Muriel Dickson (12 July 1903 – 11 March 1990) was a Scottish
soprano
A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...
who was particularly known for her performances in the works of
Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan was a Victorian era, Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900), who jointly created fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which ...
. After performing with the
D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company is a professional British light opera company that, from the 1870s until 1982, staged Gilbert and Sullivan's Savoy operas nearly year-round in the UK and sometimes toured in Europe, North America and elsewhere. Th ...
for seven years, she sang for four seasons with the
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is operat ...
and went on to a concert career. In later years, she taught singing at the
Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland ( gd, Conservatoire Rìoghail na h-Alba), formerly the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama ( gd, Acadamaidh Rìoghail Ciùil is Dràma na h-Alba) is a conservatoire of dance, drama, music, production, and ...
and privately.
Early years and D'Oyly Carte
Born Constance Muriel Dickson in
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
, she studied singing in
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
, Italy with
Luigi Ricci Luigi Ricci may refer to:
* Luigi Ricci (composer) (1805–1859), Italian composer
* Luigi Ricci (vocal coach) Luigi Ricci (1893–1981) was an Italian assistant conductor, accompanist, vocal coach, and author.
Career
Ricci began studying music ...
.
In March 1928 she became a member of the
D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company is a professional British light opera company that, from the 1870s until 1982, staged Gilbert and Sullivan's Savoy operas nearly year-round in the UK and sometimes toured in Europe, North America and elsewhere. Th ...
, initially as a member of the chorus, performing in the company's repertory of
Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan was a Victorian era, Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900), who jointly created fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which ...
operas. Her nickname with the company was "Poppy". She had the opportunity, during her first season, to fill in as the principal
soprano
A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...
, Mabel, in ''
The Pirates of Penzance
''The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, W. S. Gilbert. Its official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 31 ...
''. Soon, she was given the small roles of Fleta in ''
Iolanthe
''Iolanthe; or, The Peer and the Peri'' () is a comic opera with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, first performed in 1882. It is one of the Savoy operas and is the seventh of fourteen operatic collaborations by Gilbert ...
'', and, the next year, Ada in ''
Princess Ida
''Princess Ida; or, Castle Adamant'' is a comic opera with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It was their eighth operatic collaboration of fourteen. ''Princess Ida'' opened at the Savoy Theatre on 5 January 1884, for a ru ...
''. In 1931, she was also given the small part of Ruth in ''
Ruddigore
''Ruddigore; or, The Witch's Curse'', originally called ''Ruddygore'', is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It is one of the Savoy Operas and the tenth of fourteen comic operas written tog ...
'', but she understudied and occasionally performed the leading roles of Mabel in ''Pirates'', the title role in ''
Patience
(or forbearance) is the ability to endure difficult circumstances. Patience may involve perseverance in the face of delay; tolerance of provocation without responding in disrespect/anger; or forbearance when under strain, especially when faced ...
'', Yum-Yum in ''
The Mikado
''The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen Gilbert and Sullivan, operatic collaborations. It opened on 14 March 1885, in London, whe ...
'', Elsie Maynard in ''
The Yeomen of the Guard
''The Yeomen of the Guard; or, The Merryman and His Maid'', is a Savoy Opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 3 October 1888 and ran for 423 performances. This was the eleventh ...
'', and both Casilda and Gianetta in ''
The Gondoliers
''The Gondoliers; or, The King of Barataria'' is a Savoy Opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 7 December 1889 and ran for a very successful 554 performances (at that time the ...
''.
[Stone, David]
Muriel Dickson
''Who Was Who in the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company'', 15 August 2003, accessed 5 March 2010
After the departure from the company of
Winifred Lawson
Winifred Lawson (15 November 1892 – 30 November 1961) was an English opera and concert singer in the first half of the 20th century. She is particularly remembered for her performances in the soprano roles in the Gilbert and Sullivan operas as ...
in 1931, Dickson more regularly performed several of the leading roles, including Josephine in ''
H.M.S. Pinafore
''H.M.S. Pinafore; or, The Lass That Loved a Sailor'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It opened at the Opera Comique in London, on 25 May 1878 and ran for 571 performances, whic ...
'', Mabel in ''Pirates'', the title role in ''Patience'', Phyllis in ''Iolanthe'', Lady Psyche in ''Princess Ida'', Yum-Yum in ''The Mikado'', Rose Maybud in ''Ruddigore'', Elsie in ''Yeomen'', and Gianetta in ''The Gondoliers''. In 1932, she exchanged Psyche for the title role in ''Princess Ida'' and took on the new part of Aline in ''
The Sorcerer
''The Sorcerer'' is a two-act comic opera, with a libretto by W. S. Gilbert and music by Arthur Sullivan. It was the British duo's third operatic collaboration. The plot of ''The Sorcerer'' is based on a Christmas story, ''An Elixir of Lo ...
''. She continued to play most of these roles until June 1935.
[ She recorded six of her roles for ]HMV
Sunrise Records and Entertainment, trading as HMV (for His Master's Voice), is a British music and entertainment retailer, currently operating exclusively in the United Kingdom.
The first HMV-branded store was opened by the Gramophone Company ...
: Gianetta (1931), Mabel (1931), Rose Maybud (1931), Elsie Maynard (1931), Princess Ida (1932) and Aline (1933).[ She also sang roles in the company's live and studio broadcasts, including Yum-Yum (1932 and 1933), Elsie (1932 and 1935) and Giannetta (1932).
]
Metropolitan Opera and later years
Dickson toured with D'Oyly Carte to New York City in 1934–1935.[ Her performances with the company drew the attention of Edward Johnson, the then newly appointed director of the ]Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is operat ...
. Johnson offered her a contract with the company which she accepted. On 15 May 1936 Dickson made her Met debut as Marenka in Bedřich Smetana
Bedřich Smetana ( , ; 2 March 1824 – 12 May 1884) was a Czech composer who pioneered the development of a musical style that became closely identified with his people's aspirations to a cultural and political "revival." He has been regarded i ...
's ''The Bartered Bride
''The Bartered Bride'' ( cz, Prodaná nevěsta, links=no, ''The Sold Bride'') is a comic opera in three acts by the Czech composer Bedřich Smetana, to a libretto by Karel Sabina. The work is generally regarded as a major contribution towards the ...
'', conducted by Wilfred Pelletier
Joseph Louis Wilfrid Pelletier (sometimes spelled Wilfred), (20 June 1896 – 9 April 1982) was a Canadians, Canadian conducting, conductor, pianist, composer, and arts administrator. He was instrumental in establishing the Montreal Symphon ...
, with Mario Chamlee
Mario Chamlee (May 29, 1892 – November 13, 1966) was one of the lyric tenors who inherited several roles associated with Enrico Caruso at the Metropolitan Opera.
Early years
His birth name was Archer Ragland Chamlee. Some references erroneo ...
as Jeník and George Rasely
George Rasely (October 27, 1890, St. Louis, Missouri – 3 January 1965, Lawrence, Kansas) was an American tenor who had an active career in operas, concerts, and musicals during the first half of the 20th century. He was also a frequent perf ...
as Vasek, the latter of whom partnered with her in many operas. She helped to prepare the English translation for the production.[Shepherd, Marc]
Review of ''Muriel Dickson: "There and Back"''
, ''The Gasbag'', Vol. 35, No. 1, Issue 229, Summer 2005, accessed 5 March 2010 ''Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'' magazine wrote that she "exhibited a sure, clear voice, a pleasing professional stage presence and a diction so polished that it was difficult to believe that the D'Oyly Carte once frowned on her for a burry Scottish accent." Helen Noble wrote, "What a hubbub there was around the Opera House about Muriel Dickson; how charming she was, how delightfully she sang.
Dickson remained at the Met for the next four years, portraying such roles as Carolina in the company's premiere of ''Il matrimonio segreto
' (''The Secret Marriage'') is a dramma giocoso in two acts, music by Domenico Cimarosa, on a libretto by Giovanni Bertati, based on the 1766 play ''The Clandestine Marriage'' by George Colman the Elder and David Garrick. It was first performed on ...
'', the title role in the company premiere of Gian Carlo Menotti
Gian Carlo Menotti (, ; July 7, 1911 – February 1, 2007) was an Italian composer, librettist, director, and playwright who is primarily known for his output of 25 operas. Although he often referred to himself as an American composer, he kept h ...
's '' Amelia Goes to the Ball'', and the part of Nedda in ''Pagliacci
''Pagliacci'' (; literal translation, "Clowns") is an Italian opera in a prologue and two acts, with music and libretto by Ruggero Leoncavallo. The opera tells the tale of Canio, actor and leader of a commedia dell'arte theatrical company, who m ...
''.[ Her last performance at the Met was on 15 January 1940 as Musetta in ]Giacomo Puccini
Giacomo Puccini (Lucca, 22 December 1858Bruxelles, 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for his operas. Regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he was descended from a long li ...
's ''La Bohème
''La bohème'' (; ) is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions ''quadri'', ''tableaux'' or "images", rather than ''atti'' (acts). composed by Giacomo Puccini between 1893 and 1895 to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe G ...
'' with Bidu Sayão
Balduína "Bidú" de Oliveira Sayão (11 May 1902 – 12 March 1999) was a Brazilian opera soprano. One of Brazil's most famous musicians, Sayão was a leading artist of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City from 1937 to 1952.
Life and career ...
as Mimi, Jussi Björling
Johan Jonatan "Jussi" Björling ( , ; 5 February 19119 September 1960) was a Swedish tenor. One of the leading operatic singers of the 20th century, Björling appeared for many years at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City and less frequentl ...
as Rodolfo, John Brownlee as Marcello, and Gennaro Papi Gennaro Papi (December 21, 1886 – November 29, 1941) was an Italian operatic conductor known for his work with the Metropolitan Opera and Chicago Civic Opera companies.
A native of Naples, Papi studied at the conservatory in that city, holding ...
conducting. During these years, she also sang in concerts, including performances at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhatta ...
and The Town Hall."Town Hall Hears Muriel Dickson"
''The New York Times'', 15 December 1938, p. 34, accessed 5 March 2010
After leaving the Met, Dickson spent the next five years performing as a concert soloist and recitalist in England, the US and Italy. In 1945, she returned to the UK for what she intended to be a brief holiday. There she met an old boyfriend, fell in love and married. She retired from singing, and although Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist si ...
offered her the role of Octavian in ''Der Rosenkavalier
(''The Knight of the Rose'' or ''The Rose-Bearer''), Op. 59, is a comic opera in three acts by Richard Strauss to an original German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. It is loosely adapted from the novel ''Les amours du chevalier de Faublas'' ...
'', she declined and never sang publicly again. For the next decade, she worked as an antiques dealer, but in 1955, she joined the faculty of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland ( gd, Conservatoire Rìoghail na h-Alba), formerly the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama ( gd, Acadamaidh Rìoghail Ciùil is Dràma na h-Alba) is a conservatoire of dance, drama, music, production, and ...
, teaching there for the next 21 years.[ She retired from the Academy in the 1970s but continued to teach privately out of her home in Glasgow up until her death in 1990 at the age of 86.][
]
Notes
References
*Autobiography: ''Muriel Dickson: "There and Back"'', Michael Walters (ed.), The Gaiety, Roderick Murray, Teesside
Teesside () is a built-up area around the River Tees in the north of England, split between County Durham and North Yorkshire. The name was initially used as a county borough in the North Riding of Yorkshire.
Historically a hub for heavy manu ...
(2005; published posthumously)
* Introduction by Martyn Green
William Martin Green (22 April 1899 – 8 February 1975), known by his stage name, Martyn Green, was an English actor and singer. He is remembered for his performances and recordings as principal comedian of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, in t ...
.
Metropolitan Opera Archives
External links
*
1941 ''Life'' magazine photo
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dickson, Muriel
1903 births
1990 deaths
Scottish operatic sopranos
Academics of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
Musicians from Edinburgh
20th-century Scottish women opera singers