Ballad Opera Author:Edmond M. Gagey For a number of years the engaging and frequently irreverent ballad operas like Gay's The Beggar's Opera were the most popular form of entertainment in London and on the 'road.' Professional writers, overworked hacks, and Gentlemen of the Universities were kept busy supplying the demand for simple stories that could be adorned with new or borrow... more »ed tunes. Gagey's book is a detailed account of the ballad operas produced in England between 1728 and 1750, including all the various types that were developed: low-life operas, pastoral and village operas, farces and intrigues, satires, and topical operas on social scandals and political intrigues. There is an extensive bibliography listing all published and unpublished examples, and survivals of the type between 1750 and 1835.« less