The Cumnor Affair
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The Cumnor Affair or An Elizabethan Murder-Mystery[1][2] is a one-act opera by the English composer Philip Cashian with an English-language libretto by Iain Pears,[3] lasting 75 minutes in performance. The opera is based on the love affair between Robert Dudley, Amy Robsart, and Elizabeth I of England. The sudden death of Robsart led to speculation that she was murdered.[4]
Background[edit]
The work was composed in 2008[5] and premiered the same year on November 10 by the Tête à Tête opera company at the Riverside Studios in London, England, conducted by Tim Murray.[4][6][7] The premiere was directed by Bill Bankes-Jones with set design by Tim Meacock and light design by Mark Doubleday.[8][9]
Characters[edit]
- Lord Cecil: Robert Gildon (2008 Premiere)[10]
- Queen Elizabeth I: Sibylla Meienberg (2008 Premiere)[11]
- Amy Cumnor (Amy Robsart): Amy Carson (2008 Premiere)[12]
Reviews[edit]
According to Ash Smyth of the Oxford Mail, the singing was lackluster and the absence of melody was a jarring error. As Smyth notes, "It is basically without melody, which was bad enough when competing with the singers, and worse when not."[11] Rupert Christiansen of The Telegraph supported the company but noted the failure of the production, "this isn't one of their more successful ventures"[8]
Instrumentation[edit]
The opera is scored for seven voices and ten instrumentalists:[13]
- Flute
- Alto Flute
- Piccolo
- Clarinet
- E♭ Clarinet
- Bass Clarinet
- French Horn
- Percussion
- Violin
- Cello
- Double Bass
Links[edit]
- Ferraro Jr., Mario (2011). Contemporary opera in Britain, 1970-2010. (Unpublished Doctoral thesis, City University London)
- Matveeva, Anna Anatolyevna., (2021). Semantic And Formal Characteristics Of Precedent Statements Functioning In The Discourse Of The British Media. Philological Sciences. Questions of theory and practice.
References[edit]
- ^ Jeal, Erica (2008-11-13). "The Cumnor Affair". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-04-16.
- ^ "Tête à Tête rocked by funding loss". Rhinegold. Retrieved 2023-04-16.
- ^ Cashian, Phillip. "The Cumnor Affair". Phillip Cashian.
- ^ a b "Win tickets to The Cumnor Affair". the Guardian. 2008-10-29. Retrieved 2023-04-16.
- ^ Cashian, Philip; Pears, Iain (2017). The Cumnor affair: an opera in one act, 2008 (Piano reduction ed.). Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire: Composers Edition.
- ^ "Opera". Tim Murray. Retrieved 2023-04-16.
- ^ "Cashian". NMC. Retrieved 2023-04-16.
- ^ a b "The Cumnor Affair: operatic murder mystery". www.telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-04-16.
- ^ "Biography". Mark Doubleday. Retrieved 2023-04-16.
- ^ "BARITONE". Robert Gildon. Retrieved 2023-04-16.
- ^ a b "The Cumnor Affair: Riverside Studios, Hammersmith". Oxford Mail. Retrieved 2023-04-16.
- ^ "About - Amy Carson". 2021-09-29. Retrieved 2023-04-16.
- ^ "The Cumnor Affair". Composers Edition. Retrieved April 15, 2023.