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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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The Beggar's Opera
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(1728) Satirical work by John *Gay and the outstanding example of English ballad opera, in which the songs are set to existing popular tunes. The orchestration and overture were by Johann Pepusch (1667–1752). The story of Captain Macheath, a highwayman, was intended to satirize both the corruption of *Walpole's administration and the conventions of Italian opera; Macheath is betrayed by Peachum (his colleague in crime), is unscrupulous with the affections of two girls (Polly Peachum and Lucy Lockit), and is rescued from the gallows only by an obligatory happy ending. Staged by the impresario John Rich (c.1682–1761), the show was immensely successful and gave rise to the tag that it had made Gay rich and Rich gay. A scene from it was painted by *Hogarth (Tate Gallery). Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill used it as the basis for The Threepenny Opera (1928).
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