- Holst wrote both the music and libretto for his one-act comic opera, The Perfect Fool, between 1918-22. The plot of the opera is a parody of Wagner’s Parsifal.
- The opera premiered at Covent Garden in 1923 and was conducted by Eugene Goossens. Unfortunately, the opera was considered a failure, although the opening ballet music has become a popular standalone piece for orchestras in the concert hall.1
- Interestingly, the opening ballet has nothing to do with the plot of the rest of the opera. The ballet depicts three dances for the spirits of Earth, Water, and Fire.2.
Sources
- Colin Matthews, “Holst, Gustav(us Theodore von),” Grove Music Online (2001), accessed October 13, 2022, https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000013252.
- Colin Matthews, Essay in accompanying booklet, Holst: ‘The Perfect Fool’ ballet / The Golden Goose / The Lure / Morning of the Year performed by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales conducted by Richard Hickox, CHAN 5069, 2009, compact disc.
Cut IDs
41555 10917