| Movements/SectionsMov'ts/Sec's | 2 acts |
|---|---|
| Composition Year | 2022 |
| Genre Categories | Operas; Theatrical Works; For voices, mixed chorus, orchestra; |
| Work Title | Swellfellow the Tyrant |
|---|---|
| Alternative. Title | Oedipus Tyrannus |
| Composer | Lambert, Edward |
| I-Catalogue NumberI-Cat. No. | IEL 60 |
| Movements/SectionsMov'ts/Sec's | 2 acts |
| Year/Date of CompositionY/D of Comp. | 2022 |
| Librettist | Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792–1822) |
| Language | English |
| Average DurationAvg. Duration | 80 minutes |
| Composer Time PeriodComp. Period | Modern |
| Piece Style | Modern |
| Instrumentation | 8 voices, mixed chorus (SATB), orchestra |
| InstrDetail | 2 horns, percussion, marimba, accordion, piano, 2 violins |
| Extra Information | The work is a small-scale, choral opera with several roles suitable for non-professional singers. Shelley's play, "translated from the original Doric," is a fantasy satire on the political crises of 1820 which tore apart a deeply divided and unequal country. The death of George III and the return of Caroline as Queen became a rallying call for the reform movement. Bu this was thwarted by a reactionary establishment, even more entrenched following the Peterloo Massacre the previous year which inspired Shelley's famous poem The Masque of Anarchy. In the play, Shelley goes further and advocates the overthrow by the working class of the monarchy and the whole political system. The politics, however, are clothed in fun, wit and topsy-turviness, depicting a conflict between oppressed animals and human overlords. Swellfellow the Tyrant is a free adaptation of Shelley's play; character names and a few details have been changed and updated. |
