program notes by composition > c > Courtly Dances from Gloriana
Gloriana is an opera commissioned by the Royal Opera House for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. The opera tells the story of Queen Elizabeth I and her relationship with the Earl of Sussex. The Courtly Dances, arranged by Jan Bach in 1995, are taken from throughout the opera, but primarily from Act II when the Queen hosts a ball for her court. Each dance presents the sociopolitical relationship she has with different members of the court.