The Siege of Belgrade

The Siege of Belgrade is a comic opera in three acts, principally composed by Stephen Storace to an English libretto by James Cobb. It incorporated music by Mozart, Salieri, Paisiello and Martini, and is therefore considered a pasticcio opera, as well as a Singspiel in English language, as it contained a spoken dialogue. It premiered on 1 January 1791 at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, in London with a great success,^[1] featuring many famous singers and actors of the time, such as sopranos Nancy Storace^[2] and Anna Maria Crouch, tenor Michael Kelly^[3] as well as Shakespearean actors (in spoken roles) such as John Bannister and Richard "Dicky" Suett.

Roles

Roles and performers at the premiere in London on 1 January 1791:^[4]

Saraskier, the leader of Turkish forces (tenor) – Mr. Kelly
Colonel Cohenberg, Austrian Commander (spoken role) – Mr. Palmer
Krohnfeldt (spoken role?) – Mr. R. Palmer
Ismael, Commissioner of Saraskier and Yuseph (baritone) – Mr. Fox
Yuseph, Turkish kadi (tenor) – Mr. Suett
Leopold, Serbian peasant, in love with Lilla (tenor) – Mr. Bannister Jr.
Peter, Serbian peasant, Lilla's brother and in love with Ghita (tenor) – Mr. Dignum
Anselm, Serbian peasant (baritone) – Mr. Cook (later Mr. Sedgewick)
Michael (spoken role) – Mr. Hollingsworth
Soldier (spoken role) – Mr. Dubois

Soldiers, Guards, Peasants, etc.

"When justice claims the victim due" (Act 1, Trio for the Seraskier, Lilla and Ghita), originally sung by Michael Kelly, Nancy Storace and Mrs. Bland
"Domestic peace, my soul's desire" (Act 3, Lilla's aria), originally sung by Nancy Storace