Gloriana

This made for television production of “Gloriana”, an opera in three acts, with music by Benjamin Britten and Libretto by William Plomer, was performed at the London Coliseum by the English National Opera with the English National Opera Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Mark Elder. “Gloriana” was first conceived when Benjamin Britten was asked to compose an opera to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. It tells of the tragic liaison of love and conflict between Queen Elizabeth I and her much younger, but married, loyal admirer, Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex. For Elizabeth the role of Queen and her duty to her people was paramount, even beyond her personal love for the Earl of Essex. The consequences of this commitment by Elizabeth eventually lead to Devereux’s downfall and subsequent death. Lavish costumes, pageantry, pomp and ceremony, interspersed with tender sometimes melancholic moments, make for an entertaining and interesting portrayal of this very famous Queen of England. Superb performances by Sarah Walker (Queen Elizabeth I) and Anthony Rolfe Johnson (Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex) are supported by an equally talented cast including Jean Rigby (Frances, Countess of Essex), Neil Howlett (Charles Blount Lord Mountjoy), Elizabeth Vaughan (Penelope Lady Rich), Alan Opie (Sir Robert Cecil), Richard Van Allan (Sir Walter Raleigh) and Malcolm Donnelly (Henry Cuffe).