description The Golden Legend Overview
The Golden Legend is a dramatic cantata by English composer Arthur Sullivan, first performed at the Leeds Festival in 1886. Its text, prepared by Joseph Bennett, adapts Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s narrative poem The Golden Legend, which combines a medieval Christian story with themes of illness, compassion, temptation, and redemption. Written for soloists, chorus, and orchestra, the work reflects the scale and repertory of the Victorian choral-festival tradition.
help The Golden Legend FAQ
Who composed The Golden Legend?
Arthur Sullivan composed The Golden Legend. The dramatic cantata was first performed at the Leeds Festival in 1886.
What poem is The Golden Legend based on?
The text adapts Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s narrative poem The Golden Legend. Joseph Bennett prepared the text for Sullivan’s work.
When was The Golden Legend first performed?
The Golden Legend was first performed at the Leeds Festival in 1886. It combines a medieval Christian story with dramatic choral writing.
Is The Golden Legend an opera or an oratorio?
It is a dramatic cantata, often discussed alongside large English choral works. Sullivan based it on Longfellow’s narrative poem and premiered it at Leeds in 1886.
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