''Nelson'' is an

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

in 3 acts by Lennox Berkeley to a

libretto A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to th ...

by Alan Pryce-Jones. The opera centres on the love affair of

Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte ( – 21 October 1805) was a Royal Navy officer whose leadership, grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics brought about a number of decisive British naval victories during the French ...

and Emma, Lady Hamilton. Completed in 1951, it was first performed in full in 1954.

Background

Berkeley began work on ''Nelson'' in 1949. In 1950 he was invited by Rear-Admiral Charles Lambe to be a guest of the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

Home Fleet on its spring cruise through the waters where the

Battle of Trafalgar The Battle of Trafalgar was a naval engagement that took place on 21 October 1805 between the Royal Navy and a combined fleet of the French Navy, French and Spanish Navy, Spanish navies during the War of the Third Coalition. As part of Na ...

, Nelson's final battle, had been fought. Berkeley was provided with two grand pianos in his cabin (enabling the composer and Lambe, who was an accomplished pianist, to play duets), and the fleet slowed down between Cape St. Vincent and Cape Trafalgar to enable the composer to drink in the scene of Nelson's final moments. The opera had a partial performance, to

piano A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...

accompaniment, at the Wigmore Hall in London in 1953, when the part of Nelson was sung by Peter Pears. Critics received this well, but the reviews of the full version a year later, staged at Sadler's Wells Theatre with the encouragement of

Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten of Aldeburgh (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, o ...

, were mixed. This may have been because Britten's own '' The Turn of the Screw'' also premiered around the same time, inevitably invoking comparisons. It may also have affected critics that earlier in 1954, Berkeley's second, and very different, opera, the

surrealistic Surrealism is an art movement, art and cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists aimed to allow the unconscious mind to express itself, often resulting in the depiction of illogical or dreamlike s ...

comedy ''

A Dinner Engagement ''A Dinner Engagement'' is a one-act comic opera by Lennox Berkeley, (his opus number, Op. 45) to a libretto by Paul Dehn. The opera was written for Benjamin Britten's English Opera Group. It premiered at the Jubilee Hall, Aldeburgh Festival, in ...

'', had been premiered; this successful one-act work remains the only one of Berkeley's operas to have held the stage. ''Nelson'' had only nine performances in the 1954/5 season. In 1965 the composer wrote 'I should now want to rewrite so much of it if it were to be revived. I do think it has good things in it, but I'm not satisfied with it as a whole.' Nevertheless, a concert performance at the

Queen Elizabeth Hall The Queen Elizabeth Hall (QEH) is a music venue on the South Bank in London, England, that hosts European classical music, classical, jazz, and avant-garde music, talks and dance performances. It was opened in 1967, with a concert conducted by ...

in 1988 evoked more positive critical consensus. The work is in the tradition of heroic opera, with typical features such as love duets, a letter scene, and large-scale finales to some of the scenes. Berkeley's style, reflecting his studies with

Nadia Boulanger Juliette Nadia Boulanger (; 16 September 188722 October 1979) was a French music teacher, conductor and composer. She taught many of the leading composers and musicians of the 20th century, and also performed occasionally as a pianist and organis ...

, also enables him to deal effectively with lighter moments of satire and comment.

Roles

Synopsis

Act 1

Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

, 1798. The palazzo of the English ambassador, Sir William Hamilton. At a grand reception, the fortune-teller Mme. Serafina prophesies to Nelson that he will have to choose between love and duty. He meets Emma, and they realise that they love each other.

Act II

Scene I

Dover Street,

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, 1800. Nelson's wife chides him with his passion for Emma, but Emma herself declares her love for him.

Scene II

August 1805, a few weeks before the Battle of Trafalgar. A garden in Nelson's country retreat, Merton Place, outside London. Lord Minto and Captain Hardy advise Nelson to end his affair with Emma, which has become the talk of the town. Emma arrives and the lovers pledge their affection, but at this moment a summons artrives to instruct Nelson to take command of the Fleet.

Act III

Scene I

Outside the George Inn,

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...

. Nelson is boarding his ship, the '' H.M.S. Victory''. He and Emma bid each other farewell.

Scene II

A cabin in the ''Victory'' during the Battle of Trafalgar. The dying Nelson is brought to the surgeon who is dealing with the injured. Nelson's last thoughts are of Emma.

Scene III

The garden in Merton Place. Hardy brings the news of Nelson's death to Emma. She recalls Serafina's prophecy. Berkeley also wrote an alternative ending whereby an orchestral postlude follows scene II.

Recording

A 1983 BBC studio broadcast was issued on the Lyrita label in 2022. The performers are David Johnston (Nelson), Eiddwen Harrhy (Emma Hamilton), Margaret Kingsley (Lady Nelson), Brian Rayner Cook (Hamilton), Elizabeth Bainbridge (Mrs Cadogan), Richard Angas (Hardy), Mary Thomas (Madame Serafin), Eric Shilling (Lord Minto), the

BBC Symphony Orchestra The BBC Symphony Orchestra (BBC SO) is a British orchestra based in London. Founded in 1930, it was the first permanent salaried orchestra in London, and is the only one of the city's five major symphony orchestras not to be self-governing. The ...

, BBC Singers, conducted by

Elgar Howarth Elgar Howarth (4 November 1935 – 13 January 2025) was an English conductor, composer and trumpeter. The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Grove noted that "his performances are marked by powerful concentration and a clear communicat ...

. Webber, Christopher. Opera on CD - ''Nelson'' - Berkeley. ''

Opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

'', July 2022, Vol.73 No.7, p891.

Sources and notes

*Carl Dahlhaus (ed.), ''Pijpers Enzyklopädie des Musiktheaters'', Munich. 1986 (in German) *Peter Dickinson, ''The Music of Lennox Berkeley'', London, 2003 {{Authority control Operas 1951 operas English-language operas Operas set in London Operas set in England Operas by Lennox Berkeley Operas set in the 18th century Operas set in the 19th century Cultural depictions of Horatio Nelson Cultural depictions of Emma, Lady Hamilton