AustLit

Comic opera.

Set in India, the narrative begins when Chunder (the temple-keeper), who has pawned the golden image of the god Shiva, attempts to propitiate the rajah by offering him his beautiful daughter Aimee as wife. However, she is an unwilling proposition, having been smitten by the handsome pilgrim Jengis, who won her affection while impersonating Shiva. The rajah exposes Jengis and orders him to be beheaded, but is foiled by a beggar, who is none other than a disguised emperor. The emperor degrades the rajah and gives the young couple his blessing.

The libretto was written by Souter around 1907, with the rajah as the central comic character. Souter was apparently influenced by The Cingalee at the time, and originally planned to have the rajah close the shrine, pawn off the god, and travel to Paris on the proceeds, instead of going on a pilgrimage. However, the 'White Australia' cry at the time caused J .C. Williamson to reject the idea and never stage the opera.

Some years later, Victor Prince suggested to Souter that the white element be eliminated and that the plot be remodelled on romantic lines. Alfred Hill (who had previously worked with Souter on Tapu, after J. C. Williamson had asked that that the libretto be reworked) was then brought in to compose the music.

The Brisbane Courier's 'Music and Drama' column reported, prior to the Sydney premiere, that the 'comedy is not extraneous, but arises out of the story and is neat and clever (24 November 1917, p.12).

Much of the music is founded on Indian airs and melodies. Some song titles include 'Love, it is a Song', 'The Coughdrop', 'Maid of the Dear Eyes', 'Sad is the Heart', and 'Sword of Mine.'

Resembling 'one of the burlesques of 50 years ago brought up to date, with better music and more modern allusions' (Sydney Morning Herald 30 Apr. 1906, p4), the dramatic action revolves around romance set amidst an exotic background of Arabs, Nubian slaves and rogues. The story begins with the capture of Princess Hashma by La Zara and her brigands and her rescue at the hands of the dashing Prince Omar. Later, whilst recovering from the wounds he received in the battle, the prince sends his steward Gastro as his ambassador to the princess's family to arrange a love match. Gastro assumes his master's identity, however, and aspires to the hand of the princess. Described as an 'over-dressed little wretch, timid and impudent,' the steward is not only already engaged to one woman, Mena, but also finds himself with a third love interest - La Zara. This situation is said to have provided a number of comedic interplays. Vaudeville-style entertainment was also incorporated into the 1906 Sydney production through the presence of the Bovis brothers who presented a skit burlesquing melodrama.

Songs known to have been written for A Moorish Maid are : 'Only Myself to Blame' (Gastro) ; 'A Little Moorish Maid' (Mena) ; 'I've Travelled' (patter song, Gideon Gay) ; 'Gay Paree' (duet, Marie and Gastro) ; 'Loverland' and 'See O'er the Mountains' (La Zara) ; 'Come to the Brigands' Retreat' (Prince Omar) ; 'A Brigand Am I' (Elferino); 'Moorish Carnet Dance and Chorus' (Princess Hashma and chorus) ; and the 'Ly Ly' chorus. A review of the 1910 revival also mentions Princess Hashma's solo song, 'I am Thy Captive.'

The 1904 revised libretto deals with the adventures of John Smith, an Australian politician in New Zealand who tangles with a Maori tohunga (priest). The romantic interest, and indeed the focus of the narrative action, comes about through Mara, a 'Katisha' who has been declared 'tapu' or sacred. 'Any man who touches her must either marry her or die - and apparently many have been prepared to meet death cheerfully' (The Sydney Morning Herald 11 July 1904, p10).

New Zealand newspaper The Free Lance provides insight into the principal characters originally conceived by Adams and Hill:

Miss Gertie Campion (Fay Chrysaha) and Mr. D. O'Connor (John Smith) have leading parts as two operatic stars whose civilian dress has been seized by distrustful creditors while they were on the backblocks stage, and who, therefore, in their fancy dress, find refuge in the Maori pah. Smith is mistaken for the Commonwealth delegate, and is honoured accordingly. He also captures the fancy of Mara, a Maori maiden, whose lover (Tonga), in jealous retaliation, makes love to Chrysalia ('Footlight,' p.21).

Arias and ballet music known to have been written for the opera are : 'Hail, Mighty Politician,' 'Poi Dance' 'Bicycle Song,' 'Bedelia,' 'A Woman's Wistful Heart,' 'No Love Like the Old Love' and 'A Happy Family,' "Nobody Takes the Chances,' 'The Terrible Law of Tapu,' and 'O Mara, Your Heart is a Garden.' One particular highlight was the Maori 'Haka,' of which on critic wrote: 'an almost indescribable savage outburst; an ethnologist rather than mere musical critic should be turned on to do justice to so typical and 'nationalistic' a performance' (Age 22 Aug. 1904, p6).

The only Christmas pantomime produced in Sydney in 1903, the title Sleeping Beauty and the Beast was seen as somewhat misleading as the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale was not actually written into the story. The Sydney Morning Herald reviewer pondered whether it had anything to do with the scene at the close of the last act when Prince Charming was compelled by the wicked fairy Maligna to wear a lion's head for a few minutes. The same reviewer also questioned the aptness of the term 'pantomime,' arguing that there was no harlequinade and therefore no dumb show (28 December 1903, p.3).

[Source: Australian Variety Theatre Archive]