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Ausrine Stundyte as Cio-Cio-San, Elizabeth Janes as Butterfly’s child and Sarah Larsen as Suzuki in Seattle Opera's production of Puccini's Madama Butterfly. Photo by Elise Bakketun.
North American Works Directory Listing
Merry Mount
Composer: Howard Hanson
Librettist: Richard L. Stokes
Other Artistic Personnel: Tullio Serafin (Conductor)
Wilhelm von Wymetal, Jr. (Director)
Jo Mielziner (Set Designer)
Rosina Galli (Choreographer)
Original Cast: Göta Ljungberg (Lady Marigold Sandys)
Edward Johnson (Sir Gower Lackland)
Lawrence Tibbett (Wrestling Bradford)
Gladys Swarthout (Plentiful Tewke)
Alredo Gandolfi (Myles Brodrib)
Giordano Paltrinieri (Jonathan Banks)
Marek Windheim (Jack Prence)
Arnold Gabor (Faint-Not-Tinker)
Irra Petina (Desire Annable)
Louis D'Angelo (Praise-God Tewke)
Helen Gleason (Peregrine Brodrib)
Lillian Clark (Love Brewster)
George Cehanovsky (Thomas Morton)
Premiere Date: February 10, 1934
Producing Company: Metropolitan Opera
Description: Puritan passions are aroused when a band of Cavaliers arrive and brazenly propose to establish an Empire of Jollity. Among the royalists is Lady Marigold Sandys, with whom Wrestling Bradford, the Puritan pastor, falls hopelessly in love. Marigold, however, is engaged to Sir Gower Lackland, and when Bradford is asked to perform the ceremony, he refuses. An Anglican priest marries the couple and the Cavaliers dance on Merry Mount. The Puritans break up the celebration with violence. The Indians also stage an uprising, and Bradford rescues Marigold by carrying her off to the forest. He pleads with Marigold to accept his love. Lackland, having followed them into the forest, fights with Bradford and is slain. In the final scene, the Puritan village is attacked and set aflame by the Indians, and Bradford and Marigold perish in the burning church.
Character List (Major): Wrestling Bradford, a Puritan minister (baritone)
Lady Marigold Sandys, a Cavalier lady, niece of Thomas Morton (soprano)
Plentiful Tewke, Bradford's betrothed (contralto)
Sir Gower Lackland, beloved, later husband, of Lady Marigold (tenor)
Myles Brodrib, Puritan marshal (tenor)
Character List (Minor): Jonathan Banks, Shaker (tenor)
Faint-Not Tinker, Puritan watchman (baritone)
Samoset, Indian chief (bass)
Desire Annable (mezzo-soprano)
Praise-God Tewke (baritone)
Peregrine Brodrib, son of Myles (soprano)
Love Brewster, twelve-year-old girl (soprano)
Thomas Morton (baritone)
Bridget Crackston (mezzo-soprano)
Jack Prence (tenor)
Jewel Scrooby, Cavalier priest (baritone)
Two Puritans (tenor, bass)
Reviews: New York, Alan Rich, 6-26-78; Musical America, 10-76; Musical America, 12-74.
Comments: Note: Hanson prepared a Merry Mount suite, of which there are several recordings
Length: 02:00
Total Acts: Not Available
Chorus: SATB Chorus
Orchestration: lg orch, wind machine, oriental perc instruments
Ballet/Dance: Ballet
Musical Style: Rich orchestral texture, romantic, some modality; influenced by Debussy, Puccini, and Richard Strauss; dark lyricism
Contact: Warner Brothers Publications, Inc. administers the rights to Harms publications
Phone: 201-348-0700

Spring 2013 Magazine Issue
  • Letter from the President/CEO
  • Of One: The Quest for Asian Fusion in the Opera House
  • Vancouver: Where Nature Nurtures Art
  • Inheriting the Wind
  • My First Time
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