Alfred (play)
Encyclopedia
Alfred is a sung stage work about Alfred the Great
with music by Thomas Arne and a libretto
by David Mallet
and James Thomson. The work was initially devised as a masque
in 1740 and was first performed at Cliveden, country home of Frederick, Prince of Wales
, on 1 August 1740, to commemorate the accession of George I
and the birthday of the Princess Augusta. Arne later revised the work turning it into an all-sung oratorio
in 1745 and then an opera
in 1753. It is best known for its finale "Rule, Britannia!
".
" With successive additions, Arne significantly expanded the music with the final version being an all sung opera in three acts. Today, the third and final version of the work is the one that is most often performed.
Frederick, a German prince who had grown up in Hanover
arrived in Britiain as an adult and was on very bad terms with his father, was making considerable efforts to ingratiate himself and build a following among his subjects-to-be (although he never ultimately reigned as he died in 1751 before his father and never became king). A masque linking the prince with both the ancient hero-king Alfred the Great
's victories over the Viking
s and with the contemporary issue of building British sea power went well with his political plans and aspirations.
Thomson was a Scottish poet
and playwright, who spent most of his adult life in England and hoped to make his fortune at Court. He had an interest in helping foster a British identity, including and transcending the older English and Scottish identities.
Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great was King of Wessex from 871 to 899.Alfred is noted for his defence of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of southern England against the Vikings, becoming the only English monarch still to be accorded the epithet "the Great". Alfred was the first King of the West Saxons to style himself...
with music by Thomas Arne and a 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 David Mallet
David Mallet (writer)
David Mallet was a Scottish dramatist.He was educated at the University of Edinburgh, and went to London in 1723 to work as a private tutor...
and James Thomson. The work was initially devised as a masque
Masque
The masque was a form of festive courtly entertainment which flourished in 16th and early 17th century Europe, though it was developed earlier in Italy, in forms including the intermedio...
in 1740 and was first performed at Cliveden, country home of Frederick, Prince of Wales
Frederick, Prince of Wales
Frederick, Prince of Wales was a member of the House of Hanover and therefore of the Hanoverian and later British Royal Family, the eldest son of George II and father of George III, as well as the great-grandfather of Queen Victoria...
, on 1 August 1740, to commemorate the accession of George I
George I of Great Britain
George I was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 August 1714 until his death, and ruler of the Duchy and Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg in the Holy Roman Empire from 1698....
and the birthday of the Princess Augusta. Arne later revised the work turning it into an all-sung oratorio
Oratorio
An oratorio is a large musical composition including an orchestra, a choir, and soloists. Like an opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias...
in 1745 and then an opera
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 1753. It is best known for its finale "Rule, Britannia!
Rule, Britannia!
"Rule, Britannia!" is a British patriotic song, originating from the poem "Rule, Britannia" by James Thomson and set to music by Thomas Arne in 1740...
".
History
In its original form Alfred contained only seven musical numbers, including the famous patriotic song "Rule, Britannia!Rule, Britannia!
"Rule, Britannia!" is a British patriotic song, originating from the poem "Rule, Britannia" by James Thomson and set to music by Thomas Arne in 1740...
" With successive additions, Arne significantly expanded the music with the final version being an all sung opera in three acts. Today, the third and final version of the work is the one that is most often performed.
Frederick, a German prince who had grown up in Hanover
Electorate of Hanover
The Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg was the ninth Electorate of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation...
arrived in Britiain as an adult and was on very bad terms with his father, was making considerable efforts to ingratiate himself and build a following among his subjects-to-be (although he never ultimately reigned as he died in 1751 before his father and never became king). A masque linking the prince with both the ancient hero-king Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great was King of Wessex from 871 to 899.Alfred is noted for his defence of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of southern England against the Vikings, becoming the only English monarch still to be accorded the epithet "the Great". Alfred was the first King of the West Saxons to style himself...
's victories over the Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
s and with the contemporary issue of building British sea power went well with his political plans and aspirations.
Thomson was a Scottish poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and playwright, who spent most of his adult life in England and hoped to make his fortune at Court. He had an interest in helping foster a British identity, including and transcending the older English and Scottish identities.
Roles
| Roles | Voice type Voice type A voice type is a particular kind of human singing voice perceived as having certain identifying qualities or characteristics. Voice classification is the process by which human voices are evaluated and are thereby designated into voice types... |
Premiere cast, 1 August 1740, Conductor Conducting Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble... : Thomas Arne ) |
|---|---|---|
| Alfred | 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... |
Thomas Lowe Thomas Lowe (tenor) Thomas Lowe was an English tenor and actor. He began his career at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in 1740. That same year he portrayed the title role in the world premiere of Thomas Arne's Alfred. He sang principally at Covent Garden until 1760 and became particularly associated with the works of... |
| Emma/Venus | 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... |
Kitty Clive Kitty Clive Catherine "Kitty" Clive was a British actress of considerable repute on the stages of London.Most likely born in London, her father William Raftor was an Irishman and former officer in the French army under Louis XIV... |
| Spirit/Pallas/Paris | 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... |
Susannah Maria Cibber |
| Bard/Mercury | 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... |
Recordings
- Thomas Arne's Alfred – Orchestra of the Age of EnlightenmentOrchestra of the Age of EnlightenmentThe Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment is a British period instrument orchestra. The OAE is a resident orchestra of the Southbank Centre, London, associate orchestra at Glyndebourne Festival Opera and has its headquarters at Kings Place...
, Nicholas Kreamer (conductor), 1997. BBC Music Vol.V No. 10 - Thomas Arne: Alfred – Philarmonia Baroque Orchestra and Chorale, Nicholas McGegan (conductor), 1999. Deutsche Harmonia Mundi
External links
- Review of the Deutsche Harmonia Mundi recording of Alfred in Goldberg Magazine.