John Dryden
Published: 1691
Total Pages: 67
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Long before Gilbert and Sullivan combined forces to create their much-loved operas, Dryden and Purcell collaborated to create "King Arthur or, The British Worthy." King Arthur is not an opera proper but a semi-opera--an opera in which the principal characters speak. Only the supernatural, pastoral, or drunk characters sing. Still, with music based on French dance rhythms, some people consider this to be among Purcell's most lyrical music. The plot does not feature the legends of Camelot but rather focuses on King Arthur's Britons and their battles with the Saxons. Indeed, the dissatisfaction with one another begins when King Oswald (a nasty Saxon) abducts Arthur's fiancee, the blind Cornish Princess Emmeline. With appearances by Merlin as well as a host of Roman and Germanic gods, this is a classic piece of over-the-top Restoration drama. It was first performed in London in 1691. The text here is the original 1691 edition and an excellent example of 17th century printing.