Immerse yourself in the timeless wit and charm of John Gay's "The Beggar's Opera," a seminal work in the world of opera that continues to captivate audiences more than two centuries after its debut. Released on October 1, 1991, by the esteemed label Hyperion, this album offers a rich, 80-minute journey through a world of rogues, lovers, and the intricate dance of power and deception.
John Gay's masterpiece is a ballad opera that cleverly satirizes the political and social landscape of 18th-century England. With its blend of popular tunes and sharp, insightful dialogue, "The Beggar's Opera" presents a vivid tableau of life among the criminal underclass, offering a mirror to the upper echelons of society. The album's tracklist is a testament to Gay's ingenious storytelling, featuring a series of engaging airs and dialogues that bring to life the colorful characters and their entangled lives.
The music, arranged by Johann Pepusch and edited by John Barlow, is a delightful mix of familiar melodies and original compositions that perfectly complement the narrative. From the hauntingly beautiful "O Jenny, O Jenny, Where Hast Thou Been?" to the lively and energetic "Fill Ev'ry Glass," each track is a gem that showcases the depth and versatility of Gay's work.
"The Beggar's Opera" is not just an album; it's an experience that invites you to explore the complexities of human nature and the enduring power of storytelling. Whether you're a seasoned opera enthusiast or a newcomer to the genre, this recording offers a compelling introduction to the world of John Gay and his unforgettable characters.
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act I: Introduction. If Poverty Be a Title to Poetry (Beggar, Player)John Gay, Ian Caddy, Bob Hoskins
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act I: Dialogue β Overture (by Pepusch)John Gay, Jeremy Barlow, The Broadside Band
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act I: Air 1. An Old Woman Clothed in Gray (Peachum)John Gay, Jeremy Barlow, Charles Daniels, The Broadside Band
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act I: Dialogue. Sir, Black Moll Hath Sent Word (Filch, Peachum)John Gay, Charles Daniels, Ian Honeyman
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act I: Air 2. The Bonny Gray-Ey'd Morn (Filch, Peachum)John Gay, Charles Daniels, Ian Honeyman, Jeremy Barlow, The Broadside Band
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act I: Dialogue. But 'Tis Now High Time to Look About Me (Peachum)John Gay, Charles Daniels
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act I: Dialogue. What of Bob Booty, Husband? (Mrs Peachum, Peachum)John Gay, Charles Daniels, Sarah Walker
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act I: Air 3. Cold and Raw (Mrs Peachum, Peachum)John Gay, Charles Daniels, Jeremy Barlow, Sarah Walker, The Broadside Band
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act I: Air 4. Why Is Your Faithful Slave Disdain'd? (Mrs Peachum, Peachum)John Gay, Charles Daniels, The Broadside Band, Sarah Walker, Jeremy Barlow
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act I: Dialogue. Never Was a Man More Out the Way in an Argument (Mrs Peachum)John Gay, Sarah Walker
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act I: Air 5. Of All the Simple Things We Do (Mrs Peachum)John Gay, The Broadside Band, Sarah Walker, Jeremy Barlow
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act I: Dialogue. Come Hither, Filch (Mrs Peachum, Filch)John Gay, Sarah Walker, Ian Honeyman
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act I: Dialogue. I Know as Well as Any of the Fine Ladies (Polly)John Gay, Bronwen Mills
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act I: Air 6. What Shall I Do to Show How Much I Love Her (Polly, Peachum)John Gay, The Broadside Band, Jeremy Barlow, Bronwen Mills, Charles Daniels
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act I: Air 7. Oh London Is a Fine Town (Mrs Peachum, Peachum, Polly)John Gay, Sarah Walker, Jeremy Barlow, Charles Daniels, The Broadside Band, Bronwen Mills
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act I: Air 8. Grim King of the Ghosts (Polly, Mrs Peachum, Peachum)John Gay, Charles Daniels, Bronwen Mills, Jeremy Barlow, The Broadside Band, Sarah Walker
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act I: Air 9. O Jenny, O Jenny, Where Hast Thou Been? (Mrs Peachum, Polly)John Gay, Bronwen Mills, Jeremy Barlow, Sarah Walker, The Broadside Band
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act I: Air 10. Thomas, I Cannot (Polly, Peachum)John Gay, Bronwen Mills, The Broadside Band, Charles Daniels, Jeremy Barlow
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act I: Dialogue. Dear Wife, Be a Little Pacified (Peachum, Mrs Peachum)John Gay, Charles Daniels, Sarah Walker
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act I: Air 11. A Soldier and a Sailor. A Fox May Steal Your Hens, Sir (Peachum)John Gay, Jeremy Barlow, The Broadside Band, Charles Daniels
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act I: Dialogue. 'Twas Only Nimming Ned (Polly, Peachum, Mrs Peachum)John Gay, Charles Daniels, Sarah Walker, Bronwen Mills
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act I: Air 12. Now Ponder Well, Ye Parents Dear (Polly, Mrs Peachum)John Gay, Bronwen Mills, Sarah Walker, The Broadside Band, Jeremy Barlow
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act I: Air 13. Le printemps rappelle aux armes (Polly, Mrs Peachum, Peachum)John Gay, The Broadside Band, Sarah Walker, Jeremy Barlow, Charles Daniels, Bronwen Mills
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act I: Dialogue. The Thing, Husband, Must and Shall Be Done (Mrs Peachum, Peachum)John Gay, Sarah Walker, Charles Daniels
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act I: Dialogue. Now I'm a Wretch, Indeed (Polly)John Gay, Bronwen Mills
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act I: Air 14. Pretty Parrot, Say (Macheath, Polly)John Gay, Adrian Thompson, Bronwen Mills, Jeremy Barlow, The Broadside Band
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act I: Air 15. Pray, Fair One, Be Kind (Macheath, Polly)John Gay, Adrian Thompson, Bronwen Mills, The Broadside Band, Jeremy Barlow
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act I: Air 16. Over the Hills and Far Away (Macheath, Polly)John Gay, Adrian Thompson, Jeremy Barlow, Bronwen Mills, The Broadside Band
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act I: Air 17. Gin Thou Wert Mine Awn Thing (Polly, Macheath)John Gay, The Broadside Band, Bronwen Mills, Jeremy Barlow, Adrian Thompson
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act I: Air 18. O the Broom. The Miser Thus a Shilling Sees (Macheath, Polly)John Gay, Jeremy Barlow, Bronwen Mills, Adrian Thompson, The Broadside Band
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act II: Air 19. Fill Ev'ry Glass. For Wine Inspires Us (Matt, Company)John Gay, The Broadside Band, Jeremy Barlow, Roger Bryson
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act II: Dialogue. Gentlemen, Well Met (Macheath, Matt)John Gay, Adrian Thompson, Roger Bryson
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act II: Air 20. March in Rinaldo (Handel). Let Us Take the Road (Matt)John Gay, Jeremy Barlow, Roger Bryson, The Broadside Band
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act II: Dialogue. What a Fool Is a Fond Wench! (Macheath)John Gay, Adrian Thompson
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act II: Air 21. Would You Have a Young Virgin (Macheath, Drawer)John Gay, Adrian Thompson, Jeremy Barlow, Robert Torday, The Broadside Band
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act II: Dialogue. Dear Mrs Coaxer, You Are Welcome (Macheath)John Gay, Adrian Thompson
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act II: Air 22. Cotillon. Youths the Season Made for Joys (Macheath, Jenny, Coaxer, Vixen, Brazen)John Gay, Jeremy Barlow, Polly Kirwan, The Broadside Band, Claire Rutter, Catherine Wyn-Rogers, Caroline Harrison, Adrian Thompson
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act II: Air 23. All in a Misty Morning (Jenny, Macheath, Trull, Tawdry, Slammekin, Vixen)John Gay, Lucy Hayward, Catherine Wyn-Rogers, The Broadside Band, Claire Rutter, Helen Lothian, Jenevora Williams, Jeremy Barlow, Adrian Thompson
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act II: Air 24. When Once I Lay with Another Man's Wife (Jenny, Tawdry, Macheath)John Gay, The Broadside Band, Jeremy Barlow, Adrian Thompson, Catherine Wyn-Rogers, Jenevora Williams
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act II: Dialogue. I Seize You, Sir, as My Prisoner (Peachum, Macheath)John Gay, Adrian Thompson, Charles Daniels
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act II: Air 25. When First I Laid Siege to My Chloris (Macheath, Peachum)John Gay, The Broadside Band, Jeremy Barlow, Charles Daniels, Adrian Thompson
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act II: Dialogue. Look Ye, Mrs Jenny (Vixen, Coaxer, Slammekin, Trull, Jenny)John Gay, Lucy Hayward, Caroline Harrison, Catherine Wyn-Rogers, Claire Rutter, Helen Lothian
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act II: Dialogue. Noble Captain, You Are Welcome (Lockit, Macheath)John Gay, Adrian Thompson, Richard Jackson
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act II: Air 26. Courtiers, Courtiers Think It No Harm (Macheath)John Gay, The Broadside Band, Jeremy Barlow, Adrian Thompson
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act II: Dialogue. You Base Man, You! (Lucy)John Gay, Anne Dawson
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act II: Air 27, A Lovely Lass to a Friar Came (Luch, Macheath)John Gay, Adrian Thompson, The Broadside Band, Jeremy Barlow, Anne Dawson
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act II: Air 28. 'Twas When the Sea Was Roaring (Lucy, Macheath)John Gay, Adrian Thompson, The Broadside Band, Jeremy Barlow, Anne Dawson
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act II: Air 29. The Sun Had Loos'd His Weary Teams (Macheath, Lucy)John Gay, Adrian Thompson, The Broadside Band, Jeremy Barlow, Anne Dawson
The Beggar's Opera (Arr. Pepusch, Ed. Barlow), Act II: Dialogue. In This Last Affair, Brother Peachum, We Are Agreed (Lockit, Peachum)John Gay, Richard Jackson, Charles Daniels
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