John gays beggars opera
The Unimpeachable Politics of The Beggar’s Opera
Such lines pepper Gay's ballad opera, which has inspired not only peals of laughter but serious art, including William Hogarth's painting The Beggar's Opera, Bertolt Brecht's adaptation The Threepenny Opera (),and countless renditions of "Mack the Knife" (in honor of Polly's husband, Macheath). All of them satirize corruption at multiple levels of society.
In Gay's drama, Polly's father manages a gang of thieves who bring him stolen goods, which he "finds" for their owners for a small fee. When the thieves lose their dexterity or get sidetracked (e.g., wanting to become a tailor), Mr. Peachum "peaches" them for a reward. To protect his secrets, he plots to have Macheath executed.
Peachum's conscience, we learn, is clear: this is the way of the world. "A lawyer is an honest employment, so is mine," Peachum opines in his opening speech. "Like me too, he acts in a double capacity, both against rogues, and for 'em; for 'tis but fitting that we should protect and encourage cheats, since we live by them." The ballad opera conti
The first English musical and a powerful satire on political corruption that still rings true
Since its first performance in , there has rarely been a year when The Beggar’s Opera has not been performed somewhere in the English-speaking world. Its popularity has led to and, in turn, been increased by the many adaptations of it, starting in with Die Diegröschenoper (The Threepenny Opera) by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill, in collaboration with Elizabeth Hauptmann.
It has been followed by many other adaptations, including: The Beggar’s Holliday () by John Latouche, Duke Ellington, and Billy Strayhorn; Vaclav Havel, Žebrácká opera (The Beggar’s Opera) (); Wole Soyinka, Opera Wonyosi (); Dario Fo, L’Opera dello sghignazzo (); Alan Ayckbourn, A Chorus of Disapproval (); Chico Buarque, Opera Malandro (); and Carl Grose and Charles Hazelwood, Dead Dog in a Suitcase ().
The Beggar's Opera by John Gay
"The Beggar's Opera" by John Gay is a satirical participate written in the early 18th century. The work presents a frothy critique of societal norms and corruption, focusing on the lives of characters existing on the fringes of society. The narrative revolves around the lives and interactions of Anne "Polly" Peachum, her father, Mr. Peachum, and the charming but unscrupulous highwayman, Captain Macheath, whose tangled relationships and various exploits steer the plot forward. At the start of the play, we are introduced to the Beggar and Players, who set the satirical tone for the story. The Beggar claims his status as a poet through the lens of poverty and introduces the themes of deception and moral ambiguity prevalent in the opera. The first act unfolds in Mr. Peachum's house, where he and his associate Filch engage in discussions about their business concerning criminals and their dealings. As characters express their views on crime and morality, we see the juxtaposition of respectability and roguery. Captain Macheath's reputation is established, hinti
B-Sides: John Gay’s “The Beggar’s Opera”
In an age of seamless, brazen, total corruption, how should art be? Should it be savage, grim, driven by white-hot rage? Or should it be smiling, gracious, and indulgent? If your answer is “all of the above,” The Beggar’s Opera is for you.
Performed more often than any other play in the 18th century, John Gay’s verb was a game changer. By penning fresh lyrics to 69 wonderful songs—well-known ballads, folk songs, arias, and dance tunes—Gay invented (or at the very least popularized and canonized) the ballad opera. On the surface, characters’ actions and language satirize contemporary social and political corruption. But woven throughout is music that uncovers tenderness, humor, and melancholy as well as rage; these songs both enhance and surpass the play’s essential bitterness.
The curtain rises on a respectable businessman reviewing his “large book of accounts.” Peachum is a thief-taker (an actual 18th-century institution) who employs criminals, profits from their thefts, and turns his employees in for a reward to be hanged when th