Orpheus and Eurydice, Op. 341

Op. 341 ORPHEUS AND EURYDICE (August 25, 2020)
Favola in Musica, mostly after Ovid
     I. Overtura-Toccata - "I Give You This Lyre"
     II. Prologue-Ritournello - "Hymen, Called by the Voice of Orpheus"
     III. Chorus - "He Was Present at Orpheus's Marriage, True"
     IV. Recitative - "While the Newly Wedded Bride, Eurydice,
          Was Walking through the Grass"
      V. Aria - When Orpheus Had Mourned for Her, Greatly,
          He Dared to go Down to Styx"
     VI. Trio - "Through the Weightless Throng"
     VII. Aria - Then Striking the Lyre-Strings"
     VIII. Chorus - "The Bloodless Spirits"
     IX. Duet - "She Was Among the recent Ghosts"
     X. Recitative - "Stunned by the Double Loss of his Wife"
     XI. Chorus - "While the Poet of Thrace
     XII. Epilogue-Ritournello - "The Ghost of Orpheus"


     Score:

Palestrina, Op. 340

Op. 340 PALESTRINA (August 10, 2020)
     Counter-Reformation Opera in Nine Chronologies
     I.  1534-1549 Rule of Paul III (1468-1549)
     II.  1545-1563 Council of Trent begins
     III.  1549-1555 Rule of Julius III (1487-1555)
     IV.  1555 Rule of Marcellus II (1501-1555)
     V.  1555-1559 Rule of Paul IV (1476-1559)
     VI.  1559-1565 Rule of Pius IV (1499-1565)
     VII.  1562 Pope Marcellus Mass
     VIII.  1563 Council of Trent ends
     IX.  1581 Ballet Comique de la Reine - Louvre Palace, Paris,
          Sponsored by Catherine de' Medici (1519-1589),
          wife of Henry II of France (1519-1559),
          inspired by Homer's Odyssey: Circe, with music of
          Girard de Beaulieu (1551-1588)


     Score:

Henry VIII, Op. 339

Op. 339 HENRY VIII (August 5, 2020)
Ballad Opera in 23 Songs
     I. Prelude - Thoinot Arbeau - Basse Danse ("Jouyssance")
          1485 Richard III (1452-1485) dies on battlefield,
               against Henry VII (1457-1509)
     II. Claude Gervaise - Pavane "Le Bon Vouloir"
          1486 Birth of Arthur (1486-1502)
          1491 Birth of Henry VIII
     III. Pierre Phalese - Gaillard "Traditore"
          1492 Columbus sails West
          1499 Marriage of Arthur to Catherine of Aragon (1485-1536),
               daughter of Isabella I (1451-1504) and
               Ferdinand II (1452-1516)
     IV. Fireworks
          1502 Death of Arthur
          1502 Pope Julius II (1443-1513) grants disponsation allowing
               Henry VIII betrothal to Catherine of Aragon
     V. Le Petit Gentilhomme
          1505 Julius II determines to demolish old St. Peter's and
               build new one
          1506 Donato Bramante confirmed as Architect of St. Peter's
     VI. Henry VIII - Pastyme with Good Company (3 Voices)
          1509 Henry VIII 
               Crowned (April 21)
               Two days later arrests Henry VII ministers
               Richard Empson (1450-1510) and
                    Edmund Dudley (1462-1510)
               Two months later, marries Catherine of Aragon (1485-1536)
                Composes Pastime with Good Company
          1510 Henry VIII executes Richard Empson and Edmund Dudley
     VII. Robin and Marion
          1513 Leo X (1475-1521) becomes Pope
          1514 Rafael (1483-1520) confirmed as Architect of St. Peter's
     VIII. Street Music
          1516 Birth of Mary I (1516-1558), to Catherine of Aragon
          1516-1519 Henry VIII's affair with Elizabeth Blount (1498-1540)
     IX. Henry's Loneliness
          1517 Leo X offers indulgences for those giving alms to
               rebuild St. Peter's
          1517 Martin Luther (1483-1546) writes the 95 Theses
     X. Harry VIII Pavan & Gaillard
          1519 Birth of Henry FitzRoy to Elizabeth Blount
          1519 Henry VIII's affair with Mary Boleyn Carey (1499-1543)
     XI. Tylman Susato - La Mourisque
          1520 Marriage of Mary Boleyn Carey to William Carey (1500-1528)
          1521 Diet of Worms (April 16-18), Edict (May 25)
     XII. Claude Gervaise - Gaillarde
          1521 Henry VIII's Defence of the Seven Sacraments,
               earning him title of Defender of the Faith,
               October from Pope Leo X (1475-1521)
          1522 Adrian VI (1459-1523) becomes Pope
     XIII. La Pastorella
          1522 Marriage of Elizabeth Blount to Gilbert Tailboys (1497-1530)
          1523 Clement VII (1478-1534) becomes Pope
               Hans Holbein (1497-1553) paints Erasmus  (1466-1536)
     XIV. Claude Gervaise - Gaillarde (Quart Livre de Danceries)
          1525 Henry VIII's affair with Anne Boleyn (1501-1536),
               neice of 3rd Duke of Norfolk Thomas Howard (1473-1554)
          1526 Hans Holbein in England, first stay (1526-1528)
     XV. Hugh Aston - My Lady Carey's Dompe
          1527 Henry VIII, arguing from Leviticus 20:21,
               attempts to have marriage to Catherine of Aragon
               annulled by Clement VII
               Hans Holbein paints Thomas More (1478-1535)
          1528 Death of William Carey, Hugh Aston (1485-1558)
               writes My Lady Carey's Dompe
     XVI.  Duet
          1529 Henry VIII's annulment rejected by Clement VII,
               possibly due to objectios by Holy Roman Emperor Charles V
               (1500-1558), Catharine of Aragon's nephew
               Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, Chancellor, blamed for above,
               is imprisoned, due to influence of Anne Boleyn
               Thomas More becomes Chancellor
          1530 Death of Thomas Wolsey, in prison
     XVII. My Lady Wynklyd's Rownde
          1531 Portrait of Henry VIII
          1532 Thomas Cranmer (1489-1556), Archbishop of Canterbury
               Thomas Cromwell (1485-1540) influential in promoting
                    Henry VIII's divorce
               Henry VIII's secret marriage to Anne Boleyn near
                     Cliffs of Dover
               Hans Holbein in English, second stay (1532-1540)
     XVIII. The King's Hunt
          1533 Henry VIII's public marriage to Anne Bolyen
                   Birth of Elizabeth I (1533-1603)
          1534 Thomas More imprisoned
                   Anne Boleyn falls out of favor
     XIX. Anne Boleyn - O Deathe, Rock Me A-Sleepe
          1535 Thomas More sentenced on purgery from
               Richard Rich (1596-1567) and executed
          1536 Henry VIII takes interest in Jane Seymour (1508-1537)
                   Anne Boleyn imprisoned and executed (May 19)
                   Henry VII betrothed (May 20) and married (May 30) to
                        Jane Seymour
                   Hans Holbein employed as the King's Painter, paints
     XX. Ethiop Masque
          1537 Birth of Edward VI (October 12, 1537-1553) to Jane Seymour, 
                  who dies of complications from same (October 24)
          1538 Portait of Henry VIII, standing, by Hans Holbein
     XXI. Anne of Cleves Wedding Music
          1539 Hans Holbein dispached to Duren, Germany,
                   to paint Anne of Cleves (1515-1557)
           1540 Henry VIII marries Anne of Cleves (January 6),
                   and subsequently has marriage annulled (July 9)
                   Thomas Cromwell executed for the failed arranged marriage,
                         and Henry VIII marries, on the same day (July 28)
                         Catherine Howard (1523-1542),
                         another neice of Thomas Howard
                    Classic portrait of Henry VIII by Hans Holbein, who departs England a second time
     XXII. Catherine Howard's Interrogaton   
          1542 Catherine Howard executed (February 13)
          1543 Henry VIII marries Catherine Parr
     XXIII. Postlude
          1546 Papers drawn up for the Arrest of Catherine Parr,
                   who is subsequently reconciled with Henry VIII
          1547 Death of Henry VIII


     Score: