The Canterbury Pilgrims is an opera by the American composer Reginald De Koven. It premiered at the Metropolitan Opera House on March 8, 1917 just as the United States was on the verge of declaring war on Germany. The unfolding world events caused its cancellation after just five performances.[1] The libretto, written by Percy MacKaye, is loosely based on Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales.
| The Canterbury Pilgrims | |
|---|---|
| Opera by Reginald De Koven | |
 The composer in 1904 | |
| Librettist | Percy MacKaye |
| Language | English |
| Based on | The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer |
| Premiere | March 8, 1917 |
Roles
edit
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast, 8 March 1917[2] (Conductor: Artur Bodanzky) |
|---|---|---|
| Chaucer | baritone | Johannes Sembach |
| Alisoun, The Wife of Bath | contralto | Margarethe Arndt-Ober |
| The Prioress | soprano | Edith Mason |
| The Squire | tenor | Paul Althouse |
| King Richard II | tenor | Albert Reiss |
| Johanna | soprano | Marie Sundelius |
| The Friar | tenor | Max Bloch |
| The Knight | baritone | Robert Leonhardt[3] |
| Joannes | tenor | Pietro Audisio |
| Man of Law | baritone | Robert Leonhardt |
| The Miller | bass | Basil Ruysdael |
| The Host | bass | Giulio Rossi |
| The Herald | bass | Riccardo Tegani |
| Two Girls | Marie Tiffany, Minnie Egener | |
| The Pardoner | tenor | Julius Bayer |
| The Summoner | baritone | Carl Schlegel |
| The Shipman | baritone | Mario Laurenti |
| The Cook | bass | Pompilio Malatesta |
Synopsis
editPlace: England. Time: April, 1387.[4]
The story has to do with the merry schemes of the Wife of Bath, who has fallen in love with Chaucer who in his turn loves the Prioress, and of her winning of a bet to gain possession of a certain brooch which carries with it Chaucer's promise of marriage. He is finally rescued by Richard II who decides that the Wife may marry a sixth time only on condition that she marry a miller. A devoted miller joyfully accepts the opportunity and the Prioress and Chaucer are reconciled.
Notes
edit- ^ Barrington, Candace (2007). American Chaucers. doi:10.1007/978-1-137-10748-0. ISBN 978-1-349-73271-5.
- ^ List of singers taken from Gustav Kobbé: The Complete Opera Book (1919 ed.), p. 843.
- ^ "[Met Performance] CID:65390 World Premiere The Canterbury Pilgrims {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 03/8/1917". The Metropolitan Opera Archives. The Metropolitan Opera. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
- ^ The synopsis is taken from Leo Melitz, The Opera Goer's Complete Guide, 1921 version.
References
edit- The Opera Goer's Complete Guide by Leo Melitz, 1921 version.
- The Complete Opera Book by Gustav Kobbé, 1919 version.