Scan 38
The American History and Encyclopedia of music Music Biographies Vol.1, 1910
9 lines. Read by computer on 15 September 2026. Printed page 20. See the scan on archive.org.
1Armingaud
2and the name became the Société Classique. Armingaud was the author of some music for the violin.
4Arne (ärn), Michael. 1741-1786.
5Son of Doctor Thomas Arne. Very early showed musical ability and was taught singing by his father. He was able to play Handel and Scarlatti at ten years of age and a year or two later began composing, his first work along this line consisting of a collection of songs. In 1763, The Fairy Tale, his first music-drama, appeared, and in 1764, he wrote, with Battishill, the music for the opera, Almena, which was not a success. In 1766, Arne married Elizabeth Wright, a well-known vocalist, and in 1767 wrote the music for Garrick's romance, Cymon. This was his best work and was very successful. Soon after, he gave up his music and devoted himself to the study of chemistry, hoping to discover the philosopher's stone. In this way he ruined himself financially and was obliged to turn again to composition and conducting for the London Theatres. In 1771 he conducted for the production of Handel's Alexander's Feast, at Hamburg, and in 1772 for the first performance of the Messiah, in Germany. Beside operas and dramatic music for plays, Arne wrote many songs, some of which were very melodious and popular. Among his musical dramas were The Fairy Tale; Hymen; The Bell's Stratagem; A Choice of Harlequin; The Fathers; The Positive Man; and Tristram Shandy.
7Arne, Thomas Augustine. 1710-1778.
8One of the most noted of English composers, who has been called "the greatest English composer of the Eighteenth Century." Born in London. He was educated at Eton and was intended by his father for the legal profession, but his love for music proved too strong. He managed to get a spinet, which he concealed in his bedroom and by muffling the strings was able to practise secretly at night. He also took lessons on the violin and made such progress that he was soon able to lead an amateur band. While thus engaged at the house of a friend, he was discovered by his father, who, seeing his strength of purpose, gave up his opposition and allowed his son to follow his bent. Being now free to practise at home he developed rapidly and trained the voice of his sister, Susanna Maria, so that she was able to appear in Lampe's opera, Amelia, in 1732. This sister afterward became Mrs. Cibber, the noted tragic actress. Arne's first attempt at composition was a resetting of Addison's opera Rosamund, in which his sister took the leading part and a younger brother the part of a page. Soon after this he set to music Fielding's Tragedy of Tragedies, calling it the Opera of Operas, and in 1733 he produced a masque, called Dido and Æneas. In 1763 he married Cecilia Young, a brilliant singer, who often sang in performances of Handel's works. In 1738, Arne's reputation was made by the music he composed for Milton's Comus, and in 1740 he reset Congreve's masque, The Judgment of Paris; and Thomson and Mallet's masque, Alfred; and the same year he produced the beautiful music for the songs, Blow, Blow thou Winter Wind; When Daisies Died; and Under the Greenwood Tree, for the production of As You Like It, at Drury Lane Theatre. From 1842 to 1844, Arne and his wife were in Dublin, where he produced his oratorio, Abel, one of his most noted works, and also his operas, Eliza, and Britannia. On his return to England he was engaged as composer to the Drury Lane Theatre, and in 1745 was appointed composer for the Vauxhall Gardens, which position he held for many years, composing as well for Marylebone and Ranelagh Gardens. In 1759, the University of Oxford gave him the degree of Doctor of Music. Going to Covent Garden Theatre in 1760, Arne, in 1762, translated the Artaxerxes of Metastasio and set it to music in the Italian style, with recitative instead of spoken dialogue. This was a great success and was produced in England for many years. Arne's second oratorio, Judith, was produced in 1764 and the same year he set to music Metastasio's opera, Olimpiade, in the Italian language. Among Arne's productions were a version of Purcell's King Arthur and of Mason's Caractacus. He died in 1778 and was buried at St. Paul's, Covent Garden. Beside his operas, Arne wrote the music for a large number of masques and plays. He also wrote sonatas for the violin and the piano; organ concertos; many songs, glees and catches and the ora-
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.