Scan 36
Grove's dictionary of music and musicians;, 1904
16 lines. Read by computer on 5 September 2026. Printed page 23. See the scan on archive.org.
1and famous Alfonso Ferrabosco of Bologna' were printed by Robert Dowland in his 'Varietie of Lute-lessons,' 1610.
3A large number of MS. works by him, chiefly Motets, are in the British Museum; Bodleian and Music School, Oxford; St. Michael's College, Tenbury; Buckingham Palace; and Royal College of Music Libraries. G. E. P. A.
5FERRABOSCO, ALFONSO (II), son of the first Alfonso, was born at Greenwich, and no doubt was one of the children left behind in England when their father returned to Italy in 1578. 'He was trained up to Musick,' says Anthony Wood, apparently at the Queen's expense; at any rate, after Oct. 11, 1592, he was in receipt of an annuity of £26:13:4, which was paid up to Midsummer 1601. After James I.'s accession he appears as one of the King's Musicians for the Violins, a year's salary of £7 being paid him at Michaelmas 1603. He held his place as one of the violins until his death, by which time his salary had been raised to £40. [Audit Office, Declared Accounts.]
7'At man's estate he became an excellent composer for instrumental musick,' says Anthony Wood, 'he was most excellent at the Lyra Viol, and was one of the first that set lessons Lyra-way to the Viol, in imitation of the old English Lute and Bandora. The most famous man in all the world for Fantazias of 5 or 6 parts.' 'The lyre is in high favour with them,' writes André Maugars from Rome in 1639, 'but I have heard none who could be compared with Farabosco in England.' But it is chiefly as composer of the music to some of Ben Jonson's Masques that he is now remembered. Those for which he is known to have written music were 'The Masque of Blackness' (Twelfth Night, 1604-5), 'Hymenæi' (1605-6), 'The Masque of Beauty' (1607-8), 'The Masque for Lord Haddington's Marriage' (1607-8) and 'The Masque of Queens' (1608-9). The printed description of the 'Hymenæi' (in which Ferrabosco appeared as singer as well as composer) contains a testimony to the friendship existing at that date between him and Jonson, in a warm eulogy of the composer, which, however, was omitted in the folio edition of 1616. In 1604 (Nov. 27) he was entrusted with £20 to buy two viols for Henry, Prince of Wales, to whom he was appointed music-master, with a pension of £50 a year for life (dating from Christmas, 1604); on the death of Henry in 1612 his services were transferred to Charles, the new Prince of Wales. To these sources of income was added in 1619 a share in a valuable property, a grant for twenty-one years to him, Innocent Lanier and Hugh Lydiard 'for cleansing the Thames of flats and shelves' with power to sell the sand and gravel; with, in addition, 'an allowance to them of one penny per ton of strangers' goods and merchandises imported or exported into or out of the Port of London.'
9Ferrabosco is said to have sold his share 'for a great sum of money.'
11On the accession of Charles I. Ferrabosco retained his former appointments, and was also made Composer of Music in Ordinary to the King, with a salary of £40, from the death of John Coperario in 1626. He was also Composer of the King's Music, with an additional salary of £40. He died before March 11, 1627-28, when he was buried at Greenwich, where he seems to have lived at any rate after 1619. Entries relating to members of his family are to be found in the Greenwich parish registers (printed in the Musician, Sept. 20, 1897). Ferrabosco published two volumes of music in 1609. The first, a book of 'Ayres,' dedicated to Prince Henry, contains twenty-eight songs with accompaniment for lute and bass viol, of which a large proportion are from Jonson's Masques. The other is a book of 'Lessons for 1. 2. and 3. Viols,' dedicated to the Earl of Southampton. They consist of short pieces, dances, etc., for the lyra viol, and are printed in lute tablature. Each of these volumes contains (amongst others) commendatory verses by Ben Jonson; the first has also some verses by Campion, addressing Ferrabosco as 'Musick's maister and the offspring | Of rich Musick's Father | Old Alfonso's Image living.' He also contributed three compositions to Leighton's 'Teares or Lamentacions' in 1614. Compositions in MS. (chiefly Fancies for the viols) are in the libraries of the Royal Coll. of Music; the Music School, and Christ Church, Oxford; and the British Museum. G. E. P. A.
13FERRABOSCO, ALFONSO (III), son of Alfonso (II), succeeded on his father's death to the pension of £50, which he had enjoyed as former music-master to the Prince of Wales; and also to his place as Musician for the Viols and Wind Instruments. The latter double appointment entitled the holder to two liveries of £16:2:6 each, which were secured to Ferrabosco by a deed dated Feb. 7, 1627-1628. His name occurs as one of the musicians in 1635, and again in 1641. He must have died before the re-establishment of the King's Musicians in 1660, when Child succeeded to 'Ferabosco's place—Alphonsus composer of Wind M.,' and Hingeston 'for a viol place of Alphonso Ferabosco.' G. E. P. A.
15FERRABOSCO, HENRY, son of Alfonso (II), and brother of Alfonso (III), succeeded his father as Composer of the King's Music, and as one of the King's Musicians, receiving a salary of £40 for each place. On Feb. 7, 1627-28, he secured his double livery as Musician for the Voices and for the Wind Instruments. His name appears as one of the Musicians at different dates up to 1645, when he signed receipts on behalf of the Musicians, the Court being then at Oxford. His daughter Elizabeth, baptized at Greenwich, Dec. 3, 1640, may possibly have
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