Overview
Synopsis
Based on Jane Austen’s novel Mansfield Park, this opera follows the story of young Fanny Price, who at the age of 10 was sent to live with her wealthy relatives at Mansfield Park, in Northamptonshire. Her life is an uncomfortable and unhappy one at the hands of her relatives, as Fanny grows up amidst the coordination of marriages, vocations, and romances for her four older cousins, Tom, Edmund, Maria, and Julia.
Sir Thomas Bertram, Fanny’s uncle, leaves to attend business abroad, and returns to find Fanny has matured well. A marriage is proposed for Fanny, to Henry Crawford, but Fanny refuses, as she has seen Henry’s awful treatment of other women. Fanny’s decision is proven to be the right one, when an affair is revealed between Henry Crawford and Maria, one of Fanny’s cousins who was recently married. Disgrace and divorce plague the Bertram’s household, and a fall from a horse threatens the life of Tom Bertram, the eldest cousin. Despite her previous treatment, Fanny works to keep everything peaceful and joyful at Mansfield Park.
After learning about the adultery, Edmund Bertram breaks off his engagement with Mary Crawford, Henry’s sister. It would not be appropriate for a man entering the clergy to be associated with the family. He confides in Fanny, and the two of them grow fond of each other. They marry and move into the parsonage at Mansfield Park.
A well-loved novel, which deals with many important themes, such as wealth and povery, social status, marriage and adultery, slavery, and religious vocation, is brought to life in Dove’s 2011 opera.
Show Information
- Music
- Jonathon Dove
- Libretto
- Alasdair Middleton , Jane Austen
- Based on the Play/Book/Film
- Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
- Category
- Opera
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 2011
- Genres
- Drama, Romance
- Settings
- Period, Multiple Settings
- Time & Place
- Northamptonshire, England, Regency Period, 19th century, 1700s, Portsmouth
- Cast Size
- medium
- Orchestra Size
- Small
- Dancing
- Some Dance
- Licensor
- The Music Sales Group
- Ideal For
- Chamber Opera, College/University, Mostly Female Cast, Professional Opera, Includes Young Adult, Mature Adult, Adult Characters, Medium Cast
Context
Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Contralto |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor |
Songs
Author’s Note: The titles of each chapter are sung by the characters at the beginning of each scene.
Act One
Scene 1: Chapter One. The Bertrams Observed
Scene 2: Chapter Two. First Impressions
Scene 3. Chapter Three. Sir Thomas Bertram’s Farewell
Scene 4. Chapter Four. Landscape Gardening
Scene 5. Chapter Five. In the Wilderness
Scene 6. Chapter Six. Music and Astronomy
- Including Fanny's Aria: Edmund to Act
Scene 7. Chapter Seven. Lovers’ Vows
Scene 8. Chapter Eight. Persuasion
Scene 9. Chapter Nine. The Rehearsal Interrupted
Scene 10. Chapter Ten. Independence and Splendour, or Twelve Thousand a Year
Scene 11. Chapter Eleven. A View of a Wedding, seen from the Shrubbery at Mansfield Park
Act Two
Scene 1. Volume Two. Chapter One. Preparations for a Ball
Scene 2. Chapter Two. A Ball
Scene 3. Chapter Three. A Proposal
Scene 4. Chapter Four. Some Correspondence
Scene 5. Chapter Five. Follies and Grottoes
Scene 6. Chapter Six. A Newspaper Paragraph
Scene 7. Chapter the Last
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
Scenes
Key Terms
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Videos
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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Guide Written By:
Wendy Silvester
Singer and vocal coach based in the UK.