The Beggar’s ‘Children’: How John Gay Changed The Course Of England’s ... - Madeline Smith Atkins - Google Books

https://books.google.de/books?id=XK0LBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA29

A harsh satire of Eighteenth Century London life, John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera is a piece well known by students of literature and music. Gay's composition spawned a new genre of musical works called "ballad opera" whose popularity rapidly…