- White, Eric Walter. A Register of First Performances of English Operas and
Semi-Operas from the 16th Century to 1980.London: Society for Theatre
Research, 1983. v, 130p. ISBN 0-8543-0036-8. ML1731 .W59.
A list in date order—from ca. 1517—of premieres of English operas and
“semi-operas” (masques, operettas, and the like). Entries name the composer,
librettist, and premiere location. Some annotations, title index. - Dent, Edward Joseph. Foundations of English Opera: A Study of Musical
Drama in England during the Seventeenth Century.Cambridge: Cambridge
U.P., 1928. xv, lx, 241p. Reprint, New York: Da Capo, 1965. ML1731.2 .D4.
Examines precursors, continental influences, chamber opera, and other devel-
opments up to and including Purcell. Footnotes and musical examples, no bib-
liography, index of names, titles, and topics. Dent’s evidence and conclusions
are critically assessed in: - Buttrey, John. “The Evolution of English Opera between 1656 and 1695: A
Re-Investigation.” Ph.D. diss., U. of Cambridge, 1967. 2v.
Author’s abstract in RILMindicates a wide range of corrections to Dent (pre-
vious entry). Says that opera in England did not begin until 1674. Discusses all
operas to 1695, with particular attention to Dido and Aeneas. - Fiske, Roger. English Theatre Music in the Eighteenth Century. 2nd ed. Lon-
don: Oxford U.P., 1996. xiv, 684p. ISBN 0-19-316409-4. ML1731.8 .F38.
First edition, 1973. A scholarly study of all stage genres: masque, pantomime,
ballad opera, etc. Includes biographies of about 50 singers, musical examples,
and a bibliography of about 250 entries. An important index gives the names
of all works from 1695 to 1800 that have survived in full score or vocal score;
also a name index, with works under composers. - Gänzl, Kurt. British Musical Theatre. London: Oxford U.P., 1986. 2v. ISBN
0-19-520509-X. ML1731.8 .L7 G36.
Plots, reviews, casts, and musical excerpts from several genres of stage works.
Criteria for inclusion are vague, but operetta, comic opera, and musicals are
present. The period covered is 1865–1984. Index.
On the 19th century see also Biddlecombe (#473).
- Adams, Nicky, ed. Who’s Who in British Opera. Aldershot: Scolar Press; Brook-
field, Vt.: Ashgate, 1993. xvii, 339p. ISBN 0-85967-894-6. ML102 .O6 A3.
Covers 493 living persons: singers, conductors, designers, directors, critics. An
appendix groups them by occupation. - Northouse, Cameron. Twentieth-Century Opera in England and the United
States.Boston: G. K. Hall, 1976. viii, 400p. ISBN 0-8161-7896-8. ML128 .O4
N87.
Comprises several useful lists: (1) first performances of 20th-century English
and American operas, 1900–1974, arranged by year, with city, date, and libret-
tist—a total of 1,612 works; (2) an additional 941 operas for which complete
United Kingdom 501