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Durward Lely
Durward Lely (2 September 1852 – 29 February 1944) was a Scottish opera singer and actor. Although he had an extensive opera, concert and acting career, he is primarily remembered as the creator of five tenor roles in Gilbert and Sullivan's comic operas, including Nanki-Poo in The Mikado, for the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company.
Lely studied singing in Italy in the early 1870s and began his career there. He returned to tour in concerts and made his British opera debut in 1879, at Her Majesty's Theatre, in what would become one of his signature roles, Don José, in Carmen. After touring in opera, he joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in 1880, soon becoming their leading tenor. He began there in the role of Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance and went on to create five roles in the famous series of Savoy operas, including Nanki-Poo in The Mikado. He remained with the company until 1887.
After this, Lely resumed a grand opera and concert career, appearing often with Adelina Patti, performing frequently at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, and touring with the Carl Rosa Opera Company, among others. He appeared widely in a musical stage adaptation, and in 1911, a film adaptation, of Rob Roy. Lely continued to perform until 1925. He outlived nearly all of the singers with whom he had performed at the Savoy Theatre.
James Lyall was born in Glover Street, Arbroath, in the County of Angus, Scotland, the second son of Elizabeth, née Dorward (1820–1896), and William Lyall (c. 1822–1898). His father was a stonemason and estate manager who became factor of Blackcraig Castle near Blairgowrie. Lely studied singing as a boy. The family moved to Blairgowrie, Perthshire, where, at the age of 14, Lely began working for a firm of solicitors. At the same time, he sang in church and with a local choral society and studied singing with Henry Nagel in Dundee. His father's employer, Patrick Allan-Fraser, impressed by Lely's voice, sent him for training in Milan. He studied with Francesco Lamperti and others for five years, after which he adopted the middle name Durward and sang for three years in Italy under the stage name Durvardo Leli. In December 1874, he sang in concert in Rome, at the Teatro Argentina. He spent a season in Sardinia in 1876–77, where he sang tenor roles in such operas as La sonnambula, Il barbiere di Siviglia, L'elisir d'amore, La favorite, Don Pasquale, Maria di Rohan, Faust and Il trovatore.
In 1878, back in England, Lely toured with J. H. Mapleson in concerts. He made his British operatic debut the following year, under the name Signor Leli, as Don José in Bizet's Carmen opposite Selina Dolaro, with the Carl Rosa Opera Company at Her Majesty's Theatre, London. A review in The Athenaeum commented that he "can act as well as sing; his voice is of the tenorino class, light but agreeable". While touring subsequently in Carmen with Emily Soldene's company, Lely became engaged to a Swansea native, Alice Frances Hurndall (1860–1936), whom he married early in 1881 in Liverpool. During two years on tour, including with Soldene and the Mapleson Opera Company, he played additional leading tenor roles, including Don Florio in Richard Genée's The Naval Cadet and the Defendant in Gilbert and Sullivan's Trial by Jury.
In November 1880 Lely joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company at the Opera Comique, London. He replaced George Power in the leading tenor role of Frederic in the original London production of The Pirates of Penzance. At Arthur Sullivan's suggestion, he adopted the stage name Durward Lely. Of his Frederic, The Times commented, "His acting and enunciation of the words, with and without music, leave much to be desired". The Era was more impressed: "The advantage of having an experienced and competent operatic tenor to represent Frederic … is great, and Mr Durward Lely, having gained no little reputation in Italian opera, plays and sings in English with equal success. He acted with much spirit, and the graceful music allotted to the tenor was rendered very effectively".
Lely became D'Oyly Carte's principal tenor, creating the leading tenor parts in five Gilbert and Sullivan operas. The first three of these were the Duke of Dunstable in Patience (1881; moving to the Savoy Theatre when the company transferred there), Earl Tolloller in Iolanthe (1882), and Cyril in Princess Ida (1884). He played Alexis in The Sorcerer and the Defendant in Trial by Jury when those operas were revived in 1884. In 1885, he created the role of Nanki-Poo in The Mikado, playing the character until 1887. His role in that opera is dramatised in the 1999 Mike Leigh film Topsy-Turvy, where he is portrayed by Kevin McKidd. Of his Nanki-Poo, a review in The Era stated, "His voice is peculiar, but its peculiarity is far from unpleasant, and its timbre is of a quality that 'carries' far without much exertion on his part".
In 1887, Lely created the role of Richard Dauntless in the next Savoy opera, Ruddigore. In a 1926 article for The Gilbert & Sullivan Journal, Lely recalled how Dauntless's famous hornpipe dance became a part of the piece:
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Durward Lely
Durward Lely (2 September 1852 – 29 February 1944) was a Scottish opera singer and actor. Although he had an extensive opera, concert and acting career, he is primarily remembered as the creator of five tenor roles in Gilbert and Sullivan's comic operas, including Nanki-Poo in The Mikado, for the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company.
Lely studied singing in Italy in the early 1870s and began his career there. He returned to tour in concerts and made his British opera debut in 1879, at Her Majesty's Theatre, in what would become one of his signature roles, Don José, in Carmen. After touring in opera, he joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in 1880, soon becoming their leading tenor. He began there in the role of Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance and went on to create five roles in the famous series of Savoy operas, including Nanki-Poo in The Mikado. He remained with the company until 1887.
After this, Lely resumed a grand opera and concert career, appearing often with Adelina Patti, performing frequently at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, and touring with the Carl Rosa Opera Company, among others. He appeared widely in a musical stage adaptation, and in 1911, a film adaptation, of Rob Roy. Lely continued to perform until 1925. He outlived nearly all of the singers with whom he had performed at the Savoy Theatre.
James Lyall was born in Glover Street, Arbroath, in the County of Angus, Scotland, the second son of Elizabeth, née Dorward (1820–1896), and William Lyall (c. 1822–1898). His father was a stonemason and estate manager who became factor of Blackcraig Castle near Blairgowrie. Lely studied singing as a boy. The family moved to Blairgowrie, Perthshire, where, at the age of 14, Lely began working for a firm of solicitors. At the same time, he sang in church and with a local choral society and studied singing with Henry Nagel in Dundee. His father's employer, Patrick Allan-Fraser, impressed by Lely's voice, sent him for training in Milan. He studied with Francesco Lamperti and others for five years, after which he adopted the middle name Durward and sang for three years in Italy under the stage name Durvardo Leli. In December 1874, he sang in concert in Rome, at the Teatro Argentina. He spent a season in Sardinia in 1876–77, where he sang tenor roles in such operas as La sonnambula, Il barbiere di Siviglia, L'elisir d'amore, La favorite, Don Pasquale, Maria di Rohan, Faust and Il trovatore.
In 1878, back in England, Lely toured with J. H. Mapleson in concerts. He made his British operatic debut the following year, under the name Signor Leli, as Don José in Bizet's Carmen opposite Selina Dolaro, with the Carl Rosa Opera Company at Her Majesty's Theatre, London. A review in The Athenaeum commented that he "can act as well as sing; his voice is of the tenorino class, light but agreeable". While touring subsequently in Carmen with Emily Soldene's company, Lely became engaged to a Swansea native, Alice Frances Hurndall (1860–1936), whom he married early in 1881 in Liverpool. During two years on tour, including with Soldene and the Mapleson Opera Company, he played additional leading tenor roles, including Don Florio in Richard Genée's The Naval Cadet and the Defendant in Gilbert and Sullivan's Trial by Jury.
In November 1880 Lely joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company at the Opera Comique, London. He replaced George Power in the leading tenor role of Frederic in the original London production of The Pirates of Penzance. At Arthur Sullivan's suggestion, he adopted the stage name Durward Lely. Of his Frederic, The Times commented, "His acting and enunciation of the words, with and without music, leave much to be desired". The Era was more impressed: "The advantage of having an experienced and competent operatic tenor to represent Frederic … is great, and Mr Durward Lely, having gained no little reputation in Italian opera, plays and sings in English with equal success. He acted with much spirit, and the graceful music allotted to the tenor was rendered very effectively".
Lely became D'Oyly Carte's principal tenor, creating the leading tenor parts in five Gilbert and Sullivan operas. The first three of these were the Duke of Dunstable in Patience (1881; moving to the Savoy Theatre when the company transferred there), Earl Tolloller in Iolanthe (1882), and Cyril in Princess Ida (1884). He played Alexis in The Sorcerer and the Defendant in Trial by Jury when those operas were revived in 1884. In 1885, he created the role of Nanki-Poo in The Mikado, playing the character until 1887. His role in that opera is dramatised in the 1999 Mike Leigh film Topsy-Turvy, where he is portrayed by Kevin McKidd. Of his Nanki-Poo, a review in The Era stated, "His voice is peculiar, but its peculiarity is far from unpleasant, and its timbre is of a quality that 'carries' far without much exertion on his part".
In 1887, Lely created the role of Richard Dauntless in the next Savoy opera, Ruddigore. In a 1926 article for The Gilbert & Sullivan Journal, Lely recalled how Dauntless's famous hornpipe dance became a part of the piece: