From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base

The Cooper

Comic opera by Thomas Arne

Field	Value
name	The Cooper
type	Comic opera
composer	Thomas Arne
image	Thomas Augustine Arne.png
image_upright	0.8
caption	1778 portrait of the composer
librettist	Arne
based_on	Le tonnelier
premiere_date
premiere_location	Theatre Royal, Haymarket

The Cooper is a comic opera in two acts by Thomas Arne. The English libretto by Arne is based on Nicolas-Médard Audinot and Antoine François Quétant’s Le tonnelier. The opera premiered in London at the Theatre Royal in the Haymarket on 10 June 1772.

Musical analysis and history

The Cooper has simple lyrical style that is reminiscent of the works of Charles Dibdin. The vocal lines are melodic and easy, refraining from using any complicated coloratura. The music is often cleverly arranged to complement the humour of the text. For example, Fanny’s recitative "He's gone to bed", is accompanied by crotchets marked "Play to the steps of her feet". A modest success, The Cooper ran for nine performances in 1772, and a vocal score was published by Napier that year.

Roles

Cast	Voice type	Premiere, 10 June 1772
(Conductor: - Thomas Arne )
Fanny	soprano
Martin	baritone
Colin	tenor
Jarvis	bass

Synopsis

Martin, an elderly cooper, is in love with Fanny, his ward. Fanny, however, is in love with Martin's assistant, Colin. The old cooper searches for a reason to fire Colin but the young man outwits his employer with the help of his uncle Jarvis, to whom Martin owes considerable amount of money. Colin and Fanny meet secretly at night but their assignation is interrupted by Martin, who is frightened by the sight of a barrel (Colin's hiding place) apparently coming to life. The arrival of Jarvis, who demands repayment, forces Martin to allow his ward to marry Colin.

Sources

References

John A. Parkinson: "The Cooper", ''Grove Music Online'' ed. L. Macy (Accessed February 17, 2009), [http://www.grovemusic.com (subscription access)]

Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

1772-operas operas operas-by-thomas-arne english-language-operas

Want to explore this topic further?

Ask Mako anything about The Cooper — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.

Research with Mako

Free with your Surf account

Content sourced from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.

Report