Editing Opera in English (section)

==20th century – today==
In the 20th century, English opera began to assert more independence, with works of [[Ralph Vaughan Williams]] and [[Rutland Boughton]] and later [[Benjamin Britten]], who, in a series of fine works that remain in standard repertory today, revealed an excellent flair for the dramatic and superb musicality. <br />
Nevertheless, foreign influence (now coming mainly from [[Richard Wagner|Wagner]], [[Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky|Tchaikovsky]] and [[Richard Strauss|Strauss]]), was still strong. One example is [[Joseph Holbrooke|Josef Holbrooke]]'s ''The Cauldron of Annwn'' trilogy. The influence of Wagner's ''[[Der Ring des Nibelungen|Ring]]'' can be seen in the choice of a mythological subject and also in the extensive use of ''[[leitmotif|leitmotivs]]'', while harmony and orchestration are more reminiscent of Strauss.<ref>Bayliss, Stanley: Josef Holbrooke (Musical Mirror) reprinted in Josef Holbrooke - Various appreciations by many authors (London: Rudall Carte, 1937, p.106)</ref> <br />
Other British composers writing well-received operas in the late 20th century include [[Thomas Wilson (composer)|Thomas Wilson]] (e.g. ''The Confessions of a Justified Sinner''), [[Richard Rodney Bennett]] (e.g. ''The Mines of Sulphur''), [[Harrison Birtwistle]] (''[[Punch and Judy (opera)|Punch and Judy]]''), [[Peter Maxwell Davies]] (''[[Taverner (opera)|Taverner]]'') and [[Oliver Knussen]] (''[[Where the Wild Things Are (opera)|Where the Wild Things Are]]''). Today composers such as [[Thomas Adès]] continue to export English opera abroad.

Also in the 20th century, American composers like [[George Gershwin]] (''[[Porgy and Bess]]''), [[Scott Joplin]] (''[[Treemonisha]]''), [[Gian Carlo Menotti]], [[Leonard Bernstein]] (''[[Candide (operetta)|Candide]]''), and [[Carlisle Floyd]] began to contribute English-language operas, frequently infused with touches of popular musical styles.  They were followed by [[Philip Glass]] (''[[Einstein on the Beach]]''), [[Mark Adamo]], [[John Adams (composer)|John Adams]] (''[[Nixon in China]]''), and [[Jake Heggie]]. Moreover, non-native-English speaking composers have occasionally set English libretti (e.g. [[Kurt Weill]], ''[[Street Scene (opera)|Street Scene]]''; [[Igor Stravinsky]], ''[[The Rake's Progress]]''; [[Hans Werner Henze]], ''[[We Come to the River]]''; [[Tan Dun]], ''[[The First Emperor]]'').