Gloriana
Encyclopedia
Gloriana is an opera
in three acts by Benjamin Britten
to an English libretto
by William Plomer
, based on Elizabeth and Essex by Lytton Strachey
. The first performance was presented at the Royal Opera House
, London
in 1953 during the celebrations of the coronation
of Queen Elizabeth II.
Gloriana was the name given by the 16th century poet Edmund Spenser
to his character representing Queen Elizabeth I
in his poem The Faerie Queene
. It became the popular name given to Elizabeth I. It is recorded that the troops at Tilbury hailed her with cries of "Gloriana, Gloriana, Gloriana", after the defeat of the Spanish Armada
in 1588.
The opera depicts the relationship between Queen Elizabeth and the Earl of Essex
, and was composed for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen is said to have been disappointed by the opera, which presents the first Elizabeth as a sympathetic, but flawed, character motivated largely by vanity and desire. The premiere was one of Britten's few critical failures, and the opera was not included in the series of complete Decca recordings conducted by the composer. On 22 November 1963, the composer's 50th birthday, Bryan Fairfax
conducted a concert performance, which was the opera's first performance in any form since its inaugural production in 1953. However, the work has been well-received in revivals since Britten's death.
A set of Courtly Dances from the opera is often performed separately as a concert piece.
When the production toured in 1954 to Manchester
and Birmingham
, Joan Sutherland
sang the role of Penelope.
The courtiers dance a set of five "Courtly Dances" during which dancers are thrown into the air by their partners. The ladies retire. To punish Lady Essex for wearing too fancy a dress, the queen wears it herself. Essex is appointed Lord Deputy of Ireland.
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
in three acts by Benjamin Britten
Benjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to...
to an English libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
by William Plomer
William Plomer
William Charles Franklyn Plomer CBE was a South African author, known as a novelist, poet and literary editor. He was educated mostly in the United Kingdom...
, based on Elizabeth and Essex by Lytton Strachey
Lytton Strachey
Giles Lytton Strachey was a British writer and critic. He is best known for establishing a new form of biography in which psychological insight and sympathy are combined with irreverence and wit...
. The first performance was presented at the Royal Opera House
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House 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 of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1953 during the celebrations of the coronation
Coronation
A coronation is a ceremony marking the formal investiture of a monarch and/or their consort with regal power, usually involving the placement of a crown upon their head and the presentation of other items of regalia...
of Queen Elizabeth II.
Gloriana was the name given by the 16th century poet Edmund Spenser
Edmund Spenser
Edmund Spenser was an English poet best known for The Faerie Queene, an epic poem and fantastical allegory celebrating the Tudor dynasty and Elizabeth I. He is recognised as one of the premier craftsmen of Modern English verse in its infancy, and one of the greatest poets in the English...
to his character representing Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
in his poem The Faerie Queene
The Faerie Queene
The Faerie Queene is an incomplete English epic poem by Edmund Spenser. The first half was published in 1590, and a second installment was published in 1596. The Faerie Queene is notable for its form: it was the first work written in Spenserian stanza and is one of the longest poems in the English...
. It became the popular name given to Elizabeth I. It is recorded that the troops at Tilbury hailed her with cries of "Gloriana, Gloriana, Gloriana", after the defeat of the Spanish Armada
Spanish Armada
This article refers to the Battle of Gravelines, for the modern navy of Spain, see Spanish NavyThe Spanish Armada was the Spanish fleet that sailed against England under the command of the Duke of Medina Sidonia in 1588, with the intention of overthrowing Elizabeth I of England to stop English...
in 1588.
The opera depicts the relationship between Queen Elizabeth and the Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, KG was an English nobleman and a favourite of Elizabeth I. Politically ambitious, and a committed general, he was placed under house arrest following a poor campaign in Ireland during the Nine Years' War in 1599...
, and was composed for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen is said to have been disappointed by the opera, which presents the first Elizabeth as a sympathetic, but flawed, character motivated largely by vanity and desire. The premiere was one of Britten's few critical failures, and the opera was not included in the series of complete Decca recordings conducted by the composer. On 22 November 1963, the composer's 50th birthday, Bryan Fairfax
Bryan Fairfax
Bryan Fairfax is a retired Australian conductor based in the United Kingdom, who is known for his championing of little known or neglected works....
conducted a concert performance, which was the opera's first performance in any form since its inaugural production in 1953. However, the work has been well-received in revivals since Britten's death.
A set of Courtly Dances from the opera is often performed separately as a concert piece.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 8 June 1953 (Conductor: John Pritchard) |
|---|---|---|
| Queen Elizabeth I Elizabeth I of England Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty... |
soprano Soprano A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody... |
Joan Cross Joan Cross Joan Cross was an English soprano, closely associated with the operas of Benjamin Britten. She also sang in the Italian and German operatic repertoires. She later became a musical administrator, taking on the direction of the Sadler's Wells Opera Company.-Career:Cross was born in London... |
| Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, KG was an English nobleman and a favourite of Elizabeth I. Politically ambitious, and a committed general, he was placed under house arrest following a poor campaign in Ireland during the Nine Years' War in 1599... |
tenor Tenor The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2... |
Peter Pears Peter Pears Sir Peter Neville Luard Pears CBE was an English tenor who was knighted in 1978. His career was closely associated with the composer Edward Benjamin Britten.... |
| Frances, Countess of Essex Frances Walsingham Frances Walsingham, Countess of Essex and Countess of Clanricarde was an English noblewoman. The daughter of Francis Walsingham, Elizabeth I's Secretary of State, she became the wife of Sir Philip Sidney at age 14. Her second husband was Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, Queen Elizabeth's... |
mezzo-soprano Mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above... |
Monica Sinclair Monica Sinclair Monica Sinclair was a British operatic contralto, who sang many roles with the Royal Opera, Covent Garden during the 1950s and 1960s, and appeared on stage and in recordings with Joan Sutherland, Luciano Pavarotti, Sir Thomas Beecham, Sir Malcolm Sargent, and many others... |
| Charles Blount, Lord Mountjoy Charles Blount, 1st Earl of Devonshire Charles Blount , 8th Baron Mountjoy and 1st Earl of Devonshire was an English nobleman and soldier who served as Lord Deputy of Ireland under Queen Elizabeth I, then as Lord Lieutenant under King James I.-Early life:... |
baritone Baritone Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or... |
Geraint Evans Geraint Evans Sir Geraint Llewellyn Evans was a Welsh baritone or bass-baritone noted for operatic roles including Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro, Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, and the title roles in Falstaff and Wozzeck... |
| Penelope (Lady Rich) Penelope Blount, Countess of Devonshire Penelope Rich, Lady Rich, later styled Penelope Blount, Countess of Devonshire was an English noblewoman... sister to Essex |
soprano | Jennifer Vyvyan Jennifer Vyvyan Jennifer Vyvyan was a British classical soprano who had an active international career in operas, concerts, and recitals from 1948 up until her death in 1974. She possessed a beautifully clear, steady voice with considerable flexibility in florid music... |
| Sir Robert Cecil Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury, KG, PC was an English administrator and politician.-Life:He was the son of William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley and Mildred Cooke... Secretary of the Council |
baritone | Arnold Matters Arnold Matters Arnold Matters was an Australian operatic baritone whose career was made mostly in England during the 1930s and 1940s... |
| Sir Walter Raleigh Walter Raleigh Sir Walter Raleigh was an English aristocrat, writer, poet, soldier, courtier, spy, and explorer. He is also well known for popularising tobacco in England.... , Captain of the Guard |
bass Bass (voice type) A bass is a type of male singing voice and possesses the lowest vocal range of all voice types. According to The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, a bass is typically classified as having a range extending from around the second E below middle C to the E above middle C... |
Frederick Dalberg |
| Henry Cuffe Henry Cuffe Sir Henry Cuffe was an English author and politician, executed during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England, for treason.-Family connections:... a satellite of Essex |
baritone | Ronald Lewis |
| A Lady-in-Waiting | soprano | Adele Leigh |
| A Blind Ballad-Singer | bass | Inia Te Wiata Inia Te Wiata Inia Watene Tauhia Te Wiata was a New Zealand Māori bass-baritone opera singer, film actor and carver.-Early life:Inia Te Wiata was born in Otaki, New Zealand, into the Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga Iwi... |
| The Recorder of Norwich | bass | Michael Langdon Michael Langdon Michael Langdon was a British bass opera singer.Langdon was born in Wolverhampton. He had six half brothers and sisters, the youngest, Maud being 19 years his senior. His father, Harry was sixty when his youngest son was born and by all accounts a very strong personality... |
| A Housewife | mezzo-soprano | Edith Coates Edith Coates Edith Coates OBE was an English operatic mezzo-soprano. A highly gifted actress with a striking stage presence, Coates initially found success in larger dramatic roles before transitioning into portraying mainly character parts in the 1950s. She began her career with Lilian Baylis's opera company... |
| The Spirit of the Masque | tenor | William McAlpine |
| The Master of Ceremonies | tenor | David Tree |
| The City Crier | baritone | Rhydderch Davies |
| Time | dancer Ballet Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with... |
Desmond Doyle |
| Concord | dancer | Svetlana Beriosova Svetlana Beriosova Svetlana Beriosova was a British prima ballerina who danced with the Royal Ballet of England for more than 20 years.... |
| Chorus: citizens, maids of honour, ladies and gentlemen of the household, courtiers, masquers, old men, men and boys of Essex's following, councillors | ||
| Dancers: country girls, fisherman, Morris Dancers | ||
| Actors: pages, ballad-singer's runner, phantom of Queen Elizabeth | ||
| Musicians on the stage: state trumpeters, dance orchestra, pipe and tabor, gittern, drummer | ||
When the production toured in 1954 to Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
and Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, Joan Sutherland
Joan Sutherland
Dame Joan Alston Sutherland, OM, AC, DBE was an Australian dramatic coloratura soprano noted for her contribution to the renaissance of the bel canto repertoire from the late 1950s through to the 1980s....
sang the role of Penelope.
Act 1
Mountjoy wins a jousting tournament. Essex challenges him to a duel and is wounded. The queen scolds the men for their jealousy. Cecil informs the queen of an affair between Penelope and Mountjoy. Essex woos the queen on the lute, and gains permission to attack the Irish rebel Tyrone. The queen prays for strength.Act 2
A masque is given in the queen's honor. Mountjoy and Penelope have a tryst in the garden. Essex denounces the queen for thwarting his military plans.The courtiers dance a set of five "Courtly Dances" during which dancers are thrown into the air by their partners. The ladies retire. To punish Lady Essex for wearing too fancy a dress, the queen wears it herself. Essex is appointed Lord Deputy of Ireland.
Act 3
Essex arranges a truce with Tyrone. He bursts into the queen's dressing room to give her the news. The queen is dressing, and orders his arrest for such insolence. He escapes and tries to raise an army against the queen. He is captured and condemned. Cecil believes the queen will pardon Essex. Penelope, Lady Essex, and Mountjoy all support the pardon, but this only stiffens the queen's resolve, and she signs his death warrant. The queen wants to be a wise ruler as she faces her own mortality.Recordings
- Britten: Gloriana – Sarah Walker (Queen Elizabeth I), Anthony Rolfe JohnsonAnthony Rolfe JohnsonAnthony Rolfe Johnson, CBE was an English operatic tenor.-Life and career:Born in Tackley in Oxfordshire, Rolfe Johnson studied with Ellis Keeler and Vera Rosza at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He first appeared in opera in the chorus and in small roles at the Glyndebourne Festival...
(Earl of Essex), Jean RigbyJean RigbyJean Rigby , is an English opera and concert singer. A mezzo-soprano, she is a long-time principal with the English National Opera....
(Countess of Essex), Neil HowlettNeil HowlettNeil Howlett is a retired English operatic baritone who has sung leading roles in major opera houses and festivals in the UK and abroad, including the Royal Opera House, Teatro Colón, and the English National Opera, where he was the Principal Baritone for seventeen years...
(Lord Mountjoy), Alan OpieAlan OpieAlan Opie is a Cornish baritone, primarily known as an opera singer.He attended Truro School and studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the London Opera Centre before joining the Sadler's Wells Opera...
(Sir Robert Cecil), Elizabeth Vaughan (Lady Rich), Richard Van AllanRichard Van AllanRichard Van Allan CBE was a versatile British operatic bass singer who had a lengthy career.He sang varied repertoire at Covent Garden and English National Opera, as well as at numerous important houses worldwide...
(Sir Walter Raleigh), Malcolm Donnelly (Henry Cuffe); English National OperaEnglish National OperaEnglish National Opera is an opera company based in London, resident at the London Coliseum in St. Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with the Royal Opera, Covent Garden...
Chorus and Orchestra; Mark ElderMark ElderSir Mark Philip Elder, CBE is a British conductor. He is the music director of the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester, England.-Biography:Elder was born in Hexham, Northumberland, England, the son of a dentist...
(conductor). Live recording, London 1984 (also broadcast on the BBC). Label: ArtHaus Musik DVD