Maritana Fantasy: On V. Wallace’s Opera

Charles Le Thiére’s Maritana Fantasy is a lyrical and dramatic work along the lines of the famous Fantaisies of Paul Taffanel and Francois Borne. It is based on themes from the three act opera Maritana, the first of six operas composed by William Vincent Wallace. The plot, which is often cited as the inspiration for Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic opera, The Yeoman of the Guard, tells the story of Don Caesar, an imprisoned man who weds a woman while awaiting execution. He escapes to search for his bride in disguise, and soon realizes that she is the gypsy street singer he’d first heard in the public square, the beautiful Maritana. This exclusive edition has been carefully edited by Sir James Galway, and includes helpful performance and breathing advice from the world-renowned flute artist and teacher.