The Veiled Prophet (opera)

[1] The subject of the opera was suggested to Stanford in or about 1875 by his Dublin friend Raoul Couturier de Versan,[2] but it was not until 1877 that the composer asked William Barclay Squire to adapt the poem for a libretto.

[3] Stanford's biographer Jeremy Dibble writes of the poem: Not only was Moore's literary creation an epic one, with widespread appeal, but it vividly suggested possibilities of dance, chorus, and grand statement that could intermingle with those elements of exoticism and colour as well as those other essential polemic emotional features of traditional dramaturgy, good and evil, love, death, passion, and revenge.

[6] A vocal score with piano accompaniment by an uncredited arranger and containing Squire's English and Frank's German words was published in 1881 by Boosey in London and Bote and Bock in Berlin.

[n 2] For the single British performance, at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, on 26 July 1893, Stanford revised the score, replacing the original, fairly conventional overture with a shorter introduction, and introducing a new song for Zelika in the second act.

[12] Reviewing the performance in The Daily Telegraph, Rupert Christiansen wrote, "The Veiled Prophet may be a technically clumsy and naively bombastic affair in the vein of Meyerbeer, but it has heartfelt melodies and youthful ambition that merit an airing.

Eventually the prophet raises his veil and discloses his terrible features to Zelica: Here, judge if Hell with all its power to damn, Can add one curse to the foul thing I am.

In the second act Azim is introduced into the harem, and there follows a long scene comprising choruses for the women, an air for Fatima, "There's a bower of roses" and a ballet.