Event Comment: The
United Company. The date of the first performance is stated in
Luttrell,
A Brief Relation, II, 435, 28 April 1692: On Monday will be acted a new opera, call
the Fairy Queen: exceeds former playes: the clothes, scenes,
and musick cost 3000#. [According to
Some Select Songs As they are Sung in the Fairy Queen (1692) tne singers were
Mrs Ayliff,
Mrs Dyer,
Freeman,
Mrs Butler,
and Pate. See
Purcell's Works,
Purcell Society, XII (1903), ii;
E. W. White,
Early Performances of Purcell's Operas,
Theatre Notebook, XIII (1958-59 ), 45;
and R. E. Moore,
Henry Purcell and the Restoration Theatre, Chapter IV.]
Downes,
Roscius Anglicanus, pp. 42-43:
The Fairy Queen, made into an Opera, from a Comedy of Mr
Shakespeare s: This in Ornaments was Superior to the other Two [
King Arthur and The Prophetess]; especially in Cloaths, for all the Singers
and Dancers, Scenes, Machines
and Decorations, all most profusely set off;
and excellently perform'd, chiedly the Instrumental
and Vocal part Compos'd by the said
Mr Purcel,
and Dances by
Mr Priest. The Court
and Town were wonderfully satisfy'd with it; but the Expences in setting it out being so great, the Company got very little by it.
Gentleman's Journal, May 1692: The Opera of which I have spoke to you in my former hath at last appear'd,
and continues to be represented daily: it is call'd,
The Fairy Queen. The Drama is originally Shakespears, the Music
and Decorations are extraordinary. I have heard the Dances commended,
and without doubt the whole is very entertaining. [As the May issue of the
Gentleman's Journal was licensed on 14 May, the statement that
The Fairy Queen continued to be acted daily may indicate consecutive performances from 2 May to at le ast 14 May 1692.