Glimpses
Acknowledgements and Further Study
© “Digging Up the Pasha’s Garden” Glen Nelson, 2012
This article is an excerpt from a book I am writing about Mormons at the Metropolitan Opera. I happily acknowledge the individuals who assisted me in the research and production of this multi-media document--all are my friends and share an interest in Mormon fine art music: William Atkinson, Murray Boren, Janet Bradford, Claudia Bushman, Bryan Davis, David Fletcher, Jeremy Grimshaw, and Michael Hicks. I am especially grateful to the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University, an invaluable resource on LDS music; its archive of music by Mormon composers is one of the Church’s great treasures.
Upon his death, John Laurence Seymour divided his collections between various institutions that had supported his career. BYU received his compositions, among other things. For anyone curious about his work, the following titles of his operas and theater works are a tempting look at what remains mostly undiscovered:
Antigone, Heroic Opera in Prologue and Three Acts, op. 4;
The Snake Woman, Romantic Opera in 5 Acts, op. 5 (discarded version);
Les Precieuses Ridicules (The Affected Maids), Musical Comedy in One Act, op. 6;
The Devil and Tom Walker, Fantastic Opera in Three Acts, op. 7;
The Bachelor Belles, an Operetta in Three Acts, op. 13;
Vospitannitsa (A Protegee of the Mistress), Opera in 4 Acts, op. 15;
In the Pasha’s Garden, An Opera in One Act, op. 17;
Rudens of Plautus, Opera Comique in 5 Acts, op. 18;
Ramona, Lyric Opera in Five Acts and Epilogue, op. 34;
Ming Toy, A Musical Comedy in Prologue and Two Acts (1949);
Two Gentlemen of Verona, An Operetta in 2 Acts, op. 38;
Golden Days, A Comic Operetta in Two Acts, op. 40;
The Maid, the Demon, and the Samurai, op. 43;
Tom Walker’s Bargain, Fantastic Opera in 4 Acts, op. 66;
Measure for Measure, Lyric Drama in 5 Acts, op. 69;
The Lure and the Promise, a Musical Play in Three Acts with a Prologue and an Epilogue, op. 70;
Aureng-Zebe, Heroic Opera in Five Acts, op. 71;
Nephi, The Tender Bough, A Music Drama in a Prologue and Five Acts, op. 72;
Ollanta, el Jefe Kolla, Opera Eroica en 4 Actos, op. 73;
Atahuallpa, Opera Eroica en 5 Actos, op. 75;
La Vida es Sueno, Opera Romantica en 3 Actos, op. 77;
Sappho, Romantische oper in 5 Aufzugen, op. 78.