Love in Bath

[Mel Johnson]

Does anybody know whether the Sir Thomas Beecham-arranged score (a Handel pastiche) was ever produced by anyone? It's a longish one-act with a libretto about the courtship of Richard Brinsley Sheridan and Elizabeth Linley. It doesn't include the famous duel(s), but seems to include a lot of material which suggests a sort of eighteenth-century "Enigma Variations".

[rg]

no info here, Mel. but i'll ask around and if anyone has anything(s) to say i'll let you know.

[Jane Simpson]

Horst Koegler's Dictionary describes it as 'never having been staged' and he is usually right - though of course that's only up to 1987.

[Mel Johnson]

I didn't think so; musically, it's got "good bones", but in terms of narrative, it could use "punching and tightening", to continue the Broadway metaphor.

[leonid17]

Does anybody know whether the Sir Thomas Beecham-arranged score (a Handel pastiche) was ever produced by anyone? It's a longish one-act with a libretto about the courtship of Richard Brinsley Sheridan and Elizabeth Linley. It doesn't include the famous duel(s), but seems to include a lot of material which suggests a sort of eighteenth-century "Enigma Variations".

The ballet is called "The Great Elopement" and the suite from it is Love in Bath. Of the original 19 (supposed) numbers, the suite only uses 12 and some 6 recorded. Recordings of which I remember listening to at school, are available as below. The ballet depicts the love affair between the playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan and Elizabeth Linley (daughter of the composer Thomas Linley), all presided over by the famous dandy Beau Nash. The music is mostly taken from Handel's operas Rodrigo, Serse, Ariodante and Il Pastor Fido etc. Sounds fun. On the available recordings, Ilsa Hollweg sings a Serenade towards the end of the suite.

http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/...ove+In+Bath.htm

Coupled with Solomon

or

http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album....album_id=264528

This time with music used by Balanchine for Gods go a’Begging

[Mel Johnson]

All of "Love in Bath" was once recorded on the Angel label. Additional numbers would seem to spell a two-act version which might mitigate the slow stretches. I'll have to look into that. Thanks, leonid!