Beggar's Opera, The Johann Christoph Pepusch (arranger). Ballad opera in three acts. 1728. Libretto by John Gay. First performance at Lincoln's Inn Fields on 29th January 1728. CHARACTERS Macheath, a famous highwayman tenor or baritone Peachum, a fence bass Mrs Peachum, his wife soprano Polly Peachum, his daughter soprano Lockit, a corrupt prison- keeper baritone or bass Lucy Lockit, his daughter soprano Filch, a thief employed by Peachum tenor Diana Trapes soprano Beggar speaking rôle Player speaking rôle An anti-opera, with an anti-hero, like Fielding's satirical novel Jonathan Wild, The Beggar's Opera has the highwayman Macheath as its hero. Peachum, a thief-taker and fence, deplores his daughter's flirtation with Macheath, now revealed as a secret marriage. Peachum resolves to have Macheath betrayed to the law. Macheath is taken, as he consorts with women of the town, and is imprisoned in Lockit's gaol. He tries to persuade Lucy Lockit, promising marriage, to help him bribe his way out of prison. Escaping, he is taken again, while Lucy and Polly make no secret of their rivalry. Macheath is to be hanged, until the Beggar who is presenting the work is persuaded by the Player to provide a happy ending with a reprieve. The Beggar's Opera, a satire on contemporary political corruption, made use of popular tunes of the time. These have been realised in various ways, most notably in the version of the work by Benjamin Britten, which makes of it an original and

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Beggar's Opera, The

Johann Christoph Pepusch (arranger). Ballad opera in three acts. 1728. Libretto by John Gay. First performance at Lincoln's Inn Fields on 29th January 1728.

CHARACTERS

Macheath, a famous highwayman tenor or baritonePeachum, a fence bassMrs Peachum, his wife sopranoPolly Peachum, his daughter sopranoLockit, a corrupt prison- keeper baritone or bassLucy Lockit, his daughter sopranoFilch, a thief employed by Peachum tenorDiana Trapes sopranoBeggar speaking rôlePlayer speaking rôle

An anti-opera, with an anti-hero, like Fielding's satirical novel Jonathan Wild, The Beggar's Opera has the highwayman Macheath as its hero. Peachum, a thief-taker and fence, deplores his daughter's flirtation with Macheath, now revealed as a secret marriage. Peachum resolves to have Macheath betrayed to the law. Macheath is taken, as he consorts with women of the town, and is imprisoned in Lockit's gaol. He tries to persuade Lucy Lockit, promising marriage, to help him bribe his way out of prison. Escaping, he is taken again, while Lucy and Polly make no secret of their rivalry. Macheath is to be hanged, until the Beggar who is presenting the work is persuaded by the Player to provide a happy ending with a reprieve.

The Beggar's Opera, a satire on contemporary political corruption, made use of popular tunes of the time. These have been realised in various ways, most notably in the version of the work by Benjamin Britten, which makes of it an original and characteristic work of its own, first staged in 1948.