The Crucible is an English language opera written by Robert Ward based on the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller. It won both the 1962 Pulitzer Prize for Music and the New York Music Critics Circle Citation. The libretto was written by Bernard Stambler.
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Commission
Ward received a commission from the New York City Opera to write the opera. Arthur Miller was involved in selecting Ward.
Premiere
The Crucible premiered on 26 October 1961 at the New York City Opera, with Chester Ludgin and Norman Treigle leading the cast.
Story
The play takes place during the 1692 Salem witch trials. The Arthur Miller play on which it was based was written as an allegory for McCarthyism and the Red Scare, which occurred in the United States in the 1950s. Miller was himself questioned by the House Committee on Un-American Activities in 1956. Several women and men in the town are accused of witchcraft by a group of young girls led by Abigail Williams. Her jealousy of John Proctor's wife, Elizabeth, leads Abigail to accuse Elizabeth of witchcraft. John himself is eventually accused and hangs rather than recant, saying he can't dirty his name and stands up for what he believes.
Discography
- Brooks, Bible, Ludgin, Macurdy; Buckley, 1962 (CRI)
Roles
- John Proctor
- Elizabeth Proctor
- Abigail Williams
- Judge Danforth
- Reverend John Hale
- Reverend Samuel Parris
- Tituba
- Rebecca Nurse
- Giles Corey
- Mary Warren
- Anne Putnam
- Thomas Putnam
- Ezekiel Cheever
- Francis Nurse
- Sarah Good
Honors
The opera won both the 1962 Pulitzer Prize for Music and the New York Music Critics Circle Citation. It is one of the most performed operas by an American composer.
