Rosamond (Clayton)

Addison and Clayton both objected to the new practice of having parts of operas performed in London sung in Italian; they felt that the texts used should be examples of the finest literary English. There were three further performances in 1707, but by that time Antonio Maria Bononcini’s Camilla had appeared on the stage, and the public appetite for a better musical experience had moved on. The cast of Rosamond was Francis Hughes (King Henry), Catherine Tofts (Queen Elinor), Richard Leveridge (Sir Trusty), Miss Gallia (Rosamond) and Miss Lindsey as Grideline. This was the same cast as had performed Arsinoe, suggesting that Addison was seeking to introduce his English libretto to a company of singers who had already shown they could achieve great success. ==Action==

The action is drawn, with the exception of its ending and a comic subplot, from the poem The Death of Rosamond by Thomas Deloney. The opera concerns the story of Rosamond Clifford, mistress of Henry II of England. A jealous Queen Elinor poisons her but she recovers, and Henry repents of his sin. The opera emphasised the importance of unity and Britishness, contrasting the gentle character of Rosamond with the vengeful French queen. It was accompanied by a prologue that compared Marlborough to Henry II, and at the climax of the story the sleeping Henry sees a vision of the future of the spot where he is resting and a huge plan of Blenheim Palace is unfurled on stage. ==Critical reception==

The production was a disaster and the opera closed after just three nights. Clayton's music was described as ‘a jargon of sounds.’ Roger Fisk described it as ‘cretinous.’ In 1837 John Barnett created another opera on the same theme, Fair Rosamond, and The Spectator reminded its readers that Clayton's Rosamond had been ‘an utter failure’ that ‘had the effect of paralysing every effort to perpetuate or revive the fading glory of English dramatic music. Clayton's Rosamond was the funeral dirge of the English opera.’ Addison never wrote another libretto. Clayton wrote music for a work called 'The Passion of Sappho, and Feast of Alexander’ that was performed at his house in York Buildings, but he appears never to have written again for a professional production. ==Legacy==

The score was published in 1707 by John Walsh and P. Randall. The libretto was published by Jacob Tonson in the same year. ==See also==