Pilgrim’s Progress, The
Classification added June 3, 2016Premiered April 26, 1951
London, England. Royal Opera, Covent Garden
Composer:
Ralph Vaughan Williams
Original Language:
English
Librettist:
Ralph Vaughan Williams, Ursula Vaughan Williams, and the Bible
Description:
Opera in Four Acts, a Prologue and Epilogue
Notes:
after the 1678 allegory by John Bunyan
Time Period:
in the Christian Era
Place:
various places in “this world” on the journey to the “Celestial City”
Classification key
- L – Leading
- F – Featured
- S – Supporting
- B – Solo Bit
- CB – Chorus Bit
- MB – Mute Bit
| Role | Voice Part | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| Pilgrim | Baritone | L |
| Lord Lechery | Tenor | F |
| Evangelist | Bass | F |
| Woodcutter’s Boy | Treble | S |
| Madam Wanton | Soprano | S |
| Madam Bubble | Mezzo-Soprano | S |
| Madam By-Ends | Contralto | S |
| Interpreter | Tenor | S |
| Mister By-Ends | Tenor | S |
| Watchful, the Porter | Baritone | S |
| The Herald | Baritone | S |
| John Bunyan | Bass-Baritone | S |
| Lord Hate-Good | Bass | S |
| Three Shining Ones | ||
| 1 | Soprano | S |
| 2 | Mezzo-Soprano | S |
| 3 | Contralto | S |
| Three Shepherds | ||
| 1 | Baritone | S |
| 2 | Tenor | S |
| 3 | Bass | S |
| Malice | Soprano | B |
| Voice of a Bird | Soprano | B |
| Pickthank | Contralto | B |
| linebreak | ||
| Usher | Tenor | B |
| Superstition | Tenor | B |
| Celestial Messenger | Tenor | B |
| Worldly Glory | Baritone | B |
| Apollyon | Bass | B |
| Envy | Bass | B |
| Two Heavenly Beings | ||
| Branch Bearer | Soprano | B |
| Cup Bearer | Contralto | B |
| The Four Neighbors | ||
| Pliable | Tenor | B |
| Timorous | Tenor | B |
| Mistrust | Baritone | B |
| Obstinate | Bass | B |
| Soprano Solo | Soprano | CB |
| Alto Solo | Mezzo-Soprano | CB |
| Tenor Solo | Tenor | CB |
| Pontius Pilate | Tenor | CB |
| Demas | Baritone | CB |
| Judas Iscariot | Baritone | CB |
| Simon Magus | Bass | CB |
| Scribe | Silent | |
| Jester | Silent | |
| Angel | Silent | |
| On-stage Trumpeter | Instrumentalist | |
| Not classified are the On-stage Trumpeter (an instrumentalist who plays trumpet fanfares and who has some staging instructions given in the score) and the three mute supernumeraries (who are mentioned in the score but are assigned no specific staging directions). |
Minimum Chorus: 60
Divisi: SATB