Theatrical Music
Elizabethan England stands as tlic exemplar
POPULAR concep
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of
: Singing, merry England,” when everyone from Bottom the weaver on
sang— when
bj :.r and bones to the Queen on
lier
virginals played an
٥٥ks of airs came from the musical presses,' and wlien music 'became an
.
part of nearly all of Shakespeare’s plays. One cannot work long,
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eigliteenth-century theatre without realizing
:*mong records o
at the “age of prose and reason” was as singing and musical a period as
the Elizabethan. As usual in the Garrick period, little can be said
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f °i;t music in the minor tlieatres, for evidence is lacking. But many a bill
Sporadic performance advertised a single musician playing a violin,
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Pror htench liorn, or violincello, and "the finest band that can be
Music was the wliole tiling, of course, at the King’s Opera House
ا
It
opera re
؛
with
in
ho commented upon furtlie
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been
han has
more information is now at hand, however
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to identify tlie prominence of music at the patent tlieatres
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The Account Books for Cogent Garden during tile seasons 1757-58 and
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و
indie■, specify the names of twenty-one orchestra members, liut fail to
instruments they used. The number, equal to that ill use by
tine number employed by the contemporary
twic
c in 1707, wa
Lane doubtless employed as many, but ac
française.
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f
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s
1778
are extant only in its Treasurer) Books for the
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list . r and the new managers were cutting expenses to tine bone. Their
twenty-three in tine orcliestra, and designated the instruments.
Th
five first violinists, two ofwliom coultl double on clarinets;
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a fir/;co?d violinists, two ofwlnom could double on clarinets. There were
and ,and second viola (and a tilird wlio could also play tine trumpet); a first
whicli is just 15 s. under wliat Ciarrick
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payroll for these musicians was
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laid .lit fa
1774
٥f ‘is orchestra
CXXVIl