The Pirates 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 ...

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

Stephen Storace Stephen John Seymour Storace (4 April 1762 – 19 March 1796) was an English composer of the Classical era, known primarily for his operas. His sister was the famous opera singer Nancy Storace. He was born in London in the Parish of St Marylebo ...

with an English libretto by James Cobb. The work was partly adapted from Storace's 1786 opera ''

Gli equivoci ''Gli equivoci'' (''The Misunderstandings''), is an Italian opera buffa by Stephen Storace to a libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte, based on Shakespeare's ''The Comedy of Errors ''The Comedy of Errors'' is one of William Shakespeare's early pla ...

'' and is remarkable as affording one of the earliest instances of the introduction of a grand finale into an English opera. The work premiered at the

Haymarket Theatre The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre on Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use. Samuel Foote ...

on November 21, 1792. The opera became a huge success and is considered by many music critics to be Storace's best composition. It was chosen as the starring prima buffa to be performed for

King George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...

at the King's Theatre, London on 16 May 1794.

Roles

Musical numbers

Act I * "Overture" – The Orchestra * Chorus: "Thanks to the brisk and fav'ring gale" - chorus of sailors and lazzaroni * Air: "Of a vile lack of honesty Grumblers complain" - Genariello * Air: "Some device my aim to cover" - Altador * Duet: "Signor! Signor!" - Fabulina and Altador * Air: "Oh! the pretty creature!" - Blazio * Air: "Love, like the opening flower" - Aurora * Trio: "Past toils thus recompensing" - Guillermo, Aurora, Altador * Finale: "Peaceful slumb'ring on the ocean" Act II * Trio: "To hear our suit do not refuse" - Aurora, Fabulina, Gasparo * Air: "There, the moon-silver'd waters roam" - Guillermo * Air: "A saucy knave who pass'd the door" - Fabulina * Air: "Oh dear! What shall I do?" - Blazio * Glee: "Let mirth and joy appear" - Fabulina, Marietta, etc. * Air: "Memory repeating" - Altador * Air: "In childhood's careless happy day" - Fidelia * Second Finale: "Unhand me, cowards, give me way" - Altador, etc. Act III * Chorus: "To the vineyard's praise, the chorus raise" - chorus of vintagers * Air: "My rising spirits thronging" - Fidelia * Air: "As wrapt in sleep I lay" - Aurora * Air: "No more his fears alarming" - Fabulina * Chorus: "Our faith thus pledg'd, join hand to hand" - chorus and Guillermo * Air: "Scarcely had the blushing morning" - Altador * Duet: "The jealous Don won't you assume when you marry?" - Fabulina and Blazio * Air: "Careful the winding path explore" - Marietta * Trio: "We the veil of fate undraw" - Fabulina, Fidelia, and Altador * Trio: "Oh! softly flow thou briny tide - Fabulina, Fidelia, and Altador * Finale: "Now constancy its meed shall gain" - Storace reused some of the music from his 1785 opera '' Gli sposi malcontenti'' in ''The Pirates''.

Later productions

On 29 November 1827, the opera was revived at Drury Lane with the title ''Isidore de Merida''. Most of Storace's music was retained but set to a new libretto, probably due to the original libretto's lack of publication.

References

Works consulted

* *

External links

* * (vocal score) Operas 1792 operas English-language operas Operas by Stephen Storace {{English-opera-stub