The Siege of Belgrade is a comic opera in three acts, principally composed by Stephen Storace to an English libretto by James Cobb. It incorporated music by Mozart, Salieri, Paisiello and Martini, and is therefore considered a pasticcio opera, as well as a Singspiel in English language, as it contained a spoken dialogue. It premiered on 1 January 1791 at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, in London with a great success,[1] featuring many famous singers and actors of the time, such as sopranos Nancy Storace[2] and Anna Maria Crouch, tenor Michael Kelly[3] as well as Shakespearean actors (in spoken roles) such as John Bannister and Richard "Dicky" Suett.
Roles
editRoles and performers at the premiere in London on 1 January 1791:[4]
- Men
- Saraskier, the leader of Turkish forces (tenor) – Mr. Kelly
- Colonel Cohenberg, Austrian Commander (spoken role) – Mr. Palmer
- Krohnfeldt (spoken role?) – Mr. R. Palmer
- Ismael, Commissioner of Saraskier and Yuseph (baritone) – Mr. Fox
- Yuseph, Turkish kadi (tenor) – Mr. Suett
- Leopold, Serbian peasant, in love with Lilla (tenor) – Mr. Bannister Jr.
- Peter, Serbian peasant, Lilla's brother and in love with Ghita (tenor) – Mr. Dignum
- Anselm, Serbian peasant (baritone) – Mr. Cook (later Mr. Sedgewick)
- Michael (spoken role) – Mr. Hollingsworth
- Soldier (spoken role) – Mr. Dubois
- Women
- Lilla, Serbian peasant girl, Peter's sister (soprano) – Signora Storace
- Catherine, wife of colonel Cohenberg (soprano) – Mrs. Crouch
- Ghita, Serbian peasant girl (soprano) – Mrs. Bland
- Fatima (spoken role) – Miss Hagley
Soldiers, Guards, Peasants, etc.
Notable musical numbers
edit- "When justice claims the victim due" (Act 1, Trio for the Seraskier, Lilla and Ghita), originally sung by Michael Kelly, Nancy Storace and Mrs. Bland
- "Domestic peace, my soul's desire" (Act 3, Lilla's aria), originally sung by Nancy Storace
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Stephen Storace. short biography
- ^ Anna (Nancy) Storace, list of performances
- ^ Kelly, Michael (1826). Thodore Edward Hook (ed.). Reminiscences of Michael Kelly of the King's Theatre and Theatre Royal, Drury Lane (2nd ed.). London: Henry Colburn.
- ^ The Siege of Belgrade: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
Further reading
edit- Girdham, Jane (2001). "Storace, Stephen (John Seymour)". Grove Music Online (8th ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.41410. ISBN 978-1-56159-263-0. (subscription required)
