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Overview

King Arthur, or The British Worthy (Z. 628), is a semi-opera in five acts with music by Henry Purcell and a libretto by John Dryden. It was first performed at the Queen's Theatre, Dorset Garden, London, in late May or early June 1691. The plot is based on the battles between King Arthur's Britons and the Saxons, rather than the legends of Camelot (although Merlin does make an appearance). It is a Restoration spectacular, including such supernatural characters as Cupid and Venus plus references to the Germanic gods of the Saxons, Woden, Thor, and Freya. The tale centres on Arthur's endeavours to recover his fiancée, the blind Cornish Princess Emmeline, who has been abducted by his arch-enemy, the Saxon King Oswald of Kent. King Arthur is a "dramatick opera" or semi-opera: the principal characters do not sing, except if they are supernatural, pastoral or, in the case of Comus and the popular Your hay it is mow'd, drunk. Secondary characters sing to them, usually as diegetic entertainment, but in Act 4 and parts of Act 2, as supernatural beckonings. The singing in Act 1 is religious observance by the Saxons, ending with their heroic afterlife in Valhalla. The protagonists are actors, as a great deal of King Arthur consists of spoken text. This was normal practice in 17th century English opera. King Arthur contains some of Purcell's most lyrical music, using adventurous harmonies for the day. Composition

From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Notable quotes

“It seems some of the drops sparkle, Pelly. Some of them do sparkle!”
— Camelot (1960; 1967) by Alan Jay Lerner
“I must ride with my knights to defend what was, and the dream of what could be.”
— Excalibur (1981), written by Rospo Pallenberg and John Boorman, based on Le Morte d'Arthur by Thomas Malory
“Knights! The gift of freedom is yours by right. But the home we seek resides not in some distant land. It's in us! And in our actions on this day! If this be our destiny, then so be it. But let history remember that as free men, we chose to make it so.”
— King Arthur (1995), written by David Franzoni
“The Lady of the Lake, her arm clad in the purest shimmering samite, held aloft Excalibur from the bosom of the water, signifying by divine providence that I, Arthur, was to carry Excalibur. That is why I am your king.”
— Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) by Monty Python
“If people reach perfection they vanish, you know.”
— The Once and Future King (1958) by T.H. White
“Just because you can't understand something, it doesn't mean it's wrong!”
— The Sword in the Stone (1963), written by Bill Peet, based on the novel by T. H. White

Quotes via Wikiquote (CC BY-SA), each with its original source.

Notable quotes

“It seems some of the drops sparkle, Pelly. Some of them do sparkle!”
— Camelot (1960; 1967) by Alan Jay Lerner
“I must ride with my knights to defend what was, and the dream of what could be.”
— Excalibur (1981), written by Rospo Pallenberg and John Boorman, based on Le Morte d'Arthur by Thomas Malory
“Knights! The gift of freedom is yours by right. But the home we seek resides not in some distant land. It's in us! And in our actions on this day! If this be our destiny, then so be it. But let history remember that as free men, we chose to make it so.”
— King Arthur (1995), written by David Franzoni
“The Lady of the Lake, her arm clad in the purest shimmering samite, held aloft Excalibur from the bosom of the water, signifying by divine providence that I, Arthur, was to carry Excalibur. That is why I am your king.”
— Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) by Monty Python
“If people reach perfection they vanish, you know.”
— The Once and Future King (1958) by T.H. White
“Just because you can't understand something, it doesn't mean it's wrong!”
— The Sword in the Stone (1963), written by Bill Peet, based on the novel by T. H. White

Quotes via Wikiquote (CC BY-SA), each with its original source.

Overview

From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

King Arthur

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King Arthur

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King Arthur across IJR

Overview

Notable quotes

Notable quotes

Overview

King Arthur across IJR