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BENJAMIN BRITTEN (1947-1976)

The Beggar's Opera, Op. 43 (1947-48)

117:52

Ballad Opera in three acts

Realised from the original airs of John Gay's ballad opera (1728)

Words by John Gay (1685-1732)

with alterations and additions by Tyrone Guthrie (1900-1971)

Full score prepared for publication by David Matthews

Dedicated to James Lawrie

Introduction

1:19

Beggar: 'If Poverty be a title to Poetry'

Overture -

4:24

Act I

47:00

1 Peachum: 'Through all the employments of life' -

1:18

Filch: 'Sir, black Moll hath sent word' -

0:42

with Peachum

2 Filch: ''Tis Woman that seduces all Mankind' -

1:17

with Mrs Peachum

Peachum: 'But it is now high time to look about me' -

1:12

with Mrs Peachum

Mrs Peachum: 'Women indeed are b itter bad judges' -

0:52

3 Mrs Peachum: '…ev'ry Man handsome who is going to the Camp' -

Mrs Peachum: 'If any wench Venus' Girdle wear' -

Peachum: 'Was Captain Macheath here this morning?' -

0:54

with Mrs Peachum

4 Mrs Peachum: 'If Love the Virgin's Heart invade' -

1:52

with Peachum

5 Mrs Peachum: 'A Maid is like the Golden ore' -

0:29

Mrs Peachum: 'Come hither, Filch' -

0:59

with Filch

6 Polly: 'I know as well as any of the fine ladies' -

2:22

Polly: 'Virgins are like the fair flower in its lustre' -

with Peachum

7 Mrs Peachum: 'Our Polly is a sad slut!' -

1:19

with Omnes, Peachum, Polly

8 Polly: 'Can Love be controlled by Advice?' -

1:17

with Mrs Peachum, Peachum

9 Mrs Peachum: 'The girls shows such a readiness' -

2:17

Mrs Peachum: 'O Polly, you might have toyed and kissed' -

with Polly, Omnes, Peachum

10 Polly: 'I, like a Ship in storms, was tossed' -

0:53

with Mrs Peachum, Peachum

11 Peachum and Mrs Peachum: 'A fox may steal your hens, Sir' -

1:45

with Polly

12 Polly: 'O ponder well! Be not severe' -

0:48

with Mrs Peachum

13 Polly: 'The Turtle thus with plaintive crying, her Lover dying' -

1:51

with Mrs Peachum, Peachum

14 Melodrame. Polly: 'Now I'm a wretch indeed!' -

3:02

with Omnes, Macheath

15 Macheath: 'My heart was so free' -

0:48

with Polly

16 Macheath: 'Were I laid on Greenland's coast' -

1:59

with Polly, Omnes

17 Polly: 'O! what pain it is to part!' -

0:55

with Macheath

18 Macheath: 'The Miser thus a shilling sees' -

2:25

with Polly

Ben Budge: 'But pr'thee, Mat, what is become of thy brother Tom?' -

0:41

with Mat of the Mint, Jemmy Twitcher, Nimming Ned, Harry Paddington, Wat Dreary

19 Gentlemen of the Road: 'Fill ev'ry glassd, for wine inspires us' -

0:49

Macheath: 'Gentlemen, well met' -

0:37

with Mat of the Mint

20 Macheath: 'I shall wish myself with you' -

1:49

Tenor Solo (Harry Paddington): 'Let us take the road' -

with Gentlemen of the Road

21 Macheath: 'If the heart of a man is depressed with cares' -

2:05

22 Macheath: 'Dear Mrs Coaxer, you are welcome' -

4:35

Macheath: 'Youth's the season made for joys' -

with Ladies of the Town

Macheath: 'Now pray, ladies, take your places' -

0:54

with Jenny Diver, Mrs Coaxer

23 Jenny Diver: 'It is your own choice' -

1:32

Jenny Diver: 'Before the vbarn-door crowing' -

with Ladies of the Town, Macheath, Dolly Trull, Suky Tawdry

24 Jenny Diver: 'But to be sure, Sir' -

1:39

Ladies of the Town: 'The Gamesters and the Lawyers are jugglers alike' -

with Betty Doxy, Macheath, Peachum

Peachum: 'The gentlemen, ladies, lodgegs in Newgate' -

0:44

25 Peachum: 'Constables, wait upon the Captain to his lodgings' -

Macheath: 'At the Tree I shall suffer with pleasure'

Act II

22:53

Lockit: 'Noble Captain, you are welcome' -

0:53

with Macheath

26 Macheath: 'Man may escape from rope and gun' -

3:28

with Lucy Lockit

27 Lucy Lockit: 'Thus when a good Housewife sees a rat' -

0:44

with Macheath

28 Lucy Lockit: 'It is the pleasdure of all you fine men' -

2:32

Lucy Lockit: 'How cruel are the traytors' -

with Macheath

29 Macheath: 'The first time at the looking glass' -

1:13

with Lucy Lockit

Lockt: 'In this last affair, brother Peachum, we are agreed' -

0:45

with Peachum

30 Lockit: 'Such language, brother, anywhere else' -

1:07

Lockit: 'When you censure the age' -

with Lucy Lockit

31 Lucy Lockit: 'Is then his fate decreed, Sir?' -

1:42

with Lockit

Lucy Lockit: 'Though the Chaplain was out of the way to-day' -

1:09

with Macheath, Polly

32 Polly: 'Thus when the Swallow seeking prey' -

1:54

with Macheath, Lucy Lockit

Macheath: 'If women's tongues can cease for an answer' -

1:26

33 Lucy Lockit: 'I will not!' -

Macheath: 'How happy could I be with either' -

Polly: 'I'm bubbled, Oh how I am troubled!' -

34 Polly: 'Cease your funning' -

2:48

with Omnes, Macheath, Lucy Lockit

35 Lucy Lockit: 'Why how now, Madam Flirt!' -

1:05

with Polly, Peachum, Lockit

36 Lucy Lockit and Polly: 'Now power on earth can e'er divide'

2:00

with Macheath, Lockit, Peachum, Omnes

Act III

42:14

Lockit: 'To be sure, wench, you must have been aiding and abetting' -

0:49

with Lucy Lockit

Lucy Lockit: 'Dear Sir, mention not my education' -

3:19

37 Lucy Lockit: 'When young at the bar you first taught me to score' -

with Lockit

38 Lucy Lockit: 'Ungrateful Macheath!' -

1:06

Lucy Lockit: 'My love is all madness and folly' -

with Lockit

39 Lockit: 'Thus Gamesters united in friendship are found' -

1:43

40 Beggar: 'Our scene doth represent a Gaming House' -

2:43

Macheath: 'The modes of the Court so common are grown' -

with Ben Budge, Mat of the Mint, Omnes

Lockit: 'The Coronation account, brother Peachum' -

2:14

41 Lockit: 'Keep a watchful eye on Polly' -

Lockit: 'What Gudgeons are we men!' -

with Peachum, Servant, Mrs Trapes

42 Mrs Trapes: 'In the days of my youth I could bill like a dove' -

2:21

with Lockit, Peachum

43a Mrs Trapes: 'In the days of my yough I could bill like a dove' -

0:39

with Beggar

43b Lucy Lockit: 'Jealousy, rage, love and fear' -

1:07

Lucy Lockit: 'I'm like a Skiff on the Ocean tossed' -

Lucy Lockit: 'I have the Rat's-bane ready' -

2:12

with Filch, Polly

44 Polly: 'A curse attends a woman's love' -

1:38

with Lucy Lockit

Polly: 'When I was forced from him' -

1:02

45 Polly: 'But perhaps he hath a heart not capable of it' -

Polly: 'Among the men Coquets we find' -

with Lucy Lockit

46 Lucy Lockit: 'Come, sweet lass' -

1:55

with Polly

47 Polly: 'Now every glimmering of happiness is lost' -

1:45

with Lucy Lockit, Macheath, Peachum

48 Macheath: 'Which way shall I turn me, how can I decide?' -

0:40

with Polly

Polly: 'Dear, dear Sir, sink the material evidence' -

1:53

49 Polly: 'Polly upon her knees begs it of you' -

Polly: 'When my Hero in court appears' -

with Lucy Lockit

50 Lucy Lockit: 'How then can you be a tyrant to me' -

2:00

Lucy Lockit: 'When he holds up his hand arraigned for his life' -

with Lockit

51 Lockit and Peachum: 'Ourselves, like the Great, to secure a retreat' -

0:44

Lockit: 'We are ready, Sir…' -

1:54

52 Lockit: '…to conduct you to the Old Bailey!'

Lucy Lockit, Polly, Macheath, Lockit, Peachum and Omnes: 'The Charge is prepared; the Lawyers are met' -

with Mrs Peachum

53 Scena. Macheath: 'O cruel, cruel case!' -

5:10

with Jailer

54 Polly: 'Would I might b e hanged!' -

1:58

with Lucy Lockit, Macheath

Mat of the Mint: 'But surely you don't intend that Macheath shall really be executed?' -

1:18

with Beggar, Ben Budge, Lucy Lockit, Polly, Lockit, Peachum

55 Macheath: 'Thus I stand like a Turk, with his doxies around'

1:51

with Mrs Peachum, Peachum, Ladies of the Town, Gentlemen of the Road, Lucy Lockit, Polly, Mrs Trapes, Lockit

Susan Bickley mezzo-soprano - Mrs Peachum

Jeremy White bass-baritone - Mr Peachum

Leah-Marian Jones mezzo-soprano - Polly Peachum

Thomas Randle tenor - Captain Macheath

Robert Anthony Gardiner tenor - Filch

Donald Maxwell baritone - Lockit

Sarah Fox soprano - Lucy Lockit

Frances McCafferty mezzo-soprano - Mrs Diana Trapes

Sirena Tocco beggar

Christian Curnyn

1-4 February 2009