Arne’s Italian proclivities induced him to translate Metastasio’s drama “Artaserse,” and to transform it into an Opera on the accepted Italian mode, without dialogue. This he did successfully; the recitatives, however, are long and dreary, and the poetry is by no means of a high order. For instance, a very favourite air reads:
Water parted from the sea,
May increase the river’s tide;
To the bubbling fount may flee
Or thro’ fertile valleys glide:
Yet in search of lost repose,
Doom’d, like me, forlorn to roam,
Still it murmurs as it flows,
Till it reach its native home.
The music of “Artaxerxes” has much charm, and presents excellent harmonization in the accompaniments, which are scored for strings, flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, horns, trumpets, and drums. In two of the pieces the violetta is employed; there are also two violas obbligato, but as was usual with Arne there is no instance of a general ensemble of the instruments employed. In the Air “O too lovely,” sung by Tenducci, the violins and basses are marked “Sordini e Pizzicati.” The vocal music is quite overladen with ornament, and the compass required for the several voice parts is generally excessive. The opera was produced at Covent Garden Theatre on the 2nd of February, 1762; the principal performers were Miss Brent, Mr. Beard, Mrs. Vernon, Miss Thomas, Mr. Mattocks, and Tenducci and Pesetti, both of whom came under the lash of Churchill’s satire. The part of Mandane was composed to show off the compass and flexibility of the voices of the composer’s celebrated pupil, Miss Brent, who therefore was the first exponent of the martial song, “The soldier tired of war’s alarms,” which for many succeeding years was the prescribed test for every new soprano who courted public favour on the stage or in the concert room. This bravura air with its trumpet obbligato still remains a favourite with competent vocalists and discriminating audiences. Arne sold the copyright of his music for sixty guineas, and it was published with the following title: “Artaxerxes An English Opera As it is performed at the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden Set to Music by Dr. Arne. London. Printed for John Johnson at the Harp and Crown opposite Bow Church Cheapside.” Another edition of the full score was published from Johnson’s plates, “by Authority,” by Mr. William Warrell, No. 35 Tavistock Street, Covent Garden. Price 12s. It is again worthy of note that Arne did not publish the music of the recitatives in “Artaxerxes,” nor of the concluding chorus, “Live to us, to Empire live.” Arne’s libretto was published by Tonson in 1763, with a preface written by the composer. A short extract follows: “Metastasio, in his Dialect, seems to affect Simplicity; and from his great Experience in writing for music, has given the following Plan for the Poetry of an Opera, viz., That the Fable, or Recitative, to which fixed Musical Sounds are adapted, should be simple Dialect; hard and dissonant Epithets (though ever so forcible in other Respects) being destructive to Music, and, when sung, for the chief Part, unintelligible. That the similes be confin’d to the Songs; and that the Words, which are to express them, be as smooth and sonorous as possible lest the Composer be cramp’d in his Fancy, and the Singers rendered incapable of shewing their Skill, which chiefly consists in openly displaying the Tones of their Voices or running executive Passages.
“The Translator of this Opera has no Merit, but from his Endeavour to follow the Author in all these Particulars. He therefore submits this first Attempt of the Kind to the Favour and Indulgence of the Publick, not doubting that (if they consider the Difficulty of writing under such Restrictions, the Necessity of sometimes departing from the Author, on Account of the different Idioms of our Language; and of leaving out many Beauties in the Narrative Part of the Drama, for the sake of Brevity;) they will rather peruse it with an Eye of Favour than Severity.”
“Artaxerxes” was played twelve nights at Covent Garden Theatre during the season 1762-63, and twelve nights in the succeeding season, 1763-64. Seven nights in 1764-65, and nine nights, 1768-69. In this latter season, Drury Lane Theatre performed it for four nights with Mrs. Arne as Mandane. In 1791, the rival theatres competed; Covent Garden with the part of Mandane by Mrs. Billington as a star, and Drury Lane with Madame Mara in that character. On the 23rd of September, 1813, it was reproduced at Covent Garden, for the début of Miss Stephens, afterwards Countess of Essex. The famous tenor, Braham, after a temporary absence from the theatre stage, generally selected “Artaxerxes” for his reappearance. “Artaxerxes” was performed at the Theatre Royal, Edinburgh, in 1769, with Mr. Rose as Artaxerxes; Mr. Phillips, Artabanes; Arbaces, Mr. Tenducci; Rimines, Mrs. Woodman; Semira, Miss Brown; and Mandane by Madame Tenducci.[18] The curious part of the performance was “the addition of three favourite Scots Airs, the words by Mr. R. Fergusson.” The first of these was “By Heav’n’s displeasure,” to the tune “Braes of Balansene”; the second “What doubts oppress,” to the tune “Roslin Castle”; the third, “O where shall I wander,” to the tune “Lochaber no more.” The first and last of these interpolations were sung by Signor Tenducci.
On the 8th of December, 1762, “Love in a village,” by Bickerstaff, with music by Dr. Arne, and Beard in the principal character, was brought out at Covent Garden Theatre. Arne was at the time not on friendly terms with Garrick, the manager of Drury Lane, to whom he addressed the following letter:
“Sir—The occasion of my troubling you with this arises from a wicked report made by some busy Argus, who having an hundred eyes, and but one of them honest, had ninety-nine too many. Mrs. Cibber not a little amazed me, when she told me I was charged by you with hissing Master Norris,[19] or, at least, with holding my head down, in an odd position, whenever he was hissed.—Sir, I cannot remember whether my head was up or down, or inclining to one side or the other, but take upon me positively to swear, that I never was so mean a rascal as to hiss the greatest enemy I ever had in the world, much less a young lad who never offended me; who, I then thought, as I now think, deserved the kindest treatment imaginable; being surprised, as well as shocked, to hear and see the best singer in your company (except Mr. Vernon), though with some material defects, treated in so base and undeserving a manner. I was so far from inclining to any such unbecoming behaviour that I was the only advocate he had, and kept all quiet about me, except a young boy of an officer, who said he did not care for the lad’s understanding music, that he squalled, and he would hiss him. I would not have gone to the performance, for fear of some scandal from these observing Pickthanks, had I not a friendship for Mr. Stevens, the lawyer, and an intention to serve the lad; and was so unhappy, when I came home, that I could not eat my supper on his account. Whoever told you that I showed any signs of disapprobation is a busy lying scoundrel, which I am ready to assert to his face, and answer the consequence. Yet, though neither I, nor my small abilities in my profession, nor those of any person belonging to me, or in my interest, have ever received the smile of your favour, but, on the contrary, have been greatly overlooked and discouraged upon my account, I have never failed in my respect to you, and still continue (in spite of ill-treatment) an admirer of your extraordinary talents, and, Sir,
“Your real humble servant,
“Thomas Augustine Arne.
“Nov. 10th, 1762.”