The Music of
William Vincent Wallace

(1812-1865)

    Not to be confused with William Ross Wallace (1819-1881), a lyricist of the same period, William Vincent Wallace was born in Waterford, Ireland on 11 March 1812; and died in Château de Bagen, Sauveterre de Comminges, near Barbazon, Haute Garonne, France on 12 October 1865. He was a composer and performer who studied both piano and organ as well as violin. He was married to Isabella Kelly and later to Hellen Stoepel. He composed six completed operas of which his first Maritana and third Lurline were the most successful. Among the others are Matilda; or, The Maid of Hungary, The Amber Witch and The Desert Flower

NOTE: I am very happy to announce as of 26 Jan 2012, the publication of William Vincent Wallace: Composer, Virtuoso and Adventurer by Andrew Lamb (Fullers Wood Press, ISBN-10: 09524149X, ISBN-13: 978-0952414971, paperback, 247 pages).

OPERAS

• ACT I.
• No. 1. Plot and story of Opera
• No. 2. Overture
• No. 3. Aria. "Tis the Harp in the Air" (Soprano)
• No. 4. Chorus or Trio. "The Angelus" [lyrics]
• No. 5. Duet. "Of Fairy Wand had I the Power" (Soprano & Baritone) [lyrics]
• No. 6. Chorus. "Pretty Gitana" [lyrics]
• ACT II.
• No. 7. Song. "Alas! those Chimes" (Contralto) [lyrics]
• No. 8. Trio. "Turn on, old Time" (Tenor, Bar. & Contralto) [lyrics]
• No. 9. Song. "Yes! Let me like a Soldier Fall" (Tenor)
• No. 10. Ballad. "In happy moments" (Baritone)
• No. 11. Chorus. "Oh! what Pleasure" [lyrics]
• ACT III.
• No. 12. Introduction
• No. 13. Ballad. "There is a Flower that bloometh" (Tenor)
• No. 14. Song. "Scenes that are brightest" (Soprano)
• No. 15. Duet. "Sainted Mother" (Soprano & Contralto)
• No. 16. Finale. "With rapture glowing" [lyrics]

• No. 3. One Day I Wandered (RECITATIVO)
• ------ It Was a Form (AIR CAVATINA)
• No. 4. She Comes in All Her Loveliness (CAVATINA)
• ------ Crown, the Sceptre & the Sway (2d. Mvmt.)
• No. 5. Adieu Fair Land (BALLAD)
• No. 15. Gone Is the Calmness (BALLAD)
• No. 16. They Who Would Still Be Happy (BALLAD)
• No. 22. A Lowly Youth, the Mountain Child (BALLAD)
• No. 24. In That Devotion Which We Breathe (BALLAD)
• No. 28. One Gentle Heart (Finale)

ACT 1.

• Overture
• No. 1. All Is Silent (Introduction)
• Mo. 2. Hark! Hark! The King Advanceth (Chorus of Naiads)
• No. 3. The Naid's Spell (Flow on, on! Silver Rhine)
• No. 4. When the Night Winds Sweep the Wave (Romance)
• No. 5. Sail! Sail! on the Midnight Gale (Chorus)
• No. 6. Oh! Rudolph, Haughty Rudolph Tell (Duet)
• No. 7. I See By the Grey of Morn (Trio)
• No. 8. Drain the Cup of Pleasure (Chorus)
• No. 9. Here's Count Rudolph (Solo)
• No. 10. Our Bark in Moonlight Beaming (Barcarole)
• No. 11. When On Yon Rock the Moonbeams (Finale to Act 1)

ACT 2.

• No. 12 Behold! Behold! (Chorus) and Under a Spreading Coral (Solo)
• No. 13. From His Palace of Chrystal (Chorus & Dance)
• No. 14. Sweet Form, That in My Dreamy Gaze (Recit. & Air)
• No. 15. Take This Cup of Sparkling Wine (Rondo)
• No. 16. My Rage Beware (Quartet & Chorus)
• No. 17. As in the Cup the Bead Flied Up (Drinking Song)
• No. 18. Gentle Troubadour (Ballad)
• No. 19. Come Away to the Chase (Hunting Chorus)
• No. 20. The Nectar Cup May Yield Delight (The Father's Love) (Recit. & Ballad)
• No. 21. Peace to the Mem'ry of the Brave (Chorus)
• No. 22. Oh! Heavens It Is My Father (Finale to Act 2)

ACT 3.

• No. 23. Instrumental Introduction
• No. 24. My Home, My Hear't First Home (Recit. & Ballad)
• No. 25. Gold & Wine Cure Every Care (Chorus)
• No. 26. Lady, Let This Arm Sustain Thee (Duet)
• No. 27. Sad is My Soul and Oh Thou to Whom This Heart (Grand Scena)
• No. 28. Love, Transient Passion of the Earth (Scena & Air)
• No. 29. Though the World With Transport Bless Thee (Quartet, unaccompanied)
• No. 30. Now With Joy Each Blossom (Chorus & Ballet)
• No. 31. Oh! Lurline My Naiad Queen (Grand Duet)
• No. 32. Oh! Rudolph! In the Castle We O'erheard (Finale) [to Act 3]

This list is what was published separately from the original score.

• No. 1. Good Eve, My Gentle Father (Trio)
• No. 2. O Never Laugh Sir Knight
• No. 3. Postman's Song (Do You Want a Letter?)
• No. 4. Hark How the Chimes (Trio)
• No. 5. The Commandant's Song (A Soldier Must Forever War Be Waging)
• No. 6. Haughty Maid
• No. 7. O Bright Is the Palace Dome
• No. 8. The Soldier's Song (Go Sing How Our Troup Was the First in War)
• No. 9. My Long Hair Is Braided
• No. 10. Oh Lady Moon (Duet)
• No. 11. Love Me and Fear Not
• No. 12. 'Till Life at Last Be Over (Duet)
• No. 13. The Pain of Earth's Most Cruel Wrong
• No. 14. When the Elves at Dawn Do Pass
• No. 15. Hope's Glad Echo Round Me Swells
• No. 16. Come Away, Come Away
• No. 17. Paid, Paid, Too Long Delayed
• No. 18. Latin Hymn ([?] perpetua [?])
• No. 19. I Stand Beside My Grave
• No. 20. O Am I Dreaming Still

This [originaly unnumbered] list is from the original 381+ page piano/vocal score, as published by Cramer, Beale & Chappell of London.

• No. 1. Instrumental?Introduction
• No. 2. First Scene?"The conquer'd foe is flying" (Mary, Elsie, and Chorus)
• No. 3. Trio?"Good eve, my gentle father" (Mary, Rudiger, and Pastor)
• No. 4. Ballad?"O never laugh, Sir Knight" (Mary)
• No. 5. Recitative?"Is not a mountain nigh" (Mary, Rudiger, and Pastor)
• No. 6. Trio?"Hark! how the chimes" (Mary, Rudiger, and Pastor, with Choruc)
• No. 7. Postman's Song?"Do you want a letter" (Claus)
• No. 8. Scena?"A soldier must forever be waging" (Commandant)
• No. 9. Recitative?"You boast too loud" (Elsie and Commandant)
• No. 10. Quick movement? "Haughty Maid" (Commandant)
• No. 11. Recit. & Romance? "O bright is the palace dome" (Rudiger)
• No. 12. Recitative? "'Tis a famous chorus" (Claus and Chorus)
• No. 13. Song? "Go, sing how our troup" (Rudiger, with Chorus)
• No. 14. Rondo? "My long hair is braided" (Mary)
• No. 15. Finale? "See how you sing your best"
• No. 16. Quintet? "Did I hear him call'd" (Mary, Elsie, Rudiger, Commandant and Pastor)
• No. 17. Solo? "O wonder not! I pray for thee" (Rudiger)
• No. 18. March & Chorus? "Champion of Liberty"

• No. 19. Introduction? "Up the hill, where meteors guide" (Elsie and Chorus)
• No. 20. Recitative? "The cloud hath pass'd" (Mary)
• No. 21. Duet? "Oh Lady Moon! on silver clouds reclining" (Mary and Rudiger, with Chorus)
• No. 22. Air? "Love me and fear not I fail thee" (Rudiger)
• No. 23. Duet? "Till life at last be over" (Mary and Rudiger)
• No. 24. Scene? "To yonder wither'd oak" (Elsie and Chorus)

• No. 25. Introduction? "Mary, Mary, up! awake!" (Chorus of Women)
• No. 26. Recit. & Duet.? "The pain of earth's most cruel wrong," (Commandant and Pastor)
• No. 27. Recitative? "There will the judges be," (Commandant)
• No. 28. Ballad? "When the elves at dawn" (Mary)
• No. 29. Scene? "Mary! my child!" (Mary, Commandant, Pastor and Chorus)
• No. 30. Trio? "Melted is the frost that bound her," (Mary, Commandant, and Pastor)
• No. 31. Finale? "There she is! the Sorceress"

• No. 32. Recitative? "Stay, cruel dream" (Rudiger)
• No. 33. Air? "Lone, oppressed, in prison lying" (Rudiger)
• No. 34. Recitative? "What is the hour?" (Rudiger, Claus, and Chorus)
• No. 35. Quick Movement? "Come away! come away!" (Rudiger, with Chorus)
• No. 36. Recit. & Duet? "Paid, paid, too long delay'd?" (Elsie and Commandant)
• No. 37. Solo & Chorus? "Ring the bells merrily" (Elsie and Chorus)
• No. 38. Latin Hymn? "Flos perpetuus rosarum," (Mary)
• No. 39. Scene & Chorus? "Mock her not" (Mary, Pastor, Commandant, and Chorus)
• No. 40. Air? "I stand beside my grave" (Mary)
• No. 41. Soldier's Chorus? "The tyrant shall wake" (Chorus of Men)
• No. 42. Recitative? "What demon work is this?" (Mary, Rudiger, Claus, Pastor and King)
• No. 43. Rondo Finale? "Oh! am I dreaming still" (Mary)

• No. 1. Through the Pathless Forests Drear (Tenor)
• No. 2. Swift as Dart (Soprano)
• No. 3. Woodbird's Song (Soprano)
• No. 4. The Pangs of Unrequited Love (Baritone)
• No. 5. Why Did I Leave My Country Dear (Bass)
• No. 6. Though Born in Woods (Tenor)
• No. 7. Dance Ye Lithely (Soprano)
• No. 8. Why Throbs This Heart (Soprano)
• No. 9. Ah! Happy Hour [Duet] (Tenor & Soprano)
• No. 10. The Desert Waste, the Rocky Steep (Baritone)
• No. 11. I Make Thee King (Soprano)
• No. 12. My Loved Home I Never Shall See More (Tenor)
• No. 13. No Joy Can E'er the Bliss Exceed (Soprano)