''Pyramus and Thisbe'' is a "mock

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 libr ...

" by the German-born composer

John Frederick Lampe John Frederick Lampe (born Johann Friedrich Lampe; probably 1703 – 25 July 1751) was a musician and composer. Life Lampe was born in Saxony, Germany but came to England in 1724 and played the bassoon in opera houses. In 1730, he was hired by ...

on the story of

Pyramus and Thisbe Pyramus and Thisbe are a pair of ill-fated lovers whose story forms part of Ovid's ''Metamorphoses''. The story has since been retold by many authors. Pyramus and Thisbe are two lovers in the city of Babylon who occupy connected houses. Their r ...

. It was first performed at Covent Garden Theatre, London, on 25 January 1745. The anonymous libretto (possibly the work of the composer or Henry Carey) is based on

Richard Leveridge Richard Leveridge (or Leueridge) (19 July 1670 – 22 March 1758) was an English bass singer of the London stage and a composer of baroque music, including many popular songs. Life Richard Leveridge was born in the parish of St Martin-in-the-Field ...

's ''The Comickal Masque of Pyramus and Thisbe'' (1716), itself inspired by the "play within a play" in act 5 of

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's '' A Midsummer Night's Dream''. This was the last of Lampe's operas, and was a much-needed success after a difficult period for musicians in the London theatre. In 1741 the revolution in Shakespearean acting initiated by

Macklin Macklin or MacKlin may refer to: ;Places * Macklin, Saskatchewan, a town in Canada People with the surname Macklin or MacKlin: * Macklin (surname) See also * Maclean MacLean, also spelt Maclean and McLean, is a Goidelic languages, Gaelic sur ...

and

Garrick Garrick may refer to: * Garrick (name), for the name's origin and people with either the surname or given name, the most famous being: ** David Garrick (1717–1779), English actor * Garrick Club, a London gentlemen's club named in honour of David ...

diverted attention away from music, and Lampe produced no new work in the major theatres for four years. ''Pyramus'' returns to the vein of burlesque that he mined in '' The Dragon of Wantley'' (1737), his first popular success; it ridicules Italian-style opera and opera singers rather than Shakespeare's plays and players. The onstage audience, originally Duke Theseus and his entourage, consists of Mr Semibrief (the

impresario An impresario (from the Italian ''impresa'', "an enterprise or undertaking") is a person who organizes and often finances concerts, plays, or operas, performing a role in stage arts that is similar to that of a film or television producer. His ...

) and two gentlemen, one of whom has experienced Italian opera at first hand on the

grand tour The Grand Tour was the principally 17th- to early 19th-century custom of a traditional trip through Europe, with Italy as a key destination, undertaken by upper-class young European men of sufficient means and rank (typically accompanied by a tut ...

; they interject facetious spoken comments as the all-sung opera proceeds. The story follows Shakespeare closely: the Wall (

tenor A tenor is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The low extreme for tenors is wide ...

) sports a chink through which Pyramus (tenor) and Thisbe ( soprano) arrange to meet 'at Ninny's tomb'. Thisbe arrives first and is frightened away by the Lion ( bass), who sings a splendid roaring aria. After the Moon (tenor) has sung a lyrical Arne-like number, Pyramus appears, fears the worst and stabs himself 'like a hero in Italian opera, to very good time and tune'; Thisbe follows suit. But they are revived by Mr Semibrief in time to sing the epilogue. Lampe's music is charming and largely deadpan, though there are the standard Handelian rage and revenge arias. The full score (London, 1745/ R 1988) omits the secco recitatives, a dance and the last chorus.

Recording

*''Pyramus and Thisbe''

Mark Padmore Mark Padmore (born 8 March 1961) is a British tenor appearing in concerts, recitals, and opera. He was born in London on 8 March 1961, and raised in Canterbury, Kent, England. Padmore studied clarinet and piano prior to his gaining a choral ...

, Susan Bisatt, Opera Restor'd, The Parley of Instruments, conducted by Peter Holman (Hyperion, 1995)

Sources

*''The Viking Opera Guide'' ed.

Amanda Holden Amanda Louise Holden (born 16 February 1971) is an English actress, media personality, and singer. Since 2007, she has been a judge on the television talent show competition ''Britain's Got Talent'' on ITV. She also co-hosts the ''Heart Brea ...

(Viking, 1993)
Magazine de l'opéra baroque (in French)
{{Authority control Operas English-language operas 1745 operas Operas by John Frederick Lampe Operas based on Metamorphoses Operas based on A Midsummer Night's Dream