The Mines of Sulphur
SIR RICHARD RODNEY BENNETT
(b. 1936)
premiere recording
The Mines of Sulphur
107:08
An Opera in Three Acts
Libretto by Beverley Cross
Dedicated to Benjamin Britten
Act I
1
No. 1. Introduction
1:25
No. 2
(
Rosalind enters. . .
) -
2
'Slut! You slut!'
2:54
Braxton, Rosalind
No. 3
(
The main door opens slowly and Boconnion enters cautiously. . .
) -
3
'Easy and quietly'
2:22
Boconnion, Tovey, Rosalind, Braxton
No. 4
(
Boconnion moves off into the shadows.
)
4
'The key!'
1:53
Boconnion, Tovey, Rosalind
(
They gaze in wonder at the contents of the open chest.
) -
5
'You see! What did I tell you?'
1:06
Rosalind, Boconnion, Tovey
No. 5
6
'Old goat!'
4:23
Boconnion, Rosalind
No. 6
(
Tovey returns, carrying logs and wine. . .
) -
7
'''The cup it is white and the ale it is brown. . .'''
2:23
Tovey, Boconnion
No. 7
(
Rosalind appears above. She is transformed. . .
) -
8
'Am I beautiful?'
2:12
Rosalind, Boconnion, Tovey
(
From the distance we hear the sound of a horn. . .
) -
9
'A horn!'
0:53
Boconnion, Rosalind, Tovey, Sherrin
No. 8
(
Sherrin enters, blinking, into the light. . .
) -
10
'Good evening, sir'
5:58
Sherrin, Boconnion, Rosalind, Tovey, Leda, Fenney, Tooley
No. 9
(
The players wander round the Hall. . .
) -
11
'I once played Romeo, in Chester'
3:37
Fenney, Sherrin, Tooley, Leda
No. 10
(
Rosalind enters. She moves slowly round the Hall. . .
) -
12
'It looks very well on you'
7:13
Jenny, Rosalind
Act II
13
No. 11 Overture
1:05
No. 12
(
Enter, from the lower doors, the two Flunkeys. . .
) -
14
'Good morning, your Excellency!'
0:45
Tooley
No. 13. Recitative
15
'Item: A fountain in the Palladian style'
1:46
The Count
No. 14. Duet
(
Hugo, the valet, enters with the Count's clothes and a basin. . .
) -
16
'Good morning, your Excellency'
2:54
'This morning I was passing the square' -
Hugo, the Count
No. 15. Aria
17
'O when will I a lover know'
4:04
Haidee
No. 16
(
The Count and Hugo appear below. . .
) -
18
'Well?'
1:52
Hugo, the Count, Mrs Traxel
No. 17
(
She calls up to the balcony.
) -
19
'Haidee!'
4:03
Mrs Traxel
No. 18. Interlude
(
Mrs Traxel leads the way into the house. . .
) -
20
'Your eyes are shining, Rosalind'
1:22
Boconnion, Rosalind, Tovey
No.19
21
(
Enter Trim and Tooley to prepare the bed. . .
) -
2:27
22
No. 20. Nocturne I
1:09
No. 21
(
A cock crows and the lights fade up on the bed. . .
) -
23
'Good morning, my doves'
2:19
Mrs Traxel, Haidee, Hugo
No. 22
24
'Hugo!'
2:02
Haidee, Hugo
25
No. 23. Nocturne II
1:49
No. 24
(
The lights fade up. . .
) -
26
'I said to the cook: who does he think he is?'
2:07
Tooley, the Count
No. 25. Nocturne III -
27
'In the moonlight they are beautiful'
1:46
The Count
No. 26
28
'Get up! and quickly, do you hear me'
1:14
The Count, Haidee, Hugo
No. 27
29
'Stop! Make them stop!'
1:47
Tovey, Boconnion, Rosalind, Sherrin, Leda
No. 28
30
'We must get away from here'
1:23
Rosalind, Boconnion
No. 29
31
'I am very sorry, Colonel Boconnion'
1:00
Sherrin, Rosalind, Boconnion, Leda, Tooley
32
'Well now, Colonel'
2:28
Tooley, Boconnion, Leda
33
'You would do better to save your new coat'
2:05
Tooley, Boconnion
Act III
No. 30
(
The players move slowly back and away from Boconnion.
) -
34
'Back! Back against the wall where I can watch you'
1:48
Boconnion, Sherrin, Tooley, Leda, Rosalind
No. 31
'This house is made of wood' -
Boconnion
No. 32
35
'What will you gain by killing us'
3:22
Sherrin, Tooley, Boconnion
(
Tovey returns.
) -
'All correct, Colonel' -
Tovey, Boconnion, Rosalind
No. 33
'I want to leave this house' -
Rosalind
No. 34
36
'We must wait till morning'
4:21
Boconnion, Leda, Fenney
'Ah! The poor little mute' -
Boconnion
No. 35
(
Trim obeys. He dances jerkily and awkwardly.
) -
No. 36
(
Boconnion stalks arrogantly along the line of frightened actors.
) -
37
'This mute!'
2:39
Boconnion
38
'I lived as a boy in a village by the sea'
2:19
Boconnion
'Tovey! Bring down the girl' -
Boconnion, Tovey, Leda
No. 37
(
Rosalind wanders away from the others.
) -
39
'I want to leave this house'
1:54
Rosalind, Jenny, Boconnion
'Tovey! Into the cellar with them' -
Boconnion, Rosalind
No. 38
40
'All correct, Colonel'
0:55
Tovey
(
Boconnion turns back to Jenny. . .
) -
41
'What was your question, in the play?'
1:17
Boconnion, Jenny, Rosalind
No. 39
42
'Once, once long ago some actors came riding'
4:24
Jenny
No. 40
(
The horn sounds, far beyond the house.
) -
43
'The horn! Their horn!'
2:16
Tovey, Boconnion, Rosalind, Jenny
(
Boconnion lifts his arm to strike.
) -
44
'Then look! Soldier, look!'
3:57
Jenny, Tovey, Rosalind, Boconnion
Also available as SACD CHSA 5036
Kristopher Irmiter bass-baritone - Braxton
Beth Clayton mezzo-soprano - Rosalind
Brandon Jovanovich tenor - Boconnion
James Maddalena baritone - Tovey
Kristopher Irmiter bass-baritone - Sherrin
Dorothy Byrne mezzo-soprano - Leda
Brian Anderson tenor - Fenney
Michael Todd Simpson baritone - Tooley
Caroline Worra soprano - Jenny
Andew Gorell silent part - Trim
Stewart Robertson