Work
Six arias from 'Nelson' : for baritone and piano
by Ross Baglin and Stuart Greenbaum (2003, this version: 2015)
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Score
Six arias from 'Nelson' : for baritone and piano / Stuart Greenbaum ; libretto: Ross Baglin.
Library shelf no. 783.88542/GRE 4 [Available for loan]
Display all products featuring this work (4 more)
Work Overview
In October 2005 it was two centuries since Horatio Nelson died
while commanding the British Fleet off Cape Trafalgar. Throughout
most of that time Nelson's victories and his heroic death were
smoothly assimilated within Britain's twin vision of itself as
imperial power, and plucky, often-isolated defender of
liberty.
Nelson's story is almost archetypically 'operatic' in the old
sense - it has passion, the horror of war, political intrigues,
gross betrayal and heroic death set in a time of sweeping
historical change. He was a man who espoused duty as the highest
of values, yet abandoned a faithful wife for Emma Hamilton ; a
man who showed sympathy to the wretched, yet orchestrated a
terrible political massacre of civilians in Naples ; whose life
was devoted to the sea though it often tortured him physically
and mentally. And standing upon these stark psychological
fissures, we have the man of precarious vanity, charisma, and
thirst for personal danger and oblivion.
Work Details
Year: 2003, this version: 2015
Instrumentation: Baritone, piano.
Duration: 25 min.
Difficulty: Advanced
Contents note: I. White Boats Crossing -- II. Battle of the Nile -- III. St. Paul’s -- IV. Waiting for the French -- V. Half Empty Towns -- IV. Trafalgar.
Written for: Michael Lampard
Nelson, an opera in 3 acts, was completed in 2005 (libretto by Ross Baglin). This suite of 6 arias was assembled in 2015 for Michael Lampard who kindly enquired about what I written for baritone. All but one of the arias is sung by the opera’s title figure, Horatio Nelson (the exception being 'Half Empty Towns', sung by Hardy).
Performances of this work
24 Oct 05: Exhibitional Hall, Australia House, London, UK. Featuring Trafalgar Ensemble.
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