Durward Lely

All you want to know about Durward Lely

as Nanki Poo in The Mikado

Durward Lely (2 September 1852 – 29 February 1944) was a Scottish opera singer primarily known as the creator of tenor roles in Gilbert & Sullivan's comic operas, including Nanki-Poo in The Mikado.

Contents

Life and career

Early career

James Durward Lyall was born in Arbroath, in the County of Angus, Scotland. He studied singing in Milan before making his stage debut, under the name Signor Leli, in 1878 as Don Jose in Bizet's Carmen with the Mapleson Opera Company at His Majesty's Theatre. After two years on tour with Mapleson, he joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company at the Opera Comique, and in November 1880 replaced George Power, the original London-cast Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance. At Arthur Sullivan's recommendation, he adopted the name of Durward Lely.

Principal tenor

Lely became the company's principal tenor, creating the roles of the Duke of Dunstable in Patience (1881), Earl Tolloller in Iolanthe (1882), and Cyril in Princess Ida (1884). When The Sorcerer and Trial by Jury were revived in 1884, Lely did double duty, serving as the Defendant in Trial while playing Alexis in The Sorcerer. He next created Nanki-Poo in The Mikado (1885–87). Lely's role in that opera is dramatised in the 1999 biographical film Topsy-Turvy.

Lely as Dauntless

In 1887, Lely created the part of Richard Dauntless in Ruddigore. In an article for The Gilbert & Sullivan Journal (July 1926), Lely explained how Dauntless's famous hornpipe was introduced:

At the first music rehearsal, or rather the first time the music was played over to us by Sullivan at the piano we arrived at Dick Dauntless's "Parlez vous" song. After playing it over Sullivan said "That's your song, Lely." Gilbert happened to be seated next to me, and I said quite innocently "It sounds as though a hornpipe should follow." Gilbert grunted. Nothing more was said or thought—at least by me—about the matter. A few days later at rehearsal Gilbert, without any preamble, said "Lely, can you dance a hornpipe?" I was rather taken aback, as I had quite forgotten having spoken about one. So, trying to be funny I suppose, I said "Well, Mr. Gilbert, as the man said when asked if he could play the fiddle, I've never tried so I don't know." Gilbert answered quite seriously "How soon can you know?" — and I said equally seriously "To-morrow."

After visiting a ballet master who announced, after a few efforts, "Tell Mr. Gilbert you can," Lely did so. Upon hearing the news, according to Lely, "Gilbert said 'Right, I'll get Sullivan to write you one.' And it was so."

Of the five tenor roles Lely created for Gilbert and Sullivan, four were not the principal romantic hero of their respective operas. Except for Nanki-Poo in The Mikado, Lely was cast in character parts, serving as a foil to the main action. As Ruddigore reached the end of its run, Gilbert, Sullivan, and Carte decided it was time for a change, and Lely was released. Although no new opera was yet ready, the company was about to mount revivals of H.M.S. Pinafore and The Pirates of Penzance, both of which called for the stereotype romantic tenor to which they apparently felt Lely was unsuited.

Grand opera career

Lely left the D'Oyly Carte organisation in 1887 when Ruddigore's run ended. He went on to a grand opera career, appearing opposite Adelina Patti on numerous occasions, and in Carmen again opposite Emily Soldene. Between 1890 and 1893, he had numerous operatic engagements in London, primarily at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. He rejoined Patti, touring America with her in 1893–94. He later toured with Richard Temple in Rob Roy, performed with his own opera company for a time, sang on tour with the Carl Rosa Opera Company, performed oratorio and cantatas, and toured with his wife in an entertainment called "Scottish Song and Story," before retiring to Scotland. He also appeared in the 1911 film of Rob Roy.

Lely died in Glasgow in 1944 at the age of 91. The date of his death was ironic for a G&S tenor, in that 29 February is Frederic's birthday in The Pirates of Penzance, and in the opera the character promises to claim his bride on his birthday in 1940. Lely thus died one "birthday" after that.

References

  • Ayre, Leslie (1972). The Gilbert & Sullivan Companion. London: W.H. Allen & Co Ltd.  Introduction by Martyn Green.
  • Durward Lely at Who Was Who in the D'Oyly Carte
  • Profile of Lely
  • Autobiographical pamphlet: Durward Lely - The Eminent Tenor (1894)

External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durward_Lely"

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