Today’s date marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of Sir Walter Scott.  Born in Edinburgh in 1771, he became Scotland’s most famous novelist, poet, playwright, and historian. His works were wildly popular throughout Europe and America in the 19th Century and attracted the attention of many famous composers.

Franz Schubert was a fan and set several of Scott’s poems to music.  In fact, Schubert’s beloved setting of “Ave Maria” was originally written to words from Scott’s poem “The Lady of the Lake. “ Rossini based an opera on “The Lady of Lake” – “La Donna del Lago” being its Italian title -- and Donizetti’s opera “Lucia di Lammermoor” is based on Scott’s novel “The Bride of Lammermoor.”

There are TWO operas based on “Ivanhoe,” Scott’s popular historical novel about medieval Templar knights: the Austrian composer Otto Nicolai made an Italian-language version entitled “Il Templaro,” and the German composer Heinrich Marschner a German-language version called “Der Templer und die Jüdin.”

The Frenchman Georges Bizet based his opera “La jolie fille de Perth” on Scott’s novel “The Fair Maid of Perth,” and the “Rob Roy” concert overture by Hector Berlioz takes its inspiration from the Scott novel of the same name.

Hector Berlioz (1803-1869) – Rob Roy Overture (Montreal Symphony; Charles Dutoit, cond.) London/Decca 421 193