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Overview

Synopsis

Taking Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream as its starting point, Purcell’s The Fairy-Queen uses some of the original story to further explore the supernatural world ruled by Titania and Oberon. The musical numbers of this opera are designed as dances, songs, and masques which fit in between the scenes of Shakespeare’s play, although they are often used as a standalone piece.

The fairies entertain Titania and the Indian Boy, before the Sentinels of the night arrive to put them to sleep. In the morning, Oberon and Puck have found Titania, and they watch as Phoebus, the God of the Sun, brings the sunrise. With the new day, Duke Theseus finds out the events that have passed between the lovers, Lysander, Helena, Hermia, and Demetrius, the previous night, and the wedding is arranged. As a new world is revealed, the gods Juno and Hymen arrive to bring their blessings on the three couples that are now due to be married. Titania and Oberon also offer their blessings on the newlyweds.

Although the plot is primarily allegorical, and is in danger of losing something without the background of the original play, The Fairy-Queen comprises of some of Purcell’s best music. It can be performed by as few as five soloists with a chorus, or it could have limitless numbers of performers taking on the roles from the play, the opera, and the masques.

Show Information

Based on the Play/Book/Film
Adapted from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream
Category
Opera
Age Guidance
Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
Number of Acts
5
First Produced
1692
Genres
Fairy Tale/Fantasy
Settings
Period, Fantasy/Imaginary, Multiple Settings
Time & Place
Athens, Antiquity, Forest, Fairyland
Cast Size
large
Orchestra Size
Small
Dancing
Some Dance
Licensor
None/royalty-free
Ideal For
College/University, Ensemble Cast, High School, Large Cast, Professional Opera, Small Cast, Mostly Female Cast, Includes Mature Adult, Young Adult, Adult Characters

Context

Plot

Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

First Fairy

Supporting

Female

Soprano

Second Fairy

Supporting

Female

Soprano

Drunken Poet / Blind Poet (1-3)

Featured

Male

Baritone, Bass, Bass-Baritone

Coridon

Featured

Male

Baritone, Bass, Bass-Baritone

Mopsa

Featured

Female

Mezzo-Soprano, Countertenor, Tenor, Contralto

Nymph

Featured

Female

Soprano

Phoebus

Featured

Male

Tenor

Juno

Featured

Female

Soprano

A Chinese Man and A Chinese Woman (2)

Featured

Either Gender

Soprano, Tenor

First Woman

Featured

Female

Soprano

Second Woman

Featured

Female

Soprano

Hymen

Featured

Male

Baritone, Bass, Bass-Baritone

Night, Mystery, Secrecy, Sleep (4)

Ensemble

Either Gender

Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Countertenor, Tenor, Baritone, Bass, Contralto

Three Attendants to Oberon (3)

Ensemble

Either Gender

Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Countertenor, Contralto

Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter (4)

Ensemble

Either Gender

Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Countertenor, Tenor, Baritone, Bass, Contralto, Bass-Baritone

Chorus

Ensemble

Either Gender

Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Countertenor, Tenor, Baritone, Bass, Contralto, Bass-Baritone

Characters from A Midsummer Night’s Dream (11+)

Ensemble

Either Gender

Non-singer

Songs

Author’s Note: The breakdown given below is combining the numbers in the score with their place in the original libretto. Where musical numbers are given voicetypes and not character names, these are noted in brackets below.

  • No. 1 Prelude
  • No. 2 Hornpipe
  • No. 3 Air
  • No. 4 Rondeau

Act One - A Palace

  • No. 5 Overture
  • Dialogue ‘Now the Glow-worm shews her Light’ - Titania, Indian Boy, 1st Fairy
  • No 6. Duet ‘Come, come, come let us leave the Town’ - (Soprano and Bass)
  • No. 7 Scene of the Drunken Poet ‘Fill up the bowl’ - Drunken Poet, 1st Fairy, 2nd Fairy, Chorus
  • Dialogue ‘Sleep has seis’d the lovely Boy’ - Titania, 1st Fairy
  • No. 8 Jig

Act Two - A Wood, by Moon-light

  • Dialogue ‘Take Hands, and trip it in a round,’ - Titania, Fairies
  • No. 9 Prelude ‘Come all ye Songsters of the Sky’ - (Tenor)
  • No. 10 Interlude
  • No. 11 Chorus ‘May the God of Wit Inspire’ - Chorus
  • No. 12 Echo
  • No. 13 Chorus ‘Now join your warbling voices all’ - Chorus
  • No. 13a Aria ‘Sing while we trip it’ - (Soprano)
  • Dialogue ‘Come Elves, another Dance, and Fairy Song’ - Titania
  • No. 14 Song ‘See, See, See, even Night herself is here’ - Night
  • No. 15 Song ‘I am come to lock all fast’ - Mystery
  • No. 16 Song ‘One charming night gives more delight’ - Secrecy
  • No. 17 Song ‘Hush, no more’ - Sleep, Chorus
  • No. 18 Dance for the Followers of Night
  • No. 19 Air

Act Three - A Great Wood

  • Dialogue ‘Come, lovely Youth, sit on this flow'ry Bed’ - Titania, Bottom
  • No. 20 Song ‘If Love's a Sweet Passion, why does it torment?’ - (Soprano), Chorus
  • No. 21 Symphony while the swans come forward
  • No. 22 Dance for the Fairies
  • No. 23 Dance for the Green Men
  • No. 24 Aria ‘Ye Gentle Spirits of the Air’ - Soprano
  • No. 25 Dialogue between Corridon and Mopsa ‘Now the maids and the men’ - Corridon, Mopsa
  • No. 26 Aria ‘When I have often heard’ - Nymph
  • No. 27 Dance for the Haymakers
  • No. 28 ‘A thousand, thousand, ways’ - (Alto), Chorus
  • Dialogue ‘Now I will Feast the Pallate of my Love’ - Titania, Bottom
  • No. 29 Hornpipe

Act Four - Garden of Fountains

  • Dialogue ‘Hark, thou King of Shadows, hark!’ - Puck, Oberon, Titania, Bottom
  • No. 30 Symphony
  • No. 31 Solo with Chorus ‘Now the Night is chas'd away,’ - 1st Attendant, Chorus
  • No. 32 Duet ‘Let the Fifes and the Clarions’ - 2nd and 3rd Attendant
  • No. 33 Entry of Phoebus
  • No. 34 Aria ‘When a cruel long winter’ - Phoebus
  • No. 35 Chorus ‘Hail! Great Parent’ - Chorus
  • No. 36 Song ‘Thus the ever grateful spring’ - Spring
  • No. 37 Song ‘Here's the Summer, Sprightly, Gay’ - Summer
  • No. 38 Song ‘See my many Colour'd Fields’ - Autumn
  • No. 39 Song ‘Now Winter comes Slowly, Pale, Meager, and Old’ - Winter, Chorus
  • No. 40 Air

Act Five - Athens

  • Dialogue ‘Go bid the Huntsmen wake 'em with their Musick’ - Theseus, Egeus, Lysander, Demetrius, Hermia, Helena
  • No. 41 Prelude
  • Dialogue ‘Are not these Stories strange, my Gracious Lord?’ - Egeus, Theseus, Oberon, Titania, Puck, Fairies
  • No. 42 Epithalamium ‘Thrice happy lovers’ - Juno
  • Dialogue ‘Sing me the Plaint that did so Nobly move’ - Oberon
  • No. 43 The Plaint ‘O let me weep’ - (Soprano)
  • Dialogue ‘Now let a new Transparent World be seen’ - Oberon
  • No. 44 Entry Dance
  • No. 45 Symphony
  • No. 46 Song ‘Thus the gloomy World’ - Chinese Man
  • No. 47 Song ‘Thus happy and free ‘ - Chinese Woman, Chorus
  • No. 48 Song ‘Yes, Xansi’ - Chinese Man
  • No. 49 Monkeys’ Dance
  • No. 50 Song ‘Hark how all things’ - 1st Woman
  • No. 51 Song ‘Hark! The Ech’ing Air’ - 2nd Woman, Chorus
  • No. 52 Duet and Chorus ‘Sure the dulle God of Marriage does not hear’ - 1st Woman, 2nd Woman, Chorus
  • No. 53 Prelude
  • No. 53a Solo ‘See, I Obey’ - Hymen
  • No. 53b Duet ‘Turn Thine Eyes’ - 1st Woman, 2nd Woman
  • No. 53c Trio ‘They shall be as happy’ - Hymen, 1st Woman, 2nd Woman, Chorus
  • No. 54 Chaconne

Epilogue - Dialogue ‘At Dead of Night we'll to the Bride-bed come’ - Oberon, Titania

A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.

Monologues

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Scenes

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Guide Written By:

Wendy Silvester

Wendy Silvester

Singer and vocal coach based in the UK.