Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 2.djvu/205

. ii. At o. 27, 1904.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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doubting that his 'Tempest' music was written for the original production of Shad- well's opera in 1674. It is already conceded that Purcell composed for the same author's 4 Epsom Wells,' and that comedy had first seen the light in 1673. Everything points to the conclusion that in matter of creative power the master must rank among youthful prodigies. Once admit this early flowering of his genius, and the mystery concerning the 'Macbeth' score disappears into thin air.

Let me say here that the 'D.N.B.' some- what confuses the issue by averring that Purcell's music was written for Dryden's ' Tempest,' a palpable error, for the interpo- lated masque of Neptune set by him was (as I have clearly shown in my Anglia article) peculiar to the Shad well opera. This misstate- ment, as well as Prof. Cummings's erroneous date of 1690, is apparently based if I read Fetis aright on a note in the ' Collection of Ayres composed for the Theatre,' published in 1697.

After sifting all the evidence, I am of opinion that Purcell collaborated with Matthew Locke in writing the score for the Shad well opera of 1674, the former providing the vocal, and the latter the instrumental, music. On the point of Locke's ' Tempest ' music authorities are very conflicting. Grove is even self- contradictory. 8ul voce ' Locke' (where it is followed by the ' D.N.B.' and 'The Oxford History of Music '), we are told that in 1670 Locke "renewed his connexion with the theatre by furnishing the instrumental music for Dryden and Davenant's alteration of

by Humfrey and Banister." Pausing merely to point out that the Dryden - Da venant 1 Tempest ' was first produced at the Duke's Theatre in Lincoln's Inn Fields on 7 November, 1667, 1 turn to the same ' Dictionary,' under
 * The Tempest,' the vocal music being supplied

that Locke " composed the instrumental music for Shakespeare's ' Tempest ' in 1673," and that the score was published with the music for 'Psyche' in 1675. Shakespeare's play is out of the question, for the unadulterated comedy was never seen on the stage during the latter half of the seventeenth century.
 * Macbeth Music,' where I learn incidentally

In the third volume of ' The Oxford History of Music,' Sir C. Hubert H. Parry gives an interesting analysis of the highly dramatic music in Locke's " Curtain tune " for ' The Tempest.' One can very well see that this series of well-contrasted movements formed the overture and initiatory descriptive music to the first act of some ' Tempest ' piece; but

one cannot speak more definitely on the evidence, as the storm scene was common to both the Dryden-Davenant and the Shadwell versions. We must remember, however, that the former, unlike the semi-opera of 1674, had no elaborate musical or scenic adjuncts,' and was simply a comedy with occasional songs sung by Ariel. Pepys speaks glowingly of the ingenuity shown in the setting of the "Echo" song, but it is extremely doubtful whether the comedy of 1667 were provided with specially composed instrumental music. The setting of the songs in this seems to have been the work of John Banister and Pelham Hurafrey. On this point Grove still maintains its role of will-o'-the-wisp, leading the student into many a quagmire, for (sub nomine Banister) it informs us that that composer wrote music in 1676, in conjunction with Humfrey, for some unspecified version of ' The Tempest.' In that case Banister must have written under astral influence, for Humfrey died in 1674.

In the rare, separately paged sheet inserted into some of the copies of the first volume of ' Choice Ayres, Songs, and Dialogues' (1676), one finds, under the heading 'The Ariel's Songs in the Play call'd The Tempest,' Humfrey's setting of 'Where the Bee Sucks.' This would apparently go to show that Humfrey had composed for the Dryden- Davenant comedy of November, 1667; bub the point is by no means assured, for Hum- frey at that time had only just returned from his long sojourn abroad, and was probably not in London for more than a fortnight beforehand. W. J. LAWRENCE.

Dublin.

THE THINKING HORSE. I copy the follow- ing extract from the Daily Mail of 17 Aug. :

"There is no diminution of interest in the mar- vellous horse Hans, whose almost incredible feats are performed even in the absence of his teacher, Herr von Osten. Not only does he read and under- stand human language, but he can recognize persons from their photographs. He was recently told to remember the phrase ' Forest and bridge are occu- pied by the enemy,' and next day took his alphabet and spelt out the words correctly. Thousands of people, including generals and high officials, crowded to Herr von Osten's house to see the wonderful animal until the police closed the street. The M inister for Education is about to appoint a scientific commission to observe Hans for a few months and! issue a report."

We seem to be on the traces of the Golden Ass. I can only commend a feed of rose- leaves in case we have some further instance of the influence of Thessalonian charms. In case the experiment succeeds, and the quadruped resumes his human shape, it is to