The Mountaineers (opera)
The opera opened at the Savoy Theatre in London on 29 September 1909, under the management of C. H. Workman, and ran for a total of 61 performances, after some additions were made by Arthur Wimperis.
[3] After a successful repertory season at the Savoy ending in March 1909, the now-frail Helen leased the theatre to actor Charles H. Workman, who had been a long-time principal performer with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company.
He was travelling in a train through the Rhine Valley when the idea came to him: "I had been glancing idly at a guide book, but the opening lines of a quaint legendary tale relating to some little village in the mountains suddenly held my interest, and when I had read it through I realised that here was the ideal story for an opera.
"[12] The Manchester Guardian found both the story and music "simple and charming" but felt that the subject was not "strong enough to occupy a whole evening" and did not think that Workman's part in the piece was convincing.
[11] The authors quickly reacted to the critique, hiring Arthur Wimperis, the lyricist of The Arcadians, to brighten up the piece.
On the evening of the performance, the theatre was picketed by suffragettes demonstrating against the government in general and Lloyd George in particular.
When one woman claimed property that had been left behind during the expulsion, Workman complained to Christabel Pankhurst, the leader of the Women's Social and Political Union, about the damage her members had caused.
[13] The Mountaineers closed on 27 November after 61 performances,[14] making way for Fallen Fairies, which needed to be rehearsed on the stage of the Savoy for an opening before Christmas.
[16] After this disappointment, Workman decided to follow the prevailing tastes of the London public by presenting an Edwardian musical comedy for his third production, Two Merry Monarchs, but this also failed to catch on.
[17] The Mountaineers toured in the British provinces with many of the same cast, under management of Harry P. Towers (with Marie Dainton as Clarice), in the autumn of 1910.
[18] The second version of the opera was broadcast by the BBC on 24 March and 26 June 1924, produced and conducted by L. Stanton Jefferies.
Fritz has disguised himself as an organ grinder, seeking shelter from the blizzard, and when he meets Clarice, he offers to read her fortune.
Pierre catches Fritz and orders him to go to the mountain at once, find Conrad and bring him back alive for Clarice's sake.
She falls asleep before the fireplace and has a vision of a spot high in the mountains with a shrine, before which a red light burns.
