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Scan 96
Cyclopedia of music and musicians, 1888
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1ARNE
3composition of songs and dramatic pieces. In "The Flow'ret, a New Collection of English Songs, by Master Arne," is a song called the Highland Laddie, written at the age of thirteen, which was adapted by Linley in 1755 to "Ah, sure a pair were never seen," in Sheridan's opera, The Duenna. After devoting several years to chemistry in search for the philosopher's stone, he turned to composition again, and wrote for Ranelagh, Covent Garden, and Vauxhall. He was director of music at the Dublin Theatre in 1779, and of the Lenten Oratorios at London theatres in 1784 and later. Works—Operas: Alcmena (with Battishill), The Fay's Tale, given in London, Drury Lane, 1764; Cymon, ib., 1767; The Fathers, ib., 1778; The Belle's Stratagem, ib., 1780; The Choice of Harlequin, ib., 1781; The Positive Man, ib., 1782; Tristram Shandy, ib., 1783.—Grove; Hogarth, Mus. Drama, ii. 102.
5ARNE, THOMAS AUGUSTINE, born in London, March 12 [May 28?] 1710, died there, March 5, 1778. The son of an upholsterer in King Street, Covent Garden; he was educated at Eton, and then studied three years in a solicitor's office, but his bent for music was stronger than his love for the law, and he at last persuaded his parents to let him give up the latter for the former. He studied the violin under Festing, and also took lessons on the spinet and in composition. He was the singing teacher of his sister, Susanna Maria, who, after a short career as an opera-singer, became famous as an actress and the wife of Colley Cibber. Arne's first opera was a resetting of Addison's "Rosamond," which he made for his sister, and in which she appeared at the Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre, March 7, 1733. In 1736 he married Cecilia, eldest daughter of Charles Young, organist of Allhallows, Barking, a brilliant singer who was famous in Handel's operas. In 1742 he went with his wife to Dublin, where he stayed until 1744. On his return to London he was engaged as composer at Drury Lane, and became conductor of the orchestra there after Gordon's death. In 1745 he was engaged as composer to Vauxhall Gardens, a post which he held for many years, writing a host of songs for the Gardens, as well as for Ranelagh and Marylebone Gardens. On March 12, 1755, was produced his first oratorio, Abel. On July 6, 1759, the University of Oxford conferred upon him the degree of Mus. Doc. In 1762 he produced Artaxerxes, an opera in the Italian style, with recitative instead of spoken dialogue, and the text of which he himself translated from Metastasio's Artaserse. The part of Mandane, famous for its florid writing, was written for and sung by his pupil, Miss Brent. This, which held the stage for more than seventy-five years, has been accounted his best work. His second oratorio, Judith, was represented on Feb. 29, 1764. At a performance of this work at Covent Garden Theatre, Feb. 26, 1773, Dr. Arne first introduced women's voices into oratorio choruses. In 1765 he brought out his only Italian opera, a setting of Metastasio's Olimpiade, but without success. His last dramatic work was the music to Mason's Caractacus, 1776. Besides his operas, he wrote a vast amount of other vocal music, glees, canons, catches (seven of which won prizes at the Catch Club), and a good deal of instrumental music. He was buried in St. Paul's, Covent Garden. His wife outlived him about seventeen years. Dr. Arne has been called the greatest English composer of the 18th century. His melodic style was elegant and brilliant; he imitated neither Lulli, Purcell, nor Handel, as most of his contemporaries did, but his melodies often suggest at once the Italian manner and the flavour
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