Thomas and Sally

Thomas and Sally

"Thomas and Sally" (also known as "The Sailor's Return") is a dramatic pastoral opera in two acts by the composer Thomas Arne with an English libretto by Isaac Bickerstaff. The opera was meant to be performed as an "after piece" which is a short musical work to be performed after a spoken play.

Performance history

The opera was initially scheduled to premiere in October 1760 but was postponed due to the death of King George II. The opera eventually premiered on November 28, 1760 at Covent Garden and enjoyed a successful run. "Thomas and Sally" is one of only a few works by Arne that was not destroyed in the disastrous fire at Covent Garden in 1808 and has occasionally been revived during the past century. [http://www.library.unt.edu/music/special-collections/vrbr/browse/thomas-and-sally-1782-thomas-augustine-arne Thomas and Sally (1782) - Thomas Augustine Arne — University of North Texas Libraries ] ] [http://www.answers.com/topic/thomas-and-sally-or-the-sailor-s-return-opera-in-1-act?cat=entertainment Thomas and Sally, or The Sailor's Return, opera ...: Information and Much More from Answers.com ] ]

The opera made it's Broadway debut at the Little Theatre on January 4, 1938 with Geoffrey Dunn as Thomas, Winifred Radford as Sally, and Frederick Woodhouse as the Squire. [ [http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=10692 IBDB: The official source for Broadway Information ] ] Thomas and Sally also has the distinction of being one of the first operas recreated for television. The B.B.C. made a television production of the opera in 1937 with Joan Collier as Sally, Vivienne Chatterton as Dorcas, Henry Wendon as Thomas, and Dennis Noble as the Squire. [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0407253/ Thomas and Sally (1937) (TV) ] ]

Musical analysis

"Thomas and Sally" is about fifty minutes in length and is notable in that it is the first English comic opera to be sung throughout. The orchestration is also unusual for a lighter opera of this period, as Arne included clarinets in the score which were usually only used in tragic pieces. The nautical themes in the libretto led Arne to compose a sturdy score that includes a boistrous hunting song for the Squire. Sally's songs are written in an opera buffo style.

Roles

ynopsis

Act One

Sally is distraught over the impending loss of Thomas who is about to embark on a sea voyage which will separate them for a long time. The lovers tearfully say goodbye to one another. Meanwhile, the squire is infatuated with Sally but has not pursued her because of Thomas. Now that Thomas is gone, the squire decides to try to woo Sally under the encouragement of Dorcas. Sally spurns the squire. Seeing that he has failed, Dorcas tries to help him out by advising Sally to celebrate her youth. Sally, however, remains firm in her devotion to Thomas.

Act Two

The squire and Dorcas continue to plot together in the attempt to woo Sally. Just as it seems like Sally may give in, Thomas returns to rescue Sally and the two declare that they will marry.

References

* [http://www.amadeusonline.net/almanacco.php?Start=0&Giorno=28&Mese=11&Anno=1760&Giornata=&Testo=&Parola=Stringa Amadeus Almanac, accessed 5 June 2008]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Thomas Arne — painted by Johann Zoffany Thomas Augustine Arne (12 March 1710 – 5 March 1778) was a British composer, best known for the patriotic song Rule, Britannia!. He also wrote a version of God Save the King, which was to become the British national… …   Wikipedia

  • Crutcher and Sally Brown Nature Preserves — Waterfall in Sally Brown section Crutcher Nature Preserve and Sally Brown Nature Preserve are two adjacent tracts located in Garrard and Jessamine county Kentucky that also serve to protect a large section of the Kentucky River Palisades. They… …   Wikipedia

  • Sally Hemings — (vers 1773 – 1835) était une esclave qui vivait en Virginie en Amérique du Nord, fille de Betty Hemings. Sa mère travailla pour John Wayles, qui mourut en 1773, le père de Martha Wayles. Avec le remariage de celle ci avec Thomas Jefferson, Sally… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Sally Thomas — Sally Gordon Thomas AM (7 Aug 1939 ) is a Judge of the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory. She was appointed to the Court on 10 August 1992 and is the first and only female to be appointed as a Judge of the Court.Early lifeJustice Thomas was …   Wikipedia

  • Sally Hemings — (* um 1773; † 1835) war eine Sklavin Thomas Jeffersons, des 3. Präsidenten der USA, mit der er eine Beziehung hatte. Sally Hemings gehörte ursprünglich der Frau Jeffersons, Martha Wayles, und war möglicherweise sogar deren Halbschwester. Nach dem …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Thomas Dempster — (August 23, 1579 [But this date is disputed. Thomas said that he was one of 29 children and belonged to a set of triplets, which seems an impossibility and for which there is no other evidence. A modern Dempster, James, reasons, on a website… …   Wikipedia

  • Sally Hemings — Infobox Person name = Sally Hemings image size = caption = birth name = birth date = circa 1773 birth place = Shadwell, Albemarle County, Virginia death date = 1835 death place = Charlottesville, Virginia death cause = resting place = resting… …   Wikipedia

  • Thomas Jefferson — Infobox President name=Thomas Jefferson order=3rd President of the United States term start=March 4, 1801 term end=March 4, 1809 predecessor=John Adams successor=James Madison birth date=OldStyleDate|April 13|1743|April 2 birth place=Shadwell,… …   Wikipedia

  • Sally Ride — Sally Kristen Ride NASA astronaut Nationality American …   Wikipedia

  • Thomas II of York — Infobox Archbishop of York name = Thomas II of York birth name = Thomas began=unknown consecration = 27 June 1109 term end = 24 February 1114 predecessor = Gerard successor = Thurstan birth date = birthplace = death date =24 February 1114… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”