The Mountaineers (opera)

The Mountaineers is an English "romantic comic opera" in three acts with a libretto by Australian-born Guy Eden (1864–1954) and Reginald Somerville (1867–1948), lyrics by Eden and music by Somerville. It opened at the Savoy Theatre in London on 29 September 1909, under the management of C. H. Workman, and ran for a total of 61 performances. It starred Workman, Elsie Spain, Claude Flemming, Jessie Rose and A. Laurence Legge.

There was a provincial tour with many of the same cast, under the management of Harry P. Towers in the autumn of 1910.

Richard D'Oyly Carte died in 1901 leaving the management of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company and the Savoy Theatre in the hands of his widow, Helen. After a successful repertory season at the Savoy ending in March 1909, the now-frail Helen leased the theatre to actor Charles H. Workman, who had been a long-time principal performer with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. Encouraged by the success of the Gilbert and Sullivan seasons, Workman decided to produce his own season of light opera. He continued the run of The Yeomen of the Guard until the end of March and then closed the theatre until he had a new work ready.

Somerville is credited with the conception of The Mountaineers. He was travelling in a train through the Rhine Valley when the idea came to him: "I had been glancing idly at a guide book, but the opening lines of a quaint legendary tale relating to some little village in the mountains suddenly held my interest, and when I had read it through I realised that here was the ideal story for an opera. Only the climax would have to be altered, for the story ended on a tragic note." Somerville showed The Mountaineers to Workman, who was at once interested. He assembled several financial backers and formed the Comic Opera Syndicate. The press referred to the work as a Savoy opera.

...
Wikipedia