Who was Thomas Arne?
Music Composer.
Date and Place of Birth:
12th March 1710, London, England.
Family Background:
Son of an Upholsterer in King Street, Covent
Garden, London.
Education:
Eton College.
Chronology/Biography of Thomas
Arne:
The young Arne was keen on the opera and legend
has it that he smuggled himself into London's Italian Opera dressed
as a liveryman. Whatever, he met and became friends with the composer
Michael Festing at the opera who taught him the violin and took
him to various musical performances.
1732: His father
was keen that he should follow the law and he was articled to a
solicitor for three years after leaving Eton but was finally persuaded,
probably by Festing, that he should follow music as a career. He
began to teach his brother and sister to sing and the three of them
performed at the Haymarket Theatre during April.
1733: Goes to see
Handel's opera "Athalia" with Festing. His first composition
a setting of Addison's "Rosamond" was performed then times
at the theatre at Lincoln's Inn Fields in London. This was soon
followed by his comic opera "Tom Thumb".
1738: The first
of his three successful masques "Comus" was performed
at Drury Lane Theatre.
1740: "The
Judgment of Paris" was first performed in front of the Prince
of Wales at Cliveden in Buckinghamshire to celebrate the birthday
of his daughter Princess Augusta. Arne also wrote "The Masque
of Althred" for this fete which includes the very famous piece
"Rule Britannia".At the end of the year he composed music
for the first of his Shakespeare plays "As You Like it".
1741: Composed music
for "Twelfth Night".
1742: Composed music
for "The Merchant of Venice". Went to Dublin to arrange
a benefit concert for Mrs. Arne.
1744: Played the
oratorio "The Death of Abel" in Dublin.
1745: His setting
of "God Save the King" was played at Drury Lane Theatre
every night. His piece "Colin and Phoebe" was to become
immensely popular in the pleasure gardens of Vauxhall for the next
20 years.
1746: Composed music
for "The Tempest".
1747: Composed music
for "Love's Labour's Lost".
1750: His sister,
now Mrs. Cibber got into an argument with Garrick
over her salary and moved on to Covent Garden where she was quickly
followed by Arne himself.
1755: He separated
from his wife who he claimed had mad passions and left for London
whilst leaving Cecilia in Dublin. He signed a contract to allow
his wife £40 per year. Later in the years he published Eight
Sets of Lessons for the Harpsichord, Seven Sonatas for Two Violins
and a collection of songs.
1759: Awarded the
degree of Doctor in Music at Oxford University.
1761: Performs his
oratorio "Judith"at Drury Lane Theatre.
1762: His great
success came with his performance of his opera "Artaxerxes
the Great" at Covent Garden.
1764: More success
came with the masque "The Arcadian Nuptials" written to
celebrate the marriage of Princess Augusta.
1766: Death of his
sister Mrs. Cibber.
1767: His Four Symphonies
were published in London by John Johnston. These showed the influence
of J.C. Bach who had visited London and also of Michael Haydn.
1770: His lack of
recent theatre work had an effect on his income and his wife threatened
legal action after he fell behind with his payments to her.
1771: The masque
"The fairy Queen" did somewhat to provide him with a revival
in fortunes.
1775: Performance
of "Caractacus".
1778: After a separation
of over 20 years he got back together with his wife Cecilia.
Operas:
- 1733: “Rosamond”.
- 1733:
“Tom Thumb”.
- 1740: “Alfred”
(A masque for the Prince of Wales which includes the song Rule
Britannia).
- 1761: “Judith”.
(Had the first appearance of women singers in the chorus).
- 1762: “Artaxerxes”.
Marriage:
To Cecilia Young, a young singer and daughter
of the organist of All Hallows Church, Barking, in 1736.
Places of Interest:
LONDON:
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.
Theatre Royal, Haymarket.
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
Date and Place of Death:
5th March 1778, London, England.
Age at Death:
68.
Site of Grave:
St. Paul’s Church, Covent Garden, London,
England.
