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 New London Orchestra and the BBC Singers.
- Language
- English
- Country
- Great Britain
- Medium
- Radio
- Transmission details
- 29 Sep 1947 at 18:45 (Channel: BBC National Programme)
- Duration
- 50 mins
- Availability
- No archive copy known
Credits
- Music
- John Blow
- Contributor
- Anthony Lewis
- Cast
Margaret Field-Hyde Cupid Nora Gruhn Venus Trevor Anthony Adonis
Additional Details
- Production type
- Operas and Musicals
- Subjects
- Music
- Keywords
- opera
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 lists 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/av66390 (Accessed 10 Nov 2024)