IndexACT IACT IIACT IIIACT IV-VMusicaAfter Purcell Throughout this essay I will explore the revolutionary semi-opera that is King Arthur. I intend to delve into the reasons for its success, why it was controversial, as well as examine the writer, the composers, and their perfectly polished work. King Arthur is a semi-opera based on John Dryden's 1684 libretto, for which Purcell later composed the music. Although Dryden almost abandoned the libretto due to his patriotism and clear prejudice against King Charles II, who died in 1985. The opera was first performed in June 1691 at the Dorset Garden Theater in London. The work was very well received by the public. E. J. Dent (music writer) described it in 1965 as "a very skillful work" and describes the spoken dialogue and music as "generally well balanced". The work was generally well received due to its strong patriotism towards Britain. Furthermore this was one of the first operas of its kind, after Cromwell's desire to close the theaters in 1642, the operas had not really had a chance to develop. This unusual amalgam of libretto and music would have truly surprised audiences of the time, especially as operas and other theatrical productions were only re-emerging after Cromwell's reign. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Henry Purcell was born in 1659 and is said to be England's greatest Baroque composer. This is partly due to the fact that he had the great ability to write beautiful incidental music that perfectly matched the spoken dialogue, truly blending together the art of theatre, literature and music. Part of the reason Purcell was so famous is because he was given the role of organist at Westminster Abbey, so he had royal duties and was considered a member of the upper social class. He composed music for occasions such as the coronation of James II and the funeral of Mary II, among many others. The writer; John Dryden was born in 1631 and was the first English poet laureate. Dryden was said to be so influential that the period in which he lived was called "The Age of Dryden". Dryden was a highly respected classical writer. So much so that he wrote "Astraea Redux" for the coronation of King Charles II in 1660. He was a very versatile artist and wrote many famous works of poetry, musical theater and opera. King Arthur also had some deeper meanings. The most widespread one is certainly political. Arthur was thought to be a "source of national pride". Dryden was perhaps reminding the audience that Arthur had fought to rid himself of foreign invaders and that a “foreign monarch” had just returned to the throne in recent years. In other words, he wanted a true English heir to the throne to return to power. Another patriotic reason behind the birth of this semi-work is the fact that Dryden violently opposed the coronation of William and Mary who were Protestants. He did not believe they were worthy of ruling Britain. Dryden, who was stripped of his position as poet laureate due to this opposition to the new monarchy, expressed his views through King Arthur. The main characters of this work are; King Arthur, Conon, Duke of Cornwall, his daughter Emmeline and his assistant Matilda, Merlin; an enchanter and friend of Arthur Aurelius and his guard captain Albanact. On the Saxon side there is; Oswald: King of Kent, his friend Guillamar and Osmond: a wizard. There are also many minor roles including mermaids, nymphs, shepherds and many others. ACT IThis is the act in which King Arthur is shown winning his battles against the Saxon invaders. The first act depicts the battlefinal between Oswald (the Saxon leader) and the army led by King Arthur and their respective camps the night before the battle. The act is made even more glorious by the addition of the "blind Emmeline" who is supposed to play King Arthur after rejecting Oswald's marriage proposal. The Saxons are driven back at the sound of the song; 'Come if you dare'.ACT IIIIn this act Emmeline is kidnapped by Oswald during an attack and taken back to his castle. Upon learning this, Arthur decides to rescue her and attack Oswald's castle. However, the latter has enchanted the surrounding forest, hindering Arthur's efforts to recover Emmeline. ACT III During this act, the Britons are shocked by the powerful spells that Oswald has placed on the forest, they fear them so much that they decide to fall back, unlike Arthur. , who stays to save Emmeline. He is eventually successful and manages to use a potion to take away her blindness. ACTS IV-Merlin manages to dispel Osmond's spells on the forest allowing Arthur to enter. Arthur is lured into the water by two mermaids in the deep enchanted woods. Arthur manages to understand that it is an illusion and breaks the spell. The broken spell gives way to the British who then march towards the Saxon fortress, where they are confronted by Oswald. The latter then proposes a one-on-one battle with Arthur, who is ultimately victorious. The British then win the war. Music The music of 'King Arthur' has been described as "one of Purcell's most elaborate and successful efforts in dramatic composition, and contains several pieces which have always been popular with audiences". Perhaps the most famous piece to come out of the "King Arthur" music is "Come If You Dare" which appears during the frost scene. Purcell is said to have encountered some problems when writing the music for the opera. Dryden's writing was said to be "clogged with consonants" and "provided very little material to encourage lyrical softness". King Arthur begins with an Overture, which is very grand and lasts about six and a half minutes. Throughout most of the overture, the different instrumental voices mostly sound homophonically. The execution is light but remains quite intense. Purcell was one of the first to write for the full Baroque orchestra. It is not entirely known whether King Arthur was intended for a full orchestra, however recent recordings contain them all and this certainly adds grandeur and a regal and sacred atmosphere to the semi-opera. There is much uncertainty regarding how King Arthur should be interpreted as the musical scores have never been published. Purcell had written the music of King Arthur for solo singers and a choir. Most of the main characters have singing roles and range from soprano to bass. The first cast in 1691 consisted of Thomas Patrick Betterton as King Arthur. This was interesting given that Betterton was in his fifties at the time of the premiere, whereas King Arthur was supposed to be a young king. He was chosen for this role due to his exceptional acting skills. Joseph Williams was cast as Oswald, John Hodgson as Conon, Samuel Sandford as Osmond, Edward Kynaston as Merlin and John Verbruggen as Aurelius. "Come if You Dare" is probably the most popular song in the entire semi-opera. This is certainly due to its patriotic conducting and very uplifting and intense orchestration. The song begins with loud trumpets and is supposed to sound rousing and powerful, after all the Saxons were trying to deter King Arthur and his army. This changes between C major and G major. Then the second Saxon priest (tenor) enters, the singing and rhythms seem quite heavy and drum-like. The full chorus then joins in a few bars later. The orchestration.