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
- Music
- Henry Purcell
- 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
Henry Purcell’s The Fairy-Queen, if performed in full, is a massive undertaking. It is essentially an opera that fits between scenes adapted from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In its original format it requires a full cast of singers, a full cast of actors, and a full cast of dancers to perform the masques. It will come as little surprise to find that the show is often adapted, and the original play is often left out. After being composed for the wedding anniversary of King
to read the context for The Fairy-Queen and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
Act One - A Palace
Titania, the queen of the fairies, arrives with the Indian Boy and her fairies in attendance.. The dusk is approaching, and she checks with her fairies that the sentries are ready to guard them in their sleep. She tells the fairies that if any mortal should approach, they should be blinded, and pinched, until he confesses his sins. When that is all confirmed, she asks her fairy choir to entertain her with a song about the peace and happiness of love (‘Come, come, come,
to read the plot for The Fairy-Queen and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Baritone, Bass, Bass-Baritone |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Baritone, Bass, Bass-Baritone |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano, Countertenor, Tenor, Contralto |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Either Gender |
Soprano, Tenor |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Baritone, Bass, Bass-Baritone |
|
|
Ensemble |
Either Gender |
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Countertenor, Tenor, Baritone, Bass, Contralto |
|
|
Ensemble |
Either Gender |
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Countertenor, Contralto |
|
|
Ensemble |
Either Gender |
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Countertenor, Tenor, Baritone, Bass, Contralto, Bass-Baritone |
|
|
Ensemble |
Either Gender |
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Countertenor, Tenor, Baritone, Bass, Contralto, Bass-Baritone |
|
|
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.
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Guide Written By:
Wendy Silvester
Singer and vocal coach based in the UK.