The series contains a draft of Burgess's libretto for Carl Maria von Weber's opera; an Italian translation of the libretto; and a programme for an Italian production at La Fenice opera house in Venice.
Oberon
Archive Unit
- For more information, email the repository
- Advice on accessing these materials
- Cite this description
- Bookmark:http://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/data/gb3104-ab/ab/arch/a/obe
- This material is held at
- ReferenceGB 3104 AB/ARCH/A/OBE
- Dates of Creationc.1985, 1987
- Language of MaterialEnglish Italian
- Physical Description1 file; 1 item Printed.
Scope and Content
Administrative / Biographical History
In February 1983, John Cox, Artistic Director of Scottish Opera, asked Burgess to write a new libretto to accompany the music of Carl Maria von Weber's "Oberon". (Weber's music had originally been set to a libretto by James Robinson Planché , who took inspiration from Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and William Sotheby's translation of "Oberon, a romantische Heldengedicht" by Christoph Martin Wieland, based on medieval legends of the fairy king of Auberon and Huon of Bordeaux, a knight of Charlemagne's court.)
Burgess responded enthusiastically to Cox's request and his new version of Weber's opera opened in Glasgow on 23 October 1985. In spring 1987, La Fenice in Venice staged Oberon in Italian using Burgess's own translation.
Access Information
Open