The Siege of Belgrade

The Siege of Belgrade is a comic opera in three acts, principally composed by Stephen Storace to an English libretto by James Cobb. It incorporated music by Mozart, Salieri, Paisiello and Martini, and is therefore considered a pasticcio opera, as well as a Singspiel in English language, as it contained a spoken dialogue. It premiered on 1 January 1791 at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, in London with a great success,^[1] featuring many famous singers and actors of the time, such as sopranos Nancy Storace^[2] and Anna Maria Crouch, tenor Michael Kelly^[3] as well as Shakespearean actors (in spoken roles) such as John Bannister and Richard "Dicky" Suett.

Roles

Roles and performers at the premiere in London on 1 January 1791:^[4]

Men

• Saraskier, the leader of Turkish forces (tenor) – Mr. Kelly
• Colonel Cohenberg, Austrian Commander (spoken role) – Mr. Palmer
• Krohnfeldt (spoken role?) – Mr. R. Palmer
• Ismael, Commissioner of Saraskier and Yuseph (baritone) – Mr. Fox
• Yuseph, Turkish kadi (tenor) – Mr. Suett
• Leopold, Serbian peasant, in love with Lilla (tenor) – Mr. Bannister Jr.
• Peter, Serbian peasant, Lilla's brother and in love with Ghita (tenor) – Mr. Dignum
• Anselm, Serbian peasant (baritone) – Mr. Cook (later Mr. Sedgewick)
• Michael (spoken role) – Mr. Hollingsworth
• Soldier (spoken role) – Mr. Dubois

Women

• Lilla, Serbian peasant girl, Peter's sister (soprano) – Signora Storace
• Catherine, wife of colonel Cohenberg (soprano) – Mrs. Crouch
• Ghita, Serbian peasant girl (soprano) – Mrs. Bland
• Fatima (spoken role) – Miss Hagley

Soldiers, Guards, Peasants, etc.

Notable musical numbers

• "When justice claims the victim due" (Act 1, Trio for the Seraskier, Lilla and Ghita), originally sung by Michael Kelly, Nancy Storace and Mrs. Bland
• "Domestic peace, my soul's desire"' (Act 3, Lilla's aria), originally sung by Nancy Storace

See also

• Siege of Belgrade (1789)

References

Notes

1. ↑ Stephen Storace. short biography
2. ↑ Anna (Nancy) Storace, list of performances
3. ↑ Kelly, Michael (1826). Thodore Edward Hook, ed. Reminiscences of Michael Kelly of the King's Theatre and Theatre Royal, Drury Lane (2nd ed.). London: Henry Colburn. 
4. ↑ The Siege of Belgrade: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project

Cited sources

• Girdham, Jane. "Storace, Stephen (John Seymour)". In L. Root, Deane. Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press.  (subscription required)