as an old man, but O'Brien quickly sees through the disguise.
O'Brien threatens to kill him, but Molly comes forward with an idea for deterring the soldiers.
Thinking quickly, Professor Bunn offers to tell the soldiers that he has been imprisoned by the fairies for the last fifty years, and that the same fate awaits them should they go near the caves.
O'Brien tells Bunn that the only way he can avoid death is if he can frighten away the eight hundred English soldiers that are now surrounding the area.
They develop a plan whereby Molly will once again appear as the Fairy Cleena, with her image projected on the rocks by an apparatus that Bunn provides.
Rosie will hide behind the rocks and sing a love-song, purportedly the fairies' siren song.
Molly stands up in his defence, pointing out that a blind man can't be a spy.
Professor Bunn, however, points out that all English noblemen nowadays are more than half American, and America is the friend of Ireland.
