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The Village Opera
''The Village Opera'' is a 1729 ballad opera by the British writer Charles Johnson. It was part of a group of ballad operas produced in the wake of the great success of John Gay's ''The Beggar's Opera''. The original Drury Lane cast included John Harper as Sir Nicholas Wiseacre, Benjamin Griffin as Sir William Freeman, Charles Williams as Freeman, Benjamin Johnson as Lucas, Joe Miller as Brush, James Oates as File, Edward Berry as Hobinol, Kitty Clive as Rosella, Sarah Thurmond as Betty and Frances Cross as Lady Wiseacre. Thomas Arne later wrote '' Love in a Village'' from a libretto based on Johnson's original. In the twentieth century Michael Tippett Sir Michael Kemp Tippett (2 January 1905 – 8 January 1998) was an English composer who rose to prominence during and immediately after the Second World War. In his lifetime he was sometimes ranked with his contemporary Benjamin Britten ... composed his own version of Johnson's work. References Bibliography ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Charles Johnson (writer)
Charles Johnson (1679 – 11 March 1748) was an English playwright, tavern keeper, and enemy of Alexander Pope's. He was a dedicated Whig who allied himself with the Duke of Marlborough, Colley Cibber, and those who rose in opposition to Queen Anne's Tory ministry of 1710–1714. Johnson claimed to be trained in the law, but there is no evidence of his membership in any of the inns of court. At the same time, it is possible that he was a lawyer, as his first two published works, in 1704 and 1705 (''Marlborough; on the Late Glorious Victory Near Hochstet in Germany'' and '' The Queen; a Pindaric Ode'') had him living in Gray's Inn, and he married a Mary Bradbury in Gray's Inn chapel in 1709, the year of his first play, '' Love and Liberty'' (unproduced). Some time around 1710, he became friends with the actor-manager of Drury Lane Theatre, Robert Wilks, and Wilks ensured that Johnson's plays received consideration. In 1711, ''The Wife's Relief'' was a great success. The play ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Edward Berry (actor)
Edward Berry (1706-1760) was a British stage actor. He was a long-standing member of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, Drury Lane company, appearing frequently with David Garrick.Marshall & Kishi p.462 Selected roles * Hobinol in ''The Village Opera'' by Charles Johnson (writer), Charles Johnson (1729) * Pantomine in ''Bayes's Opera'' by Gabriel Odingsells (1730) * Butler in ''The Devil to Pay (opera), The Devil to Pay'' by Charles Coffey (1731) * Gentleman in ''Caelia (play), Caelia'' by Charles Johnson (writer), Charles Johnson (1732) * Sparke in ''The Miser (Fielding play), The Miser'' by Henry Fielding (1733) * Valeius Publicola in ''Junius Brutus (play), Junius Brutus'' by William Duncombe (1734) * Don Lopez in ''Trick for Trick (1735 play), Trick for Trick'' by Robert Fabian (1735) * Osmyn in ''The Christian Hero'' by George Lillo (1735) * Chatillon in ''Zara (play), Zara'' by Aaron Hill (writer), Aaron Hill (1736) * Byron in ''The Universal Passion'' by James Miller (playwright ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ballad Operas
The ballad opera is a genre of English stage entertainment that originated in the early 18th century, and continued to develop over the following century and later. Like the earlier '' comédie en vaudeville'' and the later '' Singspiel'', its distinguishing characteristic is the use of tunes in a popular style (either pre-existing or newly composed) with spoken dialogue. These English plays were 'operas' mainly insofar as they satirized the conventions of the imported '' opera seria''. Music critic Peter Gammond describes the ballad opera as "an important step in the emancipation of both the musical stage and the popular song." Earliest ballad operas Ballad opera has been called an "eighteenth-century protest against the Italian conquest of the London operatic scene."M. Lubbock, ''The Complete Book of Light Opera'' (New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1962), pp. 467–68 It consists of racy and often satirical spoken (English) dialogue, interspersed with songs that are deliberate ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1729 Operas
Seventeen or 17 may refer to: *17 (number), the natural number following 16 and preceding 18 * one of the years 17 BC, AD 17, 1917, 2017 Literature Magazines * ''Seventeen'' (American magazine), an American magazine * ''Seventeen'' (Japanese magazine), a Japanese magazine Novels * ''Seventeen'' (Tarkington novel), a 1916 novel by Booth Tarkington *''Seventeen'' (''Sebuntiin''), a 1961 novel by Kenzaburō Ōe * ''Seventeen'' (Serafin novel), a 2004 novel by Shan Serafin Stage and screen Film * ''Seventeen'' (1916 film), an American silent comedy film *''Number Seventeen'', a 1932 film directed by Alfred Hitchcock * ''Seventeen'' (1940 film), an American comedy film *''Eric Soya's '17''' (Danish: ''Sytten''), a 1965 Danish comedy film * ''Seventeen'' (1985 film), a documentary film * ''17 Again'' (film), a 2009 film whose working title was ''17'' * ''Seventeen'' (2019 film), a Spanish drama film Television * ''Seventeen'' (TV drama), a 1994 UK dramatic short starring Christien ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Michael Tippett
Sir Michael Kemp Tippett (2 January 1905 – 8 January 1998) was an English composer who rose to prominence during and immediately after the Second World War. In his lifetime he was sometimes ranked with his contemporary Benjamin Britten as one of the leading British composers of the 20th century. Among his best-known works are the oratorio ''A Child of Our Time'', the orchestral '' Fantasia Concertante on a Theme of Corelli'', and the opera ''The Midsummer Marriage''. Tippett's talent developed slowly. He withdrew or destroyed his earliest compositions, and was 30 before any of his works were published. Until the mid-to-late 1950s his music was broadly lyrical in character, before changing to a more astringent and experimental style. New influences, including those of jazz and blues after his first visit to America in 1965, became increasingly evident in his compositions. While Tippett's stature with the public continued to grow, not all critics approved of these changes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Love In A Village
''Love in a Village'' is a ballad opera in three acts that was composed and arranged by Thomas Arne. A pastiche, the work contains 42 musical numbers of which only five were newly composed works by Arne. The other music is made up of 13 pieces borrowed from Arne's earlier stage works, a new overture was by C. F. Abel, and 23 songs by other composers, including Bishop, Boyce, Geminiani, Giordani, and Galuppi, albeit with new texts. The English libretto, by Isaac Bickerstaffe, is based on Charles Johnson’s 1729 play '' The Village Opera''. The opera premiered at the Royal Opera, Covent Garden in London on 8 December 1762.John A. Parkinson: "Love in a Village", ''Grove Music Online'' ed. L. Macy (Accessed February 16, 2009)(subscription access)/ref> One of its best known songs is the '' Miller of Dee''. History ''Love in a Village'' was received enthusiastically at its premiere and became one of Arne's more popular operas, enjoying 40 performances in its first season alone. Th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thomas Arne
Thomas Augustine Arne (; 12 March 17105 March 1778) was an English composer. He is best known for his patriotic song "Rule, Britannia!" and the song "A-Hunting We Will Go", the latter composed for a 1777 production of ''The Beggar's Opera'', which has since become popular as a folk song and a nursery rhyme. Arne was a leading British theatre composer of the 18th century, working at the West End's Drury Lane and Covent Garden. He wrote many operatic entertainments for the London theatres and pleasure gardens, as well as concertos, sinfonias, and sonatas. Early life Arne was born on March 12th, 1710 in Covent Garden and baptised at St Paul's, Covent Garden. Arne's father and grandfather were both upholsterers and both held office in the Worshipful Company of Upholders of the City of London. His grandfather fell on hard times and died in the debtors' prison of Marshalsea. His father earned enough money not only to rent 31 King Street, a large house in Covent Garden, but also t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Frances Cross
Frances Cross (1707-1781) was a British stage actress. From 1727 as Frances Shireburn she appeared at the Drury Lane Theatre. During her early years she established herself in a number of roles that she played repeatedly throughout her career including in Lady Darling in ''The Constant Couple'', Mademoiselle D'Epingle in '' The Funeral'', Mademoiselle in ''The Provoked Wife'' and Regan in ''King Lear'', Lady Bountiful in ''The Beaux' Stratagem'' and Mrs Motherly in The Provoked Husband. She also appeared at Bartholomew Fair during the summer months.Highfill, Burnim & Langhans p.71-72 From 1735 she became involved in with fellow actor Richard Cross and began styling herself as Mrs Cross, although she did not formally marry him until 1751.Highfill, Burnim & Langhans p.67 She was widowed in 1760, and had a son also named Richard Cross who appeared alongside her at Drury Lane. Apart from during the Actor Rebellion of 1733 when she briefly moved to the Haymarket Theatre and two seaso ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sarah Thurmond
Sarah Thurmond or Sarah Lewis ( – 1762) was a British actress. Life Sarah Lewis was born in Epsom although the date is unknown. Her first appearances were at Drury Lane and Lincoln's Inn Fields at the end of 1711 in Greenwich where she met John Thurmond John Thurmond (died 1727) was a British stage actor. To distinguish him from his son, also an actor named John, he is sometimes called John Thurmond the Elder. His earliest known stage performance was in 1695, when he played in '' Cyrus the Grea ..., son of the actor John Thurmond the Elder. They were married and Sarah went to Dublin where her in-laws John and Winifred Thurmond were acting and she appeared at the Smock Alley Theatre. In 1718 they were at the Drury Lane Theatre where she took leading roles and her husband was the dancing master. In 1723 her husband's play '' Harlequin Doctor Faustus'' which has been noted as England's first pantomime, was performed at Drury Lane. In 1732, they both moved to the Goodman' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kitty Clive
Catherine Clive (née Raftor; 5 November 1711 – 6 December 1785) Catherine ‘Kitty’ Clive (1711-1785, active 1728-1769) was a first songster and star comedienne of British playhouse entertainment. Clive led and created new forms of English musical theatre. She was celebrated both in high-style parts – singing, for instance, Handel’s music for her in ''Messiah'', ''Samson'', and ''The Way of the World'' – and in low-style ballad opera roles. Her likeness was printed and traded in unprecedented volume. She championed women’s rights throughout her career. An image crisis in the late 1740s forced Clive to quit serious song and instead lampoon herself on stage. Though this self-ridicule won Clive public favour back, and she reigned as first comedienne until her retirement in 1769, the strategy’s very success caused her musical legacy to be slighted and forgotten. A definitive biography of Clive by Berta Joncus appeared in 2019. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
James Oates
James Oates (died 1751) was a British stage actor. Possibly of Irish birth, he was a long-standing member of the Drury Lane company from 1718, and also appeared at the summer fairs in London including Southwark and Bartholomew Fair. He specialised in supporting roles, often in comedies. He was with Drury Lane for twenty one seasons, and later also became a tavern-owner alongside his acting duties. Like several actors of the era he was a freemason.Peter His wife and daughter were both actresses. Selected roles * Jeremy in ''The Play is the Plot'' by John Durant Breval (1718) * Thracion in ''The Spartan Dame'' by Thomas Southerne (1719) * Courtly in '' A Wife to be Lett'' by Eliza Haywood (1723) * Citizen in '' Double Falsehood'' by Lewis Theobald (1727) * File in ''The Village Opera'' by Charles Johnson (writer) (1729) * Mopsus in '' Love in a Riddle'' by Colley Cibber (1729) * Dash in ''The Humours of Oxford'' by James Miller (1730) * Bassoon in ''Bayes's Opera'' by Ga ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto Drury Lane. The building is the most recent in a line of four theatres which were built at the same location, the earliest of which dated back to 1663, making it the oldest theatre site in London still in use. According to the author Peter Thomson, for its first two centuries, Drury Lane could "reasonably have claimed to be London's leading theatre". For most of that time, it was one of a handful of patent theatres, granted monopoly rights to the production of "legitimate" drama in London (meaning spoken plays, rather than opera, dance, concerts, or plays with music). The first theatre on the site was built at the behest of Thomas Killigrew in the early 1660s, when theatres were allowed to reopen during the English Restoration. Initially ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
