The Pirates (opera)

The Pirates is an opera by composer Stephen Storace with an English libretto by James Cobb. The work was partly adapted from Storace's 1786 opera Gli equivoci and is remarkable as affording one of the earliest instances of the introduction of a grand finale into an English opera.[1] The work premiered at the Haymarket Theatre on November 21, 1792.[2] The opera became a huge success and is considered by many music critics to be Storace's best composition. It was chosen as the starring prima buffa to be performed for King George III at the King's Theatre, London on 16 May 1794.[3]

Roles[4]

Role	Voice type	Premiere Cast, November 21, 1792
Don Altador	tenor	Michael Kelly
Don Gasparo	-	Richard "Dicky" Suett
Don Guillermo	-	Mr. Sedgwick
Blazio	-	John Bannister
Genariello	tenor	Charles Dignum
Sotillo	-	Wewitzer
Captain of the Guard	-	Mr. Cook
Cosmino	-	Mr. Phillimore
Captain of the ship	-	Mr. Benson
Donna Aurora	-	Anna Maria Crouch
Fidelia	-	Maria Bland
Fabulina	soprano	Nancy Storace
Marietta	-	Adelaide Du Camp

Musical numbers[4]

Act I "Overture" – The Orchestra Chorus: "Thanks to the brisk and fav'ring gale" - chorus of sailors and lazzaroni Air: "Of a vile lack of honesty Grumblers complain" - Genariello Air: "Some device my aim to cover" - Altador Duet: "Signor! Signor!" - Fabulina and Altador Air: "Oh! the pretty creature!" - Blazio Air: "Love, like the opening flower" - Aurora Trio: "Past toils thus recompensing" - Guillermo, Aurora, Altador Finale: "Peaceful slumb'ring on the ocean"

Act II Trio: "To hear our suit do not refuse" - Aurora, Fabulina, Gasparo Air: "There, the moon-silver'd waters roam" - Guillermo Air: "A saucy knave who pass'd the door" - Fabulina Air: "Oh dear! What shall I do?" - Blazio Glee: "Let mirth and joy appear" - Fabulina, Marietta, etc. Air: "Memory repeating" - Altador Air: "In childhood's careless happy day" - Fidelia Second Finale: "Unhand me, cowards, give me way" - Altador, etc.

Act III Chorus: "To the vineyard's praise, the chorus raise" - chorus of vintagers Air: "My rising spirits thronging" - Fidelia Air: "As wrapt in sleep I lay" - Aurora Air: "No more his fears alarming" - Fabulina Chorus: "Our faith thus pledg'd, join hand to hand" - chorus and Guillermo Air: "Scarcely had the blushing morning" - Altador Duet: "The jealous Don won't you assume when you marry?" - Fabulina and Blazio Air: "Careful the winding path explore" - Marietta Trio: "We the veil of fate undraw" - Fabulina, Fidelia, and Altador Trio: "Oh! softly flow thou briny tide - Fabulina, Fidelia, and Altador Finale: "Now constancy its meed shall gain" -

Storace reused some of the music from his 1785 opera Gli sposi malcontenti in The Pirates.[5]

Later productions

On 29 November 1827, the opera was revived at Drury Lane with the title Isidore de Merida. Most of Storace's music was retained but set to a new libretto, probably due to the original libretto's lack of publication.[6]

References

1. Stephen Storace
2. Stephen Storace
3. Comprehensive Performances List
4. Cobb 1792.
5. Girdham, Jane (1997). English Opera in Late Eighteenth-Century London: Stephen Storace at Drury Lane. Oxford: Clarendon Press. ISBN 0-19-816254-5.
6. Girdham 2002.

Works consulted

• Cobb, James (1792), The Songs, Duets, Trios, Chorusses, &c. In The Pirates, An Opera, In Three Acts, London: E. Cox
• Girdham, Jane (2002), "Pirates, The", Grove Music Online, Oxford University Press

External links

• The Pirates (vocal score): Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
• The Pirates at the Internet Archive (vocal score)