Dioclesian
Music by Henry Purcell · libretto by Thomas Betterton · premiered 1690 · at Dorset Garden Theatre
Dioclesian (The Prophetess: or, The History of Dioclesian) is an English tragicomic semi-opera in five acts by Henry Purcell to a libretto by Thomas Betterton based on the play The Prophetess, by John Fletcher and Philip Massinger, which in turn was based very loosely on the life of the Emperor Diocletian. It was premiered in late May 1690 at the Queen's Theatre, Dorset Garden. The play was first produced in 1622. Choreography for the various dances was provided by Josias Priest, who worked with Purcell on several other semi-operas. Betterton reworked the play extensively, making room for a great deal of Purcell's music, notably in the 'monster' scene at the end of Act II and the final Masque about the victory of Love, which remained popular until well into the eighteenth century. The premier production had a Prologue written by John Dryden that was suppressed after only one performance; it was far too critical of King William's military campaign in Ireland.
Text from the Wikipedia article "Dioclesian", licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
About the Composer
Henry Purcell (, rare: ; c. 10 September 1659 – 21 November 1695) was an English composer and organist of the middle Baroque era. He was extremely prolific, having composed more than 100 songs, a tragic opera Dido and Aeneas, and wrote incidental music to a version of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream called The Fairy Queen. Purcell's musical style was uniquely English, although it incorporated Italian and French elements. Purcell is generally considered to be one of the greatest English composers.
Text from the Wikipedia article "Henry Purcell", licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Other Operas by Henry Purcell
- Dido and Aeneas (1688)
- Dido and Aeneas discography (1689)
- King Arthur (1691)