Name: The Beggar's Opera
Start: 1983-01-01T00:00:00.000Z
End: 1983-01-01T00:00:00.000Z
Location: Komische Oper

Organization

Conductor

John Eliot Gardiner

Stage director

Paul Daniel

Singer

Rosemary Ashe

Lucy Lockit

Komische Oper Berlin

The Beggar's Opera

Berlin

Germany

John Gay (1685-1732), a genial poet and playwright with a talent for satire, got the idea for The Beggar’s Opera from his friend, the satirist Jonathan Swift, who had mentioned to him that “A Newgate pastoral might make a pretty sort of thing”. It was staged by the actor-manager John Rich (who introduced pantomime to England) and succeeded beyond their wildest dreams, making, it was said, “Gay rich and Rich gay”. In general, ballad opera, set among London’s criminal classes and full of satirical jibes about corruption in high places, suited English taste better than Handel’s heroic operas by the 1720s.

Created specially for television, this Beggar’s Opera captures the quality and satiric edge of the Hogarth engravings which influenced Gay’s original version. The characters of this highly-spirited comedy of London low-life thrived on thieving, lechery and deceit: Peachum (Streatford Johns), the receiver of stolen goods, shops his clients when it suits him; Macheath, the highwayman, has married Polly Peachum (Carol Hall) but is promised to Lucy Lockit (Rosemary Ashe). Lucy tries to poison her rival, Polly; Peachum and Lockit can both profit from Macheath’s demise and so he is brought to the gallows through his lecherous exploits. Lust, greed and corruption abound in this exuberant piece of popular theatre.

The music for this production has been arranged from the eighteenth-century folksongs of the original (selected by Johann Christoph Pepusch) by baroque specialists Jeremy Barlow and John Eliot Gardiner, who conducts The English Baroque Soloists, performing on authentic period instruments.

Roger Daltrey, lead singer of The Who and star of the films including Tommy, McVicar and Lisztomania, heads a distinguished cast as the villainous hero Macheath.

Komische Oper

The Beggar's Opera Pepusch

Public

Approved

Accordionist

Instrumentalist

Archlutenist

Baroque Flutist

Baroque Oboist

Baroque Trumpetist

Bassist

Bassoonist

Cellist

Clarinetist

Contrabassist

Cornettist

Flutist

Guitarist

Harper

Harpsichordist

Hornist

Lutenist

Mandoline Player

Musette de cour Player

Oboist

Organist

Percussionist

Pianist

Recorder Player

Saxophonist

Tenor Violinist

Timpani

Trombonist

Trumpeter

Tuba Player

Vibraphonist

Viola Pomposa Player

Viola da gamba

Viola d’amore Player

Violinist

Violino Piccolo Player

Violist

Actor

Broadcasting

Chefdirigent Musiktheater

Choir

Choreographer

Chorus Director

Chorus master

Composer

Costume designer

Dancer

Dramaturge

Executive producer

Extra

Hairstylist

Illustrator

Librettist

Lighting designer

Makeup artist

Orchestra

Orchestra Operations

Other

Photographer

Poet

Repetiteur

Set designer

Sound designer

Stage Manager

Teacher

Translator

Video designer

Vocal coach

Wig & Makeup Designer

Writer

Writing and performance

Baritone

Mezzo-soprano

Tenor

Soprano

Bass

Countertenor

Bass-baritone

Contralto

Alto

Child vocalist

Continuo

Silent

Spoken

Watch full performance here: The Beggar's Opera (1983)

The Beggar's Opera - Preview clip

The Beggar's Opera by Pepusch, Sat 01 Jan 1983, From (1983/1983), Directed by Paul Daniel,, Conductor John Eliot Gardiner, Komische Oper, Berlin, Germany

Performance credits (Cast & Crew )

Cast

Programme, About & Synopsis

Videos

Photos

Further reading

Performance Dates & Venues

Venues