The table below shows
sources, many online, for
librettos of
English operas between 1834
and 1870. In addition,
most, but not all, are also
available in some form in
the British Library and some in other
locations. Those labelled
"Available here" have been
transcribed and included on
this web site. See the
footnotes
for information on the sources.
Please note
that available material may
not be exactly what was
performed on particular
occasions, for example, at
the premiere. In a few
cases, the librettist entry
has "See opera page".
This is because there are
uncertainties as to who
wrote the libretto, which
are explored on the web page
for that opera.
The approach to transcribing
the original sources and its
various pitfalls are
detailed in
A Note on Transcribing
English Opera Librettos of
this Era .
Please email
victorianenglishopera@gmail.com
with any other accessible
online sources.
Opera
|
Librettist
|
Libretto available at |
|
|
|
1834 |
|
|
Nourjahad
|
Arnold, Samuel J.
|
BL sys. no:
000120067 (words for
vocal items only)
Original play at
Google Books .
|
The Mountain Sylph
|
Thackeray, Thomas J.
|
Available here
|
Hermann or
The Broken Spear
|
See
opera page |
Available here
|
Lord of the Isles |
Fitzball, Edward |
Google Books ,
LoC |
|
|
|
1835 |
|
|
Sadak and Kalasrade
|
Mitford, Mary
Russell
|
British Library scan
,
LoC |
The Spirit of the Bell
|
Kenney, James
|
Available here |
The Covenanters
|
Dibdin, Thomas
John
|
Available
here
|
The Siege of Rochelle
|
Fitzball, Edward
|
Hathi Trust
,
LoC |
Agnes Sorel
|
à Beckett, Gilbert |
Available here |
|
|
|
1836 |
|
|
The Rose of
the Alhambra |
See
opera page |
Available here |
The Maid of Artois
|
Bunn, Alfred |
Hathi Trust ,
Google Books ,
LoC |
The Sexton of
Cologne |
Fitzball, Edward |
Available here |
The Pacha's
Bridal |
Lemon, Mark |
Available here |
The Village
Coquettes |
Dickens, Charles |
dickens.jp , Archive.org |
|
|
|
1837 |
|
|
Fair Rosamond
|
Barnett, Charles Z. |
Bayerischen
Staatsbibliothek
Goethe Universität, Frankfurt |
Catherine
Grey |
Linley, G. |
Goethe Universität,
Frankfurt |
The Barbers of
Bassora |
Morton, John
Maddison |
Hathi Trust |
Joan of Arc |
Fitzball, Edward |
LoC ,
Hathi Trust -
both show only the words
for vocal items. The
text does not seem
to have been
included in the Lord
Chamberlain's Plays
and so any dialogue
has been lost. |
Amilie or The
Love Test |
Haines, John Thomas |
Google books . |
|
|
|
1838 |
|
|
The Gipsy's
Warning |
Linley, George and
R.B.Peake |
Google books. |
The Outpost |
Serle, Thomas James |
BL manuscript
Add MS 42946, ff.
685-696 b |
Diadeste or
The Veiled Lady |
Fitzball, Edward |
BL manuscript MS
42947, ff. 95-174
BL sys. no.:
000182314 (words
for vocal items
only) |
The Devil's
Opera |
Macfarren, George |
Google Books |
Francis the
First |
See opera page |
Act 1 - BL
Manuscripts Add MS
42949, ff. 386-410 |
|
|
|
1839 |
|
|
Farinelli |
Barnett, Charles Z. |
Google Books ,
LoC |
Henrique |
Haines, John Thomas |
Google Books |
|
|
|
1840 |
|
|
Fridolin |
Lemon, Mark |
BL manuscript
Add MS 42957, ff.
568-583 b & 749-769 |
|
|
|
1841 |
|
|
Keolanthe or
the Unearthly Bride
|
Fitzball, Edward |
German version -
Bayerischen
Staatsbibliothek
.
English version at
Harvard and McMaster
Univs.
The text does not
seem to have been
included in the Lord
Chamberlain's Plays
and so any dialogue
has been lost. |
|
|
|
1843 |
|
|
The Bohemian Girl |
Bunn, Alfred |
Many available,
e.g.
Archive.org ,
Univ. of Wellington |
|
|
|
1844 |
|
|
The Brides of Venice |
Benedict, Julius
and
Bunn, Alfred |
Google books
,
Goethe Universität,
Frankfurt |
The Daughter of
St Mark |
Bunn, Alfred |
Google books ,
LoC |
|
|
|
1845 |
|
|
The Enchantress
|
Bunn, Alfred |
Google books ,
LoC . The
edition printed for
the 1854 revival can
be found
here |
The Fairy Oak
|
Coape, Henry Coe |
Print edition at the
National Art Library
(V&A Museum) |
Maritana |
Fitzball, Edward |
Many examples,
e.g.
Hathi Trust , Naxos
,
Univ. of Wellington |
|
|
|
1846 |
|
|
An Adventure of
Don Quixote |
Macfarren, George |
Archive.org |
The Crusaders
|
Bunn, Alfred
and
St Georges,
Jules-Henri |
Goethe Universität,
Frankfurt ,
Loc |
The Night
Dancers
|
Soane, George |
The
libretto published
for the Pyne and
Harrison Company
revival at Covent
Garden on November
10, 1860 can be
found at the
LoC |
Loretta, a Tale
of Seville |
Bunn, Alfred |
Hathi Trust ,
LoC. |
The Bondman |
Bunn, Alfred |
Goethe Universität,
Frankfurt ,
Hathi Trust ,
LoC |
|
|
|
1847 |
|
|
Matilda of
Hungary |
Bunn, Alfred |
LoC |
The Forest
Maiden and
The
Moorish Page |
Fitzball, Edward |
BL manuscript
Add MS 43004, ff.
192- 213 b |
The Maid of
Honor |
Fitzball, Edward |
BL sys. no.:
015411571,
Hathi Trust
(limited search
only) |
|
|
|
1848 |
|
|
Robin Goodfellow
|
Smith, John
Frederick |
BL manuscript
system no.: Add MS
43015, ff. 286-307b. |
Quentin Durward
|
Fitzball, Edward |
BL manuscript
system no.: Add MS
43015, ff. 308-345.
Printed copy at Yale
University |
|
|
|
1849 |
|
|
Francesca Doria
|
Morris, Valentine
and
Linley, George |
British Library scan |
King Charles II
|
Ryan, Desmond |
LoC |
|
|
|
1850 |
|
|
The Orphan of Geneva
(Thérèse) |
Jefferys, Charles |
LoC |
The Last Crusade |
Vyse, Burdett |
LoC |
|
|
|
1851 |
|
|
The Queen of a
Day |
Scribe,E. ,St
Georges,
J-H, Buckstone,
John |
Google books |
|
|
|
1852 |
|
|
The Sicilian Bride |
Bunn, Alfred |
BL manuscript
Add MS 52930 J.
Printed copies
available, e.g. at
Yale,
McMaster,
Birmingham. |
The Devil's In
It |
Bunn, Alfred |
Archive.org ,
LoC |
|
|
|
1853 |
|
|
Love's Alarms
|
Buckstone, John |
BL manuscript
Add MS 52943 U |
|
|
|
1854 |
|
|
Léonie |
Drayton, Henri |
LoC |
|
|
|
1855 |
|
|
Faust and
Marguarite |
Drayton, Henri |
BL manuscript
Add MS 52954 K. |
Berta, or, The
Gnome
of the Hartsberg |
Fitzball, Edward |
LoC |
Raymond and
Agnes |
Fitzball, Edward |
Available here ,
LoC |
|
|
|
1857 |
|
|
The Rose of
Castille |
Harris,
Augustus and
Falconer, Edmund
|
National Library of
Australia ,
British Library scan
|
|
|
|
1858 |
|
|
Satanella, or,
The Power of Love |
Harris,
Augustus and
Falconer, Edmund
|
Google books , Goethe
Universität,
Frankfurt ,
Naxos |
|
|
|
1859 |
|
|
Zaida, or,
The Pearl of Granada
|
Summers, Oliver
|
BL manuscript Add MS
52979 Q |
Victorine |
Falconer, Edmund |
British Library scan
,
LoC |
|
|
|
1860 |
|
|
Lurline
|
Fitzball, Edward |
British Library scan,
Naxos |
Robin Hood
|
Oxenford, John |
Naxos ,
LoC |
Bianca,
the Bravo's Bride
|
Simpson, Palgrave |
Goethe Universität,
Frankfurt ,
LoC |
|
|
|
1861 |
|
|
The Amber Witch
|
Chorley, Henry |
LoC ,
Hathi Trust |
Ruy Blas |
Glover, Howard |
LoC |
The Puritan's
Daughter |
Bridgman, John Vipon |
Goethe Universität,
Frankfurt |
|
|
|
1862 |
|
|
The Lily of
Killarney |
Oxenford, John and
Boucicault, Dion |
Goethe Universität,
Frankfurt |
Love's Triumph
|
Planché, James R. |
Hathi Trust ,
LoC |
|
|
|
1863 |
|
|
The Armourer of
Nantes |
Bridgman, John Vipon |
Goethe Universität,
Frankfurt ,
LoC |
The Desert
Flower |
Harris, Augustus and
Williams, Thomas |
Hathi Trust ,
LoC |
Blanche de
Nevers |
Brougham, John |
LoC |
|
|
|
1864 |
|
|
She Stoops to
Conquer |
Fitzball, Edward |
LoC |
Helvellyn |
Oxenford, John |
BL sys. no.:
015465353 |
Rose, or, Love's
Ransom |
Edwards, Henry S. |
Hathi Trust ,
LoC |
|
|
|
1865 |
|
|
Ida or
The Guardian Storks
|
Simpson, J. Palgrave |
Google Books |
Felix or
The Festival of
Roses |
Oxenford, John |
LoC |
|
|
|
1866 |
|
|
Sylvia
or The Forest Flower
|
Galer, Elliott |
LoC |
|