| Thomas and Sally | |
|---|---|
| Opera byThomas Arne | |
 John Beard andCharlotte Brent inThomas and Sally | |
| Librettist | Isaac Bickerstaffe |
| Premiere | |
Thomas and Sally (also known asThe Sailor's Return) is a dramatic pastoral opera in two acts by the composerThomas Arne with an Englishlibretto byIsaac Bickerstaffe. The opera was meant to be performed as an "after piece", which is a short musical work to be performed after a spoken play.
The opera was initially scheduled to premiere in October 1760 but was postponed due to the death ofKing George II. The opera eventually premiered on 28 November 1760 at theTheatre Royal, Covent Garden and enjoyed a successful run.Thomas and Sally is one of only a few works by Arne that were not destroyed in the disastrous fire at Covent Garden in 1808 and it has occasionally been revived during the past century.[1]
The opera made itsBroadway debut at theLittle Theatre on 4 January 1938 by theIntimate Opera Company withGeoffrey Dunn as Thomas,Winifred Radford as Sally, andFrederick Woodhouse as the Squire.[2]Thomas and Sally also has the distinction of being one of the first operas recreated for television. TheBBC made a television production of the opera in 1937 with Joan Collier as Sally,Vivienne Chatterton as Dorcas, Henry Wendon as Thomas, andDennis Noble as the Squire.[3]
Thomas and Sally is about fifty minutes in length and is notable in that it is the first English comic opera to be sung throughout. Theorchestration is also unusual for a lighter opera of this period, as Arne includedclarinets in the score which were usually only used in tragic pieces. The nautical themes in the libretto led Arne to compose a sturdy score that includes a boisterous hunting song for the Squire. Sally's songs are written in anopera buffa style.[1]
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast, 28 November 1760[4] Conductor: Thomas Arne |
|---|---|---|
| Sally,a milkmaid | soprano | Charlotte Brent |
| Thomas,a sailor | baritone | |
| A Squire,infatuated with Sally | tenor | William Mattocks |
| Dorcas,a matron | mezzo-soprano | Vernon |
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