The Martyrdom of St Magnus: Facts, Discussion Forum, and Encyclopedia Article

The Martyrdom of St Magnus

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Role	Voice type	Premiere Cast, 18 June 1977 (Conductor: Peter Maxwell Davies)
	The Martyrdom of St Magnus
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	Topics The Martyrdom of St Magnus Topic Home *The Martyrdom of St Magnus* is a chamber opera Chamber opera Chamber opera is a designation for operas written to be performed with a chamber ensemble rather than a full orchestra.The term and form were invented by Benjamin Britten in the 1940s, when the English Opera Group needed works that could easily be taken on tour and performed in a variety of small performance spaces.... in one act (with nine scenes) by the British composer Peter Maxwell Davies Peter Maxwell Davies Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Order of the British Empire , is an English composer and Conductor and is currently Master of the Queen's Music.... . The libretto Libretto A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, sacred or secular oratorio and cantata, Musical theater, and ballet.... , by Davies himself, is based on the novel Magnus Magnus (novel) *Magnus* is a novel by the Orcadian author George Mackay Brown. His second novel, it was published in 1973. it is a fictional account of the life and execution of the Tenth century Saint, Magnus Erlendsson, Earl of Orkney.... by George Mackay Brown George Mackay Brown George Mackay Brown , was a Scotland poet, author and dramatist, whose work has a distinctly Orcadian character. He is considered one of the great Scottish poets of the 20th century.... . The opera was first performed in St. Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall Kirkwall Kirkwall is the largest town and capital of the Orkney Islands, off the coast of northern mainland Scotland. The town is first mentioned in the Orkneyinga saga in the year 1046.... , Orkney on 18 June 1977. le class="wikitable">
Earl Magnus/Prisoner	tenor Tenor The tenor is a type of male voice type and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between the C one octave below middle C to the A above in choral music, and up to high C in solo work....	Neil Mackie
Norse Herald/Litolf/Keeper of the Loom	baritone Baritone Baritone is a type of European classical music male voice type that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice....	Brian Rayner Cook
Welsh Herald/Tempter	baritone	Michael Rippon
Earl Hakon/Officer	bass	Jan Comboy
Blind Mary	mezzo-soprano Mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano is a type of European classical music female voice type 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 ....	Mary Thomas

opera tells the story of Magnus Erlendsson, Earl of Orkney

Magnus Erlendsson, Earl of Orkney

Saint Magnus, Earl Magnus Erlendsson of Orkney, was the first Earl of Orkney of Orkney to bear that name, and ruled from 1108 to about 1115....
, who became a Christian saint and martyr.

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Encyclopedia

The Martyrdom of St Magnus is a chamber opera

Chamber opera

Chamber opera is a designation for operas written to be performed with a chamber ensemble rather than a full orchestra.The term and form were invented by Benjamin Britten in the 1940s, when the English Opera Group needed works that could easily be taken on tour and performed in a variety of small performance spaces....
in one act (with nine scenes) by the British composer Peter Maxwell Davies

Peter Maxwell Davies

Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Order of the British Empire , is an English composer and Conductor and is currently Master of the Queen's Music....
. The libretto

Libretto

A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, sacred or secular oratorio and cantata, Musical theater, and ballet....
, by Davies himself, is based on the novel Magnus
Magnus (novel)

Magnus is a novel by the Orcadian author George Mackay Brown. His second novel, it was published in 1973. it is a fictional account of the life and execution of the Tenth century Saint, Magnus Erlendsson, Earl of Orkney....
by George Mackay Brown

George Mackay Brown

George Mackay Brown , was a Scotland poet, author and dramatist, whose work has a distinctly Orcadian character. He is considered one of the great Scottish poets of the 20th century....
. The opera was first performed in St. Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall

Kirkwall

Kirkwall is the largest town and capital of the Orkney Islands, off the coast of northern mainland Scotland. The town is first mentioned in the Orkneyinga saga in the year 1046....
, Orkney on 18 June 1977.

Roles

Role	Voice type	Premiere Cast, 18 June 1977 (Conductor: Peter Maxwell Davies)
Earl Magnus/Prisoner	tenor Tenor The tenor is a type of male voice type and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between the C one octave below middle C to the A above in choral music, and up to high C in solo work....	Neil Mackie
Norse Herald/Litolf/Keeper of the Loom	baritone Baritone Baritone is a type of European classical music male voice type that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice....	Brian Rayner Cook
Welsh Herald/Tempter	baritone	Michael Rippon
Earl Hakon/Officer	bass	Jan Comboy
Blind Mary	mezzo-soprano Mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano is a type of European classical music female voice type 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 ....	Mary Thomas

Synopsis

The opera tells the story of Magnus Erlendsson, Earl of Orkney

Magnus Erlendsson, Earl of Orkney

Saint Magnus, Earl Magnus Erlendsson of Orkney, was the first Earl of Orkney of Orkney to bear that name, and ruled from 1108 to about 1115....
, who became a Christian saint and martyr. The nine scenes are entitled: 1.The Battle of Menai Strait; 2.The Temptations of Magnus; 3.The Curse of Blind Mary; 4.The Peace Parley; 5.Magnus's Journey to the Isle of Egilsay; 6.Earl Hakon plots to murder Magnus; 7.The Reporters; 8.The Sacrifice; 9.The Miracle.

Sources

The Viking Opera Guide ed. Holden (1993)