The Beggar's Opera

Nonfiction, Entertainment, Drama, Greek & Roman, Fiction & Literature
Cover of the book The Beggar's Opera by John Gay, Dover Publications
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: John Gay ISBN: 9780486153650
Publisher: Dover Publications Publication: November 16, 2012
Imprint: Dover Publications Language: English
Author: John Gay
ISBN: 9780486153650
Publisher: Dover Publications
Publication: November 16, 2012
Imprint: Dover Publications
Language: English

The great lords and powerful public officials of early 18th century England are represented as highwaymen and thieves in this deliciously satirical ballad opera. In addition to its burlesque of the contemporary vogue for Italian operatic styles, John Gay's 1728 masterpiece ridicules a broad spectrum of political figures and social conventions — marriage, lawyers, trade, and even Walpole, the prime minister. Depicting crime and vice at every level of society, The Beggar's Opera offers a witty and powerful indictment of greed, hypocrisy, and corruption in all social classes. When Peachum, a receiver of stolen goods, discovers that a notorious highwayman has eloped with his daughter, the wily old villain turns informer and collects the reward money as his prospective son-in-law is hauled off to prison. Events take an increasingly absurd turn as the dashing outlaw romances the jailer's daughter and effects an escape, only to return to the shadow of the gallows for a farcical climax that parodies the sentimental tragedy of the day.
The Beggar's Opera is in the satirical tradition of Swift and Pope. Its enduring relevance was recognized two centuries later by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill, who used it as the basis for their landmark musical, The Threepenny Opera. This attractive, inexpensive edition of an influential comic gem will be applauded by theater lovers, students of literature and history, and other readers.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The great lords and powerful public officials of early 18th century England are represented as highwaymen and thieves in this deliciously satirical ballad opera. In addition to its burlesque of the contemporary vogue for Italian operatic styles, John Gay's 1728 masterpiece ridicules a broad spectrum of political figures and social conventions — marriage, lawyers, trade, and even Walpole, the prime minister. Depicting crime and vice at every level of society, The Beggar's Opera offers a witty and powerful indictment of greed, hypocrisy, and corruption in all social classes. When Peachum, a receiver of stolen goods, discovers that a notorious highwayman has eloped with his daughter, the wily old villain turns informer and collects the reward money as his prospective son-in-law is hauled off to prison. Events take an increasingly absurd turn as the dashing outlaw romances the jailer's daughter and effects an escape, only to return to the shadow of the gallows for a farcical climax that parodies the sentimental tragedy of the day.
The Beggar's Opera is in the satirical tradition of Swift and Pope. Its enduring relevance was recognized two centuries later by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill, who used it as the basis for their landmark musical, The Threepenny Opera. This attractive, inexpensive edition of an influential comic gem will be applauded by theater lovers, students of literature and history, and other readers.

More books from Dover Publications

Cover of the book The Little Regiment and Other Civil War Stories by John Gay
Cover of the book The Historical Roots of Elementary Mathematics by John Gay
Cover of the book Native Harvests by John Gay
Cover of the book Sturgis' Illustrated Dictionary of Architecture and Building by John Gay
Cover of the book The Statistical Analysis of Experimental Data by John Gay
Cover of the book Differential Geometric Structures by John Gay
Cover of the book Complete Symphonies in Full Score by John Gay
Cover of the book Men's Fashion Illustrations from the Turn of the Century by John Gay
Cover of the book The I Ching by John Gay
Cover of the book Partial Differential Equations with Fourier Series and Boundary Value Problems by John Gay
Cover of the book Revelation and Other Prophetic Books of the Bible by John Gay
Cover of the book Spanish-Colonial Architecture in the United States by John Gay
Cover of the book Fifty Figure Drawings by John Gay
Cover of the book Art Nouveau Stained Glass Pattern Book by John Gay
Cover of the book Zen for Christians by John Gay
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy