Love in a Village is a ballad opera

Ballad opera

The term ballad opera is used to refer to a genre of English stage entertainment originating in the 18th century and continuing to develop in the following century and later. There are many types of 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

Francesco Geminiani

thumb|230px|Francesco Geminiani.Francesco Saverio Geminiani was an Italian violinist, composer, and music theorist.-Biography:...

, Giordani

Tommaso Giordani

Tommaso Giordani was an Italian composer.Giordani was born in Naples and came from a musical family. His father was Carmine Giordani , who was born around 1695 in Naples, died after 1762, probably in London. A younger brother was Giuseppe Giordani , called "Giordanello"...

, and Galuppi, albeit with new texts. The English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 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 Isaac Bickerstaffe

Isaac Bickerstaffe

Isaac Bickerstaffe or Bickerstaff was an Irish playwright and Librettist.-Early life:Isaac John Bickerstaff was born in Dublin, on 26 September 1733, where his father John Bickerstaff held a government position overseeing the construction and management of sports fields including bowls and tennis...

, is based on Charles Johnson

Charles Johnson (writer)

Charles Johnson 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,...

’s 1729 play The Village Opera. The opera premiered at the Royal Opera

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...

, Covent Garden

Covent Garden

Covent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as...

 in 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...

 on 8 December 1762.

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. The work's success began a vogue for pastiche opera in England that lasted well into the 19th century. The opera has subsequently been revived numerous times, both during Arne's lifetime and after. A notable revival occurred at the Lyric Hammersmith

Lyric Hammersmith

The Lyric Theatre, also known as the Lyric Hammersmith, is a theatre on King Street, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, which takes pride in its original, "groundbreaking" productions....

 in 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 1928, using an adaptation by Alfred Reynolds

Alfred Reynolds (composer)

Alfred Reynolds was a composer of light music for the theatre.He was born in Liverpool and educated at Merchant Taylors' School and later in France. He studied with Engelbert Humperdinck in Berlin....

. The opera was first published in 1763, but without recitative or librettos. A copy of the full score, which is partly in the composer’s hand, also survives and is in the collection of the library at the Royal College of Music

Royal College of Music

The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...

. Most of the music displays a simple and lyrical nature with the exception of the music for Rosetta. Rosetta, a role written for Arne's lover Charlotte Brent

Charlotte Brent

Charlotte Brent was a child prodigy and celebrated soprano singer of the 18th century.She was the daughter of Charles Brent , a Handelian counter-tenor, and fencing-master . She was a pupil and mistress of Thomas Arne and later the wife of the violinist Thomas Pinto...

, requires a gifted a coloratura soprano

Coloratura soprano

A coloratura soprano is a type of operatic soprano who specializes in music that is distinguished by agile runs and leaps. The term coloratura refers to the elaborate ornamentation of a melody, which is a typical component of the music written for this voice...

, particularly for the aria "The traveller benighted" which has several challenging passages containing wide vocal leaps, fast runs, and trills.

Roles

Role	Voice type	Premiere Cast, 8 December 1762 (Conductor: - Thomas Arne)
Rosetta	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...	Charlotte Brent Charlotte Brent Charlotte Brent was a child prodigy and celebrated soprano singer of the 18th century.She was the daughter of Charles Brent , a Handelian counter-tenor, and fencing-master . She was a pupil and mistress of Thomas Arne and later the wife of the violinist Thomas Pinto...
Thomas Meadows	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...	George Mattocks
Lucinde	soprano	Isabella Mattocks
Farmer Hawthorne	tenor	John Beard John Beard (tenor) John Beard was an English tenor of the 18th century. He is best remembered for creating an extensive number of roles in the operas and oratorios of George Frideric Handel....
Eustace	tenor	Michael Dyer Michael Dyer Michael Dyer is an American football running back for the Auburn Tigers. He is considered one of the best running backs in his class.-College career:...
Margery	soprano	Cecilia Davies Cecilia Davies Cecilia Davies was an English classical soprano who had an active international career in concerts and operas during the second half of the 18th century. In Italy she was dubbed with the name "l'Inglesina". She was the sister of Marianne Davies who was the first professional glass harmonica musician...
Hodge	tenor	John Dunstall John Dunstall John Dunstall was an English engraver and teacher. -Life:He lived in Blackfriars, London, where he published drawing books on natural history and other educational subjects....
Justice Woodcock	spoken role	Edward Shuter Edward Shuter Edward Shuter was an English actor.Shuter was born in London to poor parents. He made his first appearance on the London stage in 1745 in Cibber's Schoolboy. He made a great reputation in old men's parts...
Sir William Meadows	spoken role

Synopsis

The heroine of the story, Rosetta, is fearful of her impending marriage to a man she has never met. Worried that she will be miserable, she runs away from home and acquires a position as a chambermaid in the home of Justice Woodcock. Meanwhile the son of Sir William Meadows, Thomas, is in an equivalent situation. He also avoids his impeding marriage by posing as a gardener in the Justice's household. Rosetta and Thomas meet and soon fall in love. However, both of their family's are determined to make them marry their intended future spouces. Just as all seems hopeless, Sir William’s arrives and reveals that the young lovers have in fact been betrothed to each other the whole time.