Blodwen

Blodwen (Welsh pronunciation: [ˈblɔdwɛn]) is an opera in three acts composed in 1878 by Dr Joseph Parry to a Welsh libretto by Richard Davies. It was the first opera written in the Welsh language.

The opera premiered on 21 May 1878 at the Temperance Hall in Aberystwyth, with Parry himself conducting.

It was well-received, with one reporter from the Welsh-language magazine Y Faner going as far as to say that the opera was the “most charming piece of music” he had heard.

Following the first performance in Aberystwyth, Blodwen was taken on tour through the counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, and was performed by the Welsh Representative Choir in Bristol and at Alexandra Palace in London. They travelled by train from Aberdare to London, and Parry wrote to the press to say that people were welcome to join the singers on the journey.

By the summer of 1879, the composer claimed that his opera had been performed approximately fifty times, and that his next aim was a grand, full-scale performance “with costumes and appropriate appearance”. That occurred in Aberdare on 26 December 1879, when the work was performed by the Choral Union under the direction of Rees Evans, and with Llew Llwyfo as one of the singers.

The opera had received 500 performances by 1896.

The opera was performed at the 1978 Menai Music Festival, in a version re-orchestrated by Dulais Rhys. A CD recording of the performance was issued. In 2016 Dulais Rhys published a chamber version of the opera.

Scene 1

The scene opens in Maelor Castle, which has seen great excitement and activity over the last few weeks because Elen of Maelor is marrying Arthur of Berwyn the following day. The final preparations are being made, and everyone is awaiting the arrival of the guests of honour, Sir Hywel Ddu (Howell Black) and his beautiful adopted daughter, the eponymous Blodwen (a popular given name, from Welsh blod-, root of or , meaning 'flower', and -wen, soft mutation of , meaning 'white, fair, blessed').

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Wikipedia