Knowledge

Abimelech (oratorio)

Source 📝

790: 256: 17: 378:, which prompted Arthur Sherbo, a later critic, to claim that they "were kind to Smart and Arnold" for their silence. Another later critic, Moira Dearnley, said, "devotion and human relationships is uneasy, not to say ridiculous." Another critic, Frances Anderson, said: "it was not reprinted and seemed of mediocre quality". However, this turned out to be untrue. 270:
tells the story of Abraham and Sarah at Gerar (Genesis 20) in three acts. Although there are multiple versions of the story with different characters, Smart relies on the version in which Abraham pretends that Sarah is his sister, and the king of Gerar, Abimilech, wishes to marry her. God intervenes
274:
There is an emphasis on the sexual jealousy of Abraham over Abimelech's treatment of Sarah. This was partly done for "theatrical effect". However, there is also an emphasis on the impious actions of the Gentiles of Gerar and of their inability to love properly, especially when Hagar sings:
271:
by telling Abimelech that Sarah is married and should be returned to Abraham; Abimelech returns Sarah to Abraham but criticizes Abraham for lying. The oratorio leaves out the final portion of Abimelech's biblical story in which Sarah is made fertile by God along with Abimelech's women.
117:, Smart most likely wrote the work out of a need to earn money. However, his previous oratorio only lasted a few nights, and Smart hoped that his second could succeed where the other failed. This would be the last work in Smart's final years that was written completely for adults. 97:, and he tries to take Sarah as his wife. After God intervenes in a dream, Sarah, who was previously barren, is restored to Abraham and made fertile. The oratorio emphasizes the sexual jealousy and the sexual fidelity of spouses. 235:, but the libretto was sold during its run at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket, in 1768 and the run of the revised version of the oratorio at the Covent Garden in 1772. These works were published anonymously but 720: 231:
was performed once at the Theatre Royal on 18 March 1768 and once, after Smart's death, at Covent Garden on 25 March 1772. There are no surviving scores for
307:
As the oratorio continues, there is emphasis that only those who follow the true God are capable of understanding the proper ways to act.
643: 804: 872: 867: 359:
was "a very pleasing Oratorio, though there is great sameness in the songs, but the chorusses are masterly and grand". Later,
363:
claimed that "the applause obtained by this his second oratorical production , established the reputation of its composer ".
706: 852: 699: 636: 847: 629: 862: 42: 75:
ran for only one night, each time. It was to be Smart's last work dedicated to an adult audience.
548: 360: 106: 837: 827: 247:. The "pasticcios" were musical selections from Handel used by the composer Samuel Arnold. 8: 842: 832: 745: 681: 652: 126: 63: 50: 46: 38: 351:
claimed that the oratorio was changed "greatly for the better". Another review in
857: 727: 674: 759: 236: 821: 713: 618:. Ed. Marcus Walsh and Karina Williamson. Oxford: Clarendon, 1983. 472 pp. 752: 616:
The Poetical Works of Christopher Smart, II: Religious Poetry 1763-1771
90: 162:
and who is universally allowed to be a SMART Fellow, and a tolerable
94: 58: 789: 621: 240: 34: 255: 82: 16: 86: 49:
in 1768. A heavily revised version of the oratorio ran at
239:, Smart's friend, attributes the libretto to Smart and 604:. Lewisburg: Bucknell University Press, 2001. 342 pp. 202:, who tho' of a diminutive Size, hath such amazing 590:. New York: Twayne Publishers, Inc., 1974. 139 pp. 124:ran in the "Musical Intelligencer" section of the 721:The Parables of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 819: 405: 403: 393: 391: 194:has been a long while in Training under little 611:Michigan State University Press, 1967. 303 pp. 474: 472: 470: 438: 436: 426: 424: 637: 609:Christopher Smart: Scholar of the University. 597:. New York: Barnes & Noble, 1969. 332 pp. 558: 537:The London Stage 1660-1800: Part 4, 1747-1776 400: 388: 294:Their appetite from such a form as Sarah's? 105:Years before, Smart wrote a libretto for an 467: 433: 421: 644: 630: 291:And more of brutal nature, should controul 182:on Friday 19th of February, tho' the Odds 347:ran at the Covent Garden, a reviewer in 334:Officers, soldiers, and other attendants 285:Of an enamour'd Gentile - Couldst think, 254: 15: 288:That men remoter from the truth of God, 282:Have suffer'd profanation from the lips 820: 214:, he will seize on any Man alive, and 651: 625: 338: 146:on Wednesday next, when he will run 707:Hymns for the Amusement of Children 13: 61:written by Smart, the first being 14: 884: 184:in the upper half of the Scaffold 788: 150:. He was bred by the celebrated 45:. It was first performed in the 602:Christopher Smart: Clown of God 595:The Poetry of Christopher Smart 567: 542: 529: 517: 508: 499: 490: 57:was the second of two oratorio 873:Cultural depictions of Abraham 555:. Vol II, London: 1819. p. 468 481: 458: 455:. Vol IV, London: 1789. p. 666 445: 412: 81:retells the biblical story of 1: 868:Libretti by Christopher Smart 580: 100: 343:After the second version of 250: 7: 539:. Carbondale, 1962. p. 1619 67:written in 1764. Just like 10: 889: 769:Poems on Several Occasions 553:A General History of Music 158:the great Match round the 797: 786: 737: 700:Hymns and Spiritual Songs 694:Hymn to the Supreme Being 666: 659: 134:"YOUNG Abimilech will be 130:on 16 March, which said: 37:in three acts written by 535:Stone Jr., G. (editor). 453:General History of Music 381: 310: 245:General History of Music 853:English-language operas 526:, Vol. II (1772) p. 219 188:Three and a Half to One 765:Mrs Midnight's Oratory 264: 241:pasticcios from Handel 226: 25: 586:Anderson, Frances E. 524:The Theatrical Review 353:The Theatrical Review 349:The Theatrical Review 322:Phichol Chief Captain 258: 132: 120:An advertisement for 91:met the King of Gerar 19: 848:Christian literature 614:Smart, Christopher. 216:take him by the Ears 41:and put to music by 478:Smart (1983) p. 159 464:Smart (1983) p. 158 442:Smart (1983) p. 161 430:Smart (1983) p. 160 805:Asylum confinement 265: 212:gets with his Airs 26: 813: 812: 784: 783: 653:Christopher Smart 593:Dearnley, Moira. 588:Christopher Smart 451:Burney, Charles. 339:Critical response 148:three Trial-heats 127:Public Advertiser 47:Haymarket Theatre 39:Christopher Smart 880: 792: 664: 663: 646: 639: 632: 623: 622: 607:Sherbo, Arthur. 600:Mounsey, Chris. 574: 571: 565: 562: 556: 546: 540: 533: 527: 521: 515: 512: 506: 503: 497: 494: 488: 485: 479: 476: 465: 462: 456: 449: 443: 440: 431: 428: 419: 416: 410: 407: 398: 395: 224: 210:, that, when he 888: 887: 883: 882: 881: 879: 878: 877: 863:Opera oratorios 818: 817: 814: 809: 793: 780: 733: 728:Seatonian Poems 675:A Song to David 667:Religious works 655: 650: 583: 578: 577: 573:Dearnley p. 217 572: 568: 563: 559: 547: 543: 534: 530: 522: 518: 514:Dearnley p. 224 513: 509: 505:Dearnley p. 223 504: 500: 496:Dearnley p. 218 495: 491: 487:Dearnley p. 215 486: 482: 477: 468: 463: 459: 450: 446: 441: 434: 429: 422: 418:Anderson p. 109 417: 413: 408: 401: 396: 389: 384: 372:Critical Review 341: 313: 253: 225: 222: 200:sound-Knowledge 103: 12: 11: 5: 886: 876: 875: 870: 865: 860: 855: 850: 845: 840: 835: 830: 811: 810: 808: 807: 801: 799: 795: 794: 787: 785: 782: 781: 779: 778: 772: 766: 763: 760:The Hop-Garden 756: 749: 746:Smart's Fables 741: 739: 735: 734: 732: 731: 724: 717: 710: 703: 696: 691: 678: 670: 668: 661: 657: 656: 649: 648: 641: 634: 626: 620: 619: 612: 605: 598: 591: 582: 579: 576: 575: 566: 557: 541: 528: 516: 507: 498: 489: 480: 466: 457: 444: 432: 420: 411: 409:Anderson p. 49 399: 386: 385: 383: 380: 368:Monthly Review 340: 337: 336: 335: 332: 331:Queen of Gerar 329: 326: 323: 320: 319:King Abimelech 317: 312: 309: 305: 304: 303: 302: 292: 289: 286: 283: 280: 259:First page of 252: 249: 237:Charles Burney 223:Mounsey p. 270 220: 156:flying Pegasus 102: 99: 20:Title page of 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 885: 874: 871: 869: 866: 864: 861: 859: 856: 854: 851: 849: 846: 844: 841: 839: 836: 834: 831: 829: 826: 825: 823: 816: 806: 803: 802: 800: 796: 791: 776: 773: 770: 767: 764: 762: 761: 757: 755: 754: 750: 748: 747: 743: 742: 740: 736: 730: 729: 725: 723: 722: 718: 716: 715: 714:Jubilate Agno 711: 709: 708: 704: 702: 701: 697: 695: 692: 690: 689: 684: 683: 679: 677: 676: 672: 671: 669: 665: 662: 658: 654: 647: 642: 640: 635: 633: 628: 627: 624: 617: 613: 610: 606: 603: 599: 596: 592: 589: 585: 584: 570: 564:Sherbo p. 246 561: 554: 550: 549:Busby, Thomas 545: 538: 532: 525: 520: 511: 502: 493: 484: 475: 473: 471: 461: 454: 448: 439: 437: 427: 425: 415: 406: 404: 397:Sherbo p. 245 394: 392: 387: 379: 377: 373: 369: 364: 362: 358: 355:claimed that 354: 350: 346: 333: 330: 327: 324: 321: 318: 315: 314: 308: 300: 296: 295: 293: 290: 287: 284: 281: 278: 277: 276: 272: 269: 262: 257: 248: 246: 242: 238: 234: 230: 219: 217: 213: 209: 205: 201: 197: 193: 189: 185: 181: 178:, which beat 177: 173: 172:half Brothers 169: 165: 161: 157: 153: 149: 145: 141: 137: 131: 129: 128: 123: 118: 116: 112: 108: 98: 96: 92: 88: 84: 80: 76: 74: 70: 66: 65: 60: 56: 52: 51:Covent Garden 48: 44: 43:Samuel Arnold 40: 36: 32: 31: 23: 18: 815: 774: 768: 758: 751: 744: 738:Misc. poetry 726: 719: 712: 705: 698: 693: 687: 686: 680: 673: 615: 608: 601: 594: 587: 569: 560: 552: 544: 536: 531: 523: 519: 510: 501: 492: 483: 460: 452: 447: 414: 375: 371: 367: 365: 361:Thomas Busby 356: 352: 348: 344: 342: 306: 298: 279:Lo, her ears 273: 267: 266: 260: 244: 232: 228: 227: 215: 211: 207: 203: 199: 195: 191: 187: 183: 179: 175: 171: 167: 163: 159: 155: 151: 147: 143: 139: 135: 133: 125: 121: 119: 114: 110: 104: 78: 77: 72: 68: 62: 54: 29: 28: 27: 21: 838:1772 operas 828:1768 operas 753:The Hilliad 208:Composition 198:, a Man of 154:, who rode 142:Theatrical 843:1772 poems 833:1768 poems 822:Categories 581:References 164:Psalmodist 160:Hop-Garden 101:Background 89:when they 688:Abimelech 376:Abimelech 357:Abimelech 345:Abimelech 299:Abimelech 268:Abimelech 261:Abimelech 251:Abimelech 233:Abimelech 229:Abimelech 192:Abimilech 168:Abimilech 152:Kit Crazy 136:exercised 122:Abimelech 95:Abimelech 79:Abimelech 73:Abimelech 59:librettos 55:Abimelech 53:in 1772. 30:Abimelech 22:Abimelech 798:See also 374:ignored 263:libretto 221:—  204:Strength 107:oratorio 35:oratorio 24:libretto 316:Abraham 243:in his 206:in his 180:Sampson 140:Foote's 113:. Like 109:called 83:Abraham 858:Operas 777:(1763) 771:(1752) 682:Hannah 301:94-99) 196:Arnold 115:Hannah 111:Hannah 69:Hannah 64:Hannah 33:is an 775:Poems 660:Works 382:Notes 328:Hagar 325:Sarah 311:Roles 186:were 144:Heath 87:Sarah 685:and 370:and 366:The 176:Saul 85:and 174:to 170:is 138:on 824:: 551:. 469:^ 435:^ 423:^ 402:^ 390:^ 218:." 190:. 166:. 93:, 71:, 645:e 638:t 631:v 297:(

Index


oratorio
Christopher Smart
Samuel Arnold
Haymarket Theatre
Covent Garden
librettos
Hannah
Abraham
Sarah
met the King of Gerar
Abimelech
oratorio
Public Advertiser
Charles Burney
pasticcios from Handel

Thomas Busby











Busby, Thomas

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.