Gloriana is an opera in three acts by the English composer Benjamin Britten (see Britten, Benjamin ). The English libretto (text) was written by William Plomer and based on the book Elizabeth and Essex (1928) by Lytton Strachey. The opera was commissioned to mark the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. It received its first performance in her presence at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, on June 8, 1953.
Gloriana is set in England during the later years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. It takes its name from one of Elizabeth’s titles as monarch. The story portrays her love affair with Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, but it also presents a study of her character set against the background of her reign. Elizabeth assures Sir Robert Cecil of her complete commitment to the state. But she bows with great reluctance to the entreaties of her new love, the handsome Earl of Essex, that he should be allowed to go to Ireland and fight against the rebel Tyrone. He leaves on this important mission with her blessing, but when he returns home defeated she accuses him of betrayal and he loses her royal favor. Essex becomes implicated in a conspiracy against Elizabeth, and—despite the pleas of his wife Frances—he is condemned to death. The last section of the opera is a kaleidoscope of scenes leading up to Essex’s execution and Elizabeth’s own death.
Many listeners objected to Britten’s use of advanced musical techniques in Gloriana, especially in the last part. This fact, as well as the subject matter of the piece—the love affair between a monarch and her court favorite—proved controversial and led to the opera’s failure when it was first staged. However, not all of the music was modern sounding. Britten adapted some Elizabethan music, notably a song attributed to the historical Earl of Essex. He also composed a set of courtly dances for a ball scene and six choral dances for a masque set in the city of Norwich. Both of these sets of dances are often performed independently as concert pieces.
