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-HydeCupid
Nora GruhnVenus
Trevor AnthonyAdonis

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)