The Spanish Lady (1995)

""The Spanish lady" is an unfinished opera in two acts with a libretto by Sir Barry Jackson, based on the play "The Devil is an Ass" by Ben Jonson. Elgar seriously considered composing an opera on a number of occasions but always claimed to be held back by the lack of a suitable subject and librettist. In his last years, Elgar, living in virtual retirement in Worcester, established a friendship with Sir Barry Jackson. This friendship, plus encouragement from George Bernard Shaw, led Elgar to resurrect an idea for an opera based on "The Devil is an Ass", a play by Ben Jonson satirising Jacobean society and mores. Elgar settled on the more operatic title of The Spanish Lady and set to work on sketches for the opera. At this time, he was also working on the Third Symphony. Elgar died leaving the opera and the symphony unfinished. Dr Young's reconstruction has been recorded and was issued on CD with the October 1995 of BBC Music magazine." (Elgar.org)

Aanwezigheid