Venus and Adonis
- Alternative title
- Masque for the Entertainment of the King, A
- Synopsis
- Radio broadcast of John Blow’s miniature opera which is based on the classical fable of Venus and Adonis. Anthony Lewis conducts The Boyd Neel Orchestra and The BBC Singers.
- Language
- English
- Country
- Great Britain
- Medium
- Radio
- Transmission details
- 12 May 1939 at 21:45 (Channel: BBC National Programme)
- Duration
- 55 mins
- Availability
- No copy extant
Credits
- Music
- John Blow
- Contributor
- Anthony Lewis
- Cast
Eric Greene Shepherd Eric Greene Huntsman Henry Cummings Adonis Laelia Finneberg Venus Margaret Field-Hyde Cupid Sibylla Marshall Shepherdess Victor Harding Shepherd
Additional Details
- Production type
- Operas and Musicals
- Subjects
- Music
- Keywords
- Shakespeare, William (1564-1616)
Notes
- General
- English Baroque composer John Blow allegedly wrote this opera around 1682 for Moll Davies and her daughter, Lady Mary Tudor, both of whom also performed in it.
The piece is usually classified either as a semi-opera or a masque, but The New Grove Dictionary of Music names it as the earliest surviving English opera. - Textual information
- The author of the libretto is unknown, but Aphra Behn seems to be a likely candidate.
Production Company
- Name
BBC
- Notes
- The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
How to cite this record
Shakespeare, "Venus and Adonis". https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/shakespeare/search/index.php/title/av37961 (Accessed 27 Dec 2024)