Muriel Dickson
Encyclopedia
Muriel Dickson was a Scottish
soprano
who was particularly known for her performances in the works of Gilbert and Sullivan
. After singing roles with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
, she sang for four seasons with the Metropolitan Opera
and went on to a concert career. In later years, she taught singing at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
and privately.
, she studied singing in Florence
, Italy
with Luigi Ricci
.
In March 1928 she became a member of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
, initially as a member of the chorus, performing in the company's repertory of Gilbert and Sullivan
operas. Her nickname with the company was "Poppy". She had the opportunity, during her first season, to fill in as the principal soprano
, Mabel, in The Pirates of Penzance
. Soon, she was given the small roles of Fleta in Iolanthe
, and, the next year, Ada in Princess Ida
. In 1931, she was also given the small part of Ruth in Ruddigore
, but she understudied and occasionally performed the leading roles of Mabel in Pirates, the title role in Patience
, Yum-Yum in The Mikado
, Elsie Maynard in The Yeomen of the Guard
, and both Casilda and Gianetta in The Gondoliers
.
After the departure from the company of Winifred Lawson
in 1931, Dickson more regularly performed several of the leading roles, including Josephine in H.M.S. Pinafore
, 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
. She continued to play most of these roles until June 1935. She recorded six of her roles for HMV
: 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).
, the then newly appointed director of the Metropolitan Opera
. 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
's The Bartered Bride
, conducted by Wilfred Pelletier, with Mario Chamlee
as Jeník and George Rasely
as Vasek, the latter of whom partnered with her in many operas. She helped to prepare the English translation for the production. Time
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 title role in the company premiere of Gian Carlo Menotti
's Amelia Goes to the Ball
, and the part of Nedda in Pagliacci
. Her last performance at the Met was on 15 January 1940 as Musetta in Giacomo Puccini
's La Bohème
with Bidú Sayao
as Mimi, Jussi Björling
as Rodolfo, John Brownlee
as Marcello, and Gennaro Papi conducting. During these years, she also sang in concerts, including performances at Carnegie Hall
and The Town Hall
.
After leaving the Met, Dickson spent the next five years performing as a concert soloist and recitalist in England, the U.S. 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
offered her the role of Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier
, 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
, 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.
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
who was particularly known for her performances in the works of Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the librettist W. S. Gilbert and the composer Arthur Sullivan . The two men collaborated on fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which H.M.S...
. After singing roles with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company was a professional light opera company that staged Gilbert and Sullivan's Savoy operas. The company performed nearly year-round in the UK and sometimes toured in Europe, North America and elsewhere, from the 1870s until it closed in 1982. It was revived in 1988 and...
, she sang for four seasons with the Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
and went on to a concert career. In later years, she taught singing at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland is a conservatoire of music, drama, and dance in the centre of Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1845 as the Glasgow Educational Association, it is the busiest performing arts venue in Scotland...
and privately.
Early years and D'Oyly Carte
Born Constance Muriel Dickson in EdinburghEdinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, she studied singing in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
with Luigi Ricci
Luigi Ricci
Luigi Ricci , was an Italian composer, particularly of operas.He was the elder brother of Federico Ricci, with whom he collaborated on several works.- Life :...
.
In March 1928 she became a member of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company was a professional light opera company that staged Gilbert and Sullivan's Savoy operas. The company performed nearly year-round in the UK and sometimes toured in Europe, North America and elsewhere, from the 1870s until it closed in 1982. It was revived in 1988 and...
, initially as a member of the chorus, performing in the company's repertory of Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the librettist W. S. Gilbert and the composer Arthur Sullivan . The two men collaborated on fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which H.M.S...
operas. Her nickname with the company was "Poppy". She had the opportunity, during her first season, to fill in as the principal soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
, Mabel, in The Pirates of Penzance
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. The opera's official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 31 December 1879, where the show was well received by both audiences...
. Soon, she was given the small roles of Fleta in Iolanthe
Iolanthe
Iolanthe; or, The Peer and the Peri is a comic opera with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It is one of the Savoy operas and is the seventh collaboration of the fourteen between Gilbert and Sullivan....
, and, the next year, Ada in Princess Ida
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 January 5, 1884, for a run of 246 performances...
. In 1931, she was also given the small part of Ruth in Ruddigore
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 together by Gilbert and Sullivan...
, but she understudied and occasionally performed the leading roles of Mabel in Pirates, the title role in Patience
Patience (opera)
Patience; or, Bunthorne's Bride, is a comic opera in two acts with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. First performed at the Opera Comique, London, on 23 April 1881, it moved to the 1,292-seat Savoy Theatre on 10 October 1881, where it was the first theatrical production in the...
, Yum-Yum in The Mikado
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 operatic collaborations...
, Elsie Maynard in The Yeomen of the Guard
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...
, and both Casilda and Gianetta in The Gondoliers
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 , closing on 30 June 1891...
.
After the departure from the company of Winifred Lawson
Winifred Lawson
Winifred Lawson was an opera and concert singer in the first half of the 20th century. She is best remembered for her performances in the soprano roles in the Gilbert and Sullivan operas as a member of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company.-Life and career:Lawson was born in Wolverhampton, England...
in 1931, Dickson more regularly performed several of the leading roles, including Josephine in H.M.S. Pinafore
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, England, on 25 May 1878 and ran for 571 performances, which was the second-longest run of any musical...
, 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
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 Love, that Gilbert wrote for The Graphic magazine in 1876...
. She continued to play most of these roles until June 1935. She recorded six of her roles for HMV
HMV
His Master's Voice is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone...
: 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 JohnsonEdward Johnson (tenor)
Edward Patrick Johnson CBE was a Canadian operatic tenor who was billed outside North America as Edoardo Di Giovanni, and became director of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.- Early life :...
, the then newly appointed director of the Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
. 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
Bedrich Smetana
Bedřich Smetana was a Czech composer who pioneered the development of a musical style which became closely identified with his country's aspirations to independent statehood. He is thus widely regarded in his homeland as the father of Czech music...
's The Bartered Bride
The Bartered Bride
The Bartered Bride is a comic opera in three acts by the Czech composer Bedřich Smetana, to a libretto by Karel Sabina. The opera is considered to have made a major contribution towards the development of Czech music. It was composed during the period 1863–66, and first performed at the...
, conducted by Wilfred Pelletier, with Mario Chamlee
Mario Chamlee
Mario Chamlee was the lyric tenor who replaced Enrico Caruso at the Metropolitan Opera. His birth name was Archer Cholmondeley...
as Jeník and George Rasely
George Rasely
George Rasely 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 performer on American radio during 1920s through the 1940s. He won the National Music League singing competition in 1927 and the Walter W...
as Vasek, the latter of whom partnered with her in many operas. She helped to prepare the English translation for the production. Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
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
Il matrimonio segreto
Il matrimonio segreto is an opera in two acts, music by Domenico Cimarosa, on a libretto by Giovanni Bertati, based on the play The Clandestine Marriage by George Colman the Elder and David Garrick...
, the title role in the company premiere of Gian Carlo Menotti
Gian Carlo Menotti
Gian Carlo Menotti was an Italian-American composer and librettist. Although he often referred to himself as an American composer, he kept his Italian citizenship. He wrote the classic Christmas opera, Amahl and the Night Visitors, among about two dozen other operas intended to appeal to popular...
's Amelia Goes to the Ball
Amelia Goes to the Ball
Amelia Goes to the Ball is an opera buffa in one act composed by Gian Carlo Menotti. Menotti also wrote the original Italian libretto. Composed when he was twenty-three, it was Menotti's first mature opera and his first critical success...
, and the part of Nedda in Pagliacci
Pagliacci
Pagliacci , sometimes incorrectly rendered with a definite article as I Pagliacci, is an opera consisting of a prologue and two acts written and composed by Ruggero Leoncavallo. It recounts the tragedy of a jealous husband in a commedia dell'arte troupe...
. Her last performance at the Met was on 15 January 1940 as Musetta in Giacomo Puccini
Giacomo Puccini
Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini was an Italian composer whose operas, including La bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot, are among the most frequently performed in the standard repertoire...
's La Bohème
La bohème
La bohème is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions quadro, a tableau or "image", rather than atto . by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, based on Scènes de la vie de bohème by Henri Murger...
with Bidú Sayao
Bidu Sayão
Bidú Sayão 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
Jussi Björling
Johan Jonatan "Jussi" Björling was a Swedish tenor. One of the leading operatic singers of the 20th Century, Björling appeared frequently at the Royal Opera House in London, La Scala in Milan, and the Metropolitan Opera in New York City as well as at other major European opera...
as Rodolfo, John Brownlee
John Brownlee (baritone)
John Donald Mackenzie Brownlee was an Australian operatic baritone.-Biography:John Brownlee was born in Geelong, Victoria. As a boy, he became a junior naval cadet in the Royal Australian Navy, serving during World War I. Following service, he studied accounting...
as Marcello, and Gennaro Papi conducting. During these years, she also sang in concerts, including performances at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
and The Town Hall
The Town Hall
The Town Hall is a performance space, located at 123 West 43rd Street, between Sixth Avenue and Broadway, in New York City. It seats approximately 1,500 people.-History:...
.
After leaving the Met, Dickson spent the next five years performing as a concert soloist and recitalist in England, the U.S. 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
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
offered her the role of Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier
Der Rosenkavalier
Der Rosenkavalier 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 by Louvet de Couvrai and Molière’s comedy Monsieur de Pourceaugnac...
, 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
Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland is a conservatoire of music, drama, and dance in the centre of Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1845 as the Glasgow Educational Association, it is the busiest performing arts venue in Scotland...
, 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.
External links
- Muriel Dickson at the IBDB Broadway database
- 1941 Life magazine photo
- Photos of Dickson in several Gilbert and Sullivan roles
- Live broadcasts with the D'Oyly Carte