''The Olympians'' is an

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

in three acts by

Arthur Bliss Sir Arthur Edward Drummond Bliss (2 August 189127 March 1975) was an English composer and conductor. Bliss's musical training was cut short by the First World War, in which he served with distinction in the army. In the post-war years he qu ...

to a

libretto A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the t ...

J. B. Priestley John Boynton Priestley (; 13 September 1894 – 14 August 1984) was an English novelist, playwright, screenwriter, broadcaster and social commentator. His Yorkshire background is reflected in much of his fiction, notably in ''The Good Compa ...

, first performed at the

Royal Opera House, Covent Garden The Royal Opera House (ROH) 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. It is the home of The Royal Ope ...

on 29 September 1949, conducted by

Karl Rankl Karl Rankl (1 October 1898 – 6 September 1968) was a British conductor and composer who was of Austrian birth. A pupil of the composers Schoenberg and Webern, he conducted at opera houses in Austria, Germany and Czechoslovakia until fleeing f ...

in a production by

Peter Brook Peter Stephen Paul Brook (21 March 1925 – 2 July 2022) was an English theatre and film director. He worked first in England, from 1945 at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, from 1947 at the Royal Opera House, and from 1962 for the Royal Shak ...

. After the initial run the next performance was in concert on 21 February 1972 at the

Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,700-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge, in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is a Grade I l ...

, London, conducted by

Bryan Fairfax Lancelot Beresford Bryan Fairfax (8 February 192511 January 2014) was an Australian conductor based in the United Kingdom, who was known for his championing of little known or neglected works.BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

...

Background

Hampstead Hampstead () is an area in London, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, and extends from Watling Street, the A5 road (Roman Watling Street) to Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland. The area forms the northwest part of the Lon ...

Gareth Lloyd Evans in conversation with J B Priestley during the interval of the 1972 radio broadcast.

Royal Ballet The Royal Ballet is a British internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, England. The largest of the five major ballet companies in Great Britain, the Royal Ballet was founded in ...

In a letter to Bliss (quoted in ''As I Remember''), E.J. Dent, while noting "Lavatte's familiarity with ''

The Bartered Bride ''The Bartered Bride'' ( cz, Prodaná nevěsta, links=no, ''The Sold Bride'') is a comic opera in three acts by the Czech composer Bedřich Smetana, to a libretto by Karel Sabina. The work is generally regarded as a major contribution towards the ...

''", praised the music of Acts I and III, while feeling that the entrances of the gods in Act II "weak". Dent nonetheless lauded the "masterly" orchestration and the opportunities for singers to show their voices off.Bliss A. ''As I Remember.'' Faber and Faber, London, 1970.

Roles

Synopsis

Legend has it that when men ceased to believe in the Gods of Olympus, some of the gods became a group of strolling players, walking through Europe over the centuries. Once every 100 years however, at

midsummer Midsummer is a celebration of the season of summer usually held at a date around the summer solstice. It has pagan pre-Christian roots in Europe. The undivided Christian Church designated June 24 as the feast day of the early Christian mart ...

, these players find themselves again with their divine powers. Time: 1836, at midsummer Setting: Berasson, a small town in the south of France

Act 1

''A large room at the Golden Duck tavern
''After bustle of travellers departing, Madame Bardeau is seen entertaining the

curé A curate () is a person who is invested with the ''care'' or ''cure'' (''cura'') ''of souls'' of a parish. In this sense, "curate" means a parish priest; but in English-speaking countries the term ''curate'' is commonly used to describe clergy w ...

. She owes money to Lavatte, the richest (and meanest) man in the town. While explaining all this, she sees a porter loading luggage belonging to a group of strolling players who owe her money. The curé agrees to intercede with Lavatte if she will be generous with the players. Lavatte enters and announces that he is giving a party that night to mark the engagement of his daughter Madeleine to a local nobleman (who it turns out is too old to become her husband). The curé suggests that Lavatte gets the players to entertain his guests that night – they will come cheap if he agrees to allow Madame Bardeau to have more time to pay her debt. The curé is joined by Hector, a young poet on his way to Paris, and when the curé has left and Madeleine enters in search of her father, it becomes clear that the two young people are falling in love. When Lavatte returns he angrily takes Madeleine away, closely followed by Hector. The players enter: Mercury (their dancer), Venus, Diana, Mars, Bacchus and Jupiter, the manager of the troupe. Diana is fed up with the roving life and wants a change, but Jupiter reminds them that down the centuries they have known many hardships and must stick together. Hector enters and stands them all wine, and when Lavatte comes in they offer to perform their ‘Comedy of Olympus’. Lavatte drives a hard bargain with them before leaving, but refuses to allow Hector to come to the party. The players become animated and jubilant, while Hector declares his love for Madeleine, and Madame Bardeau complains about all the noise.

Act 2

''A large courtyard outside Lavatte’s house, the moon rising.
''Madeleine comes out, unhappy because Hector has not been invited, but he, in disguise reveals himself and they ecstatically proclaim their love. There are cries from the house as Mercury comes out, and casts a spell on the lovers, who fall asleep. Guests emerge from the house and hear Diana sing of the joy of the hunt, then leading some off with her voice dying away in the distance. It is midnight and a group of male guests and Mars come onto the terrace and sing of war before they too go off; Lavatte is angry with the antics of the gods. Venus and Bacchus then appear, along with the rest of Lavatte's guests. Hector is taken with Venus's beauty.
Jupiter lectures all on the power of the old gods, telling them not to desert the ancient ways of mankind. Diana and Mars reappear, so all the gods apart from Mercury are together. Lavatte comes back into the courtyard with some police, and despite Jupiter's warning, calls on the police to arrest the gods; Jupiter sets the thunder rumbling and a thunderbolt knocks Lavatte to the ground.

Act 3

''Outside Lavatte’s house, where the players were to have staged their performance.
''Morning is approaching; the gods’ powers are waning. Diana sings a lament. Madeleine is unhappy as Hector is still fascinated by Venus; Jupiter comforts her and she forgives Hector and agrees to marry him. As the day breaks, Lavatte comes in, desperate to rid himself of the night's magic, followed by the curé who claims to have found a way to exorcise the magic: Lavatte must provide gold to make a magic circle and to allow his daughter to follow her heart's will. A mock exorcising ceremony is started, and the players – as shabby as they were in Act 1 – enter and ask for their pay and a testimonial. Lavatte agrees, and as the sun rises, guests and servants come on the scene and sing a bridal chorus for Madeleine - as the players start again on their travels.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Olympians Operas English-language operas 1949 operas Operas based on classical mythology Opera world premieres at the Royal Opera House Compositions by Arthur Bliss Operas set in France