FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   >>  
nt at the start, though not taking part in the voyage. M. _Concolinel_ (Vol. ii., p. 217.).--I have been many years engaged in researches connected with {318} the _original_ music of Shakspeare's Plays, but it has not been my good fortune to meet with the air of _Concolinel_. The communication of your correspondent R. is of the greatest interest, and I should be for ever grateful if he would allow me to see the manuscript in question, in order that I might test the _genuineness_ of the air "stated, in a recent hand, to be the tune of _Concolinel_ mentioned by Shakspeare." This air has double claims on our attention, as its existence, in any shape, is placed amongst the "doubtful" points by the following note extracted from the Rev. J. Hunter's _New Illustrations of Shakspeare_, vol. i. p. 268.:-- "Concolinel. In the absence of any thing like sufficient explanation or justification of this word, if word it is, I will venture to suggest the possibility that it is a corruption of a stage direction, _Cantat Ital._, for _Cantat Italice_; meaning that here Moth sings an Italian song. It is quite evident, from what Armado says, when the song was ended, 'Sweet air!' that a song of some sort was sung, and one which Shakespeare was pleased with, and meant to praise. If Moth's song had been an English song, it would have been found in its place as the other songs are." I, for one, cannot subscribe to Mr. Hunter's suggestion that our great poet intended an _Italian_ song to be sung in his play and for this reason, that Italian music for a _single voice_ was almost unknown in this country in 1597, at which date we know _Love's Labour's Lost_ was in existence. Surely _Concolinel_ is just as likely to be the burden of a song as _Calen o Custure me_, mentioned in _Henry the Fifth_ (Act iv. sc. 4.), of which there is now no doubt. I may just mention, in passing, that I have discovered the air of _Calen o Custure me_ in a manuscript that once belonged to Queen Elizabeth, and have ample proof that it was an especial favourite with her maiden majesty. The commentators were at fault when they pointed out the more modern tune of the same name in Playford's _Musical Companion_, 1667. EDWARD F. RIMBAULT. S. Augustus Square, Regent's Park. _Andrewes's Tortura Torti_ (Vol. ii., p. 295.).--On what forms Mr. Bliss's third quotation, which _does_ appear in some shape in Bernard, _De
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   >>  



Top keywords:
Concolinel
 

Shakspeare

 

Italian

 

manuscript

 
existence
 
Cantat
 

Hunter

 
Custure
 

mentioned

 

country


single

 

unknown

 
Surely
 

Andrewes

 
burden
 
Tortura
 

Labour

 

Bernard

 
subscribe
 

suggestion


intended

 

quotation

 

reason

 
especial
 

Musical

 
favourite
 

Companion

 

Elizabeth

 

English

 

maiden


majesty

 

modern

 
pointed
 

Playford

 

commentators

 

belonged

 
Augustus
 
Square
 

RIMBAULT

 

EDWARD


discovered

 

mention

 

passing

 

Regent

 
Italice
 

question

 
grateful
 

greatest

 
interest
 

double