About the work
The Perfect Fool is a one-act opera by Gustav Holst to his own libretto, composed between 1918 and 1922. It premiered on 14 May 1923 at the Covent Garden Theatre in London, performed by the British National Opera Company under Eugene Goossens.
Plot
A silent "perfect fool", who speaks only the word "No", unwittingly wins the hand of a princess, while her actual suitors — a send-up of operatic clichés — become entangled in their own rituals. The opening spirit-ballet, with the elemental spirits of earth, water and fire, is preceded by an invocation from a wizard.
Cultural significance
In the work, Holst deliberately parodies the styles of Verdi, Wagner's "Parsifal" and Debussy. The opera itself failed to win audiences over, its plot deemed confusing, and was rarely revived after its initial run; the four-movement ballet music of the opening scene, however, broke free of the stage opera to become a frequently performed concert piece in its own right.