About the work
Helvellyn is an opera in four acts by George Alexander Macfarren, set to a libretto by John Oxenford after Salomon Mosenthal's play "Der Sonnwendhof". It premiered on 3 November 1864 at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, performed by the English Opera Company under Alfred Mellon.
Plot
On a farm at the foot of Helvellyn in England's Lake District, the widowed Mabel generously takes in the orphans Hannah and Martin. When the indebted, distant relative Luke claims the estate and is driven off, he is revealed to be the real arsonist of a fire that Hannah's father was wrongly blamed for; fleeing, Luke falls to his death in a ravine.
Cultural significance
Cast with the sought-after sopranos Euphrosyne Parepa-Rosa and Helen Lemmens-Sherrington, the opera ran for about 18 to 20 performances and was reviewed by papers such as The Musical World. After 165 years off the stage, a revival is announced at the Royal Opera House for the 2029/30 season.