In 1776, early in the year, Miss Abrams, referred to in a letter from Dr. Arne to Garrick, made her first appearance on the Drury Lane stage in Garrick and Arne’s “May-day, or the Little Gipsy.” She possessed a sweet voice and good taste, which had been excellently cultivated under Arne’s tuition. At the last rehearsal of the piece, which took place on the morning of the day of performance, Garrick suddenly conceived that a dance of rustics would improve the play, and told Dr. Arne of his idea, adding, “I suppose it would be impossible for you to compose a tune for it in time?” The Doctor, smiling and rubbing his elbow, according to his usual practice, replied, “We’ll see what can be done,” and calling for pen, ink, and music paper, sat down at the prompter’s table, and in less than five minutes produced one of the prettiest dancing tunes ever heard, which, when played by the band, astonished and delighted Garrick so much that, forgetting his age, he ran up to the Doctor, and embracing, took him by the hands and danced with him round the stage with much grace and animation, to the admiration of all who witnessed it.
In 1776, Arne was engaged to compose music for the Rev. William Mason’s drama, “Caractacus.” The original libretto was written in 1759; but considerably revised, altered, and adapted for stage purposes in 1776 by the author, and this amended version, with Arne’s incidental music, was produced at Covent Garden Theatre on the 6th of December. That it was a complete success is evident; the New Morning Post, or General Advertiser, on the day following the performance, congratulated the town “on the acquisition of so fine an entertainment as ‘Caractacus’ where poetry and music unite their fascinating powers.” Dr. Samuel Arnold, the composer, who was attached to Covent Garden Theatre when “Caractacus” was produced, spoke in the highest terms of Arne’s music. Unfortunately every vestige of this has disappeared; according to the testimony of Dr. Arnold and of Dr. Thomas Busby, “One of the latest and finest of Dr. Arne’s theatrical compositions, was an Opera called ‘Caractacus,’ founded on a piece of that name written by Mason. Every portion of the music, as the late Dr. Arnold, who had seen it, informed the compilor of this work, evinced a vigour and warmth of imagination worthy of the flower of early manhood. At Dr. Arne’s decease, this production came into the possession of his son, Mr. Michael Arne, who unfortunately sold the manuscript to one Harrison, a bookseller in Paternoster-row, who becoming a bankrupt before the piece was published, it was publicly sold together with his other effects, to whom it is not now known, and never has been heard of since.” Six years after Dr. Arne’s death, in 1784, The Universal Magazine announced that Mr. Michael Arne was intending to publish his father’s “Death of Abel, Caractacus, and a Set of Concertos for the Harpsichord or Pianoforte with the Choruses in Judith.” Michael Arne died in 1786, without having accomplished his desire; in 1793 the Concertos appeared, having been edited by Mr. Groombridge, and from the interesting preface to the volume we learn that this was the only piece which had been published. Quite recently an anonymous publication of music for Mason’s “Caractacus” has been attributed to Dr. Arne, but the composition is so faulty and puerile that, even if other evidence were wanting, it would be impossible to suppose it the work of an experienced and accomplished musician like Arne. The book in question has a water-mark in the paper, 1794, which was sixteen years after Dr. Arne’s death. The author’s preface to the publication was evidently written by some one alive at that date; it is therefore not necessary to waste more space in discussing it.
Dr. Arne had a very high opinion of his own talent as a poet, and some of his theatrical pieces are said to have suffered comparative failure in consequence of the poor quality of the words. But there was one piece of his, never performed nor ever published, which, while exhibiting his skill as a composer of music, shows also that he was at times wholly wanting in good taste and discretion. There are two copies of the libretto in existence, printed by Arne for publication, but never issued: the title-page is: “Whittington’s Feast, a new Parody on Alexander’s Feast written by a College Wag. The Overture, Songs, &c., with all the grand chorusses, new composed by Thomas Augustine Arne. Doctor of Music.
Risum teneatis amici?
O what is Music to the ear that’s deaf;
Or a goose pye to him that has no taste?
London: Printed for the Author.”
In the preface, Arne says: “The fairest apologies I can offer in excuse for this Parody on Alexander’s Feast, which, by its ludicrous turn, may be thought an attempt to depreciate one of the noblest poems in the English, or perhaps any other language, are, First, that the impossibility, in any degree, to lessen the value of so perfect an ode was a capital motive. The second was an irresistible propensity (which perhaps I may have mistaken for genius) to the comic muse.” The preface ends with an intimation that the author hopes the “oddity of the attempt, with the intense application bestowed on the music, and the great expence at which it is performed, will compensate for any defects in the parody, and invite a good-humoured audience to support it.” “April the 10th, 1776. From my Garret, in Cat and Harp Alley.”—“The Scribbler.”
The libretto is printed in double columns, the left giving Dryden’s text, the right the College Wag’s parody. It may suffice to say that there are seventeen pages of vulgarity and sometimes indecency. The music, which extends to two hundred and fifty pages in the manuscript score, is superior to the poetry. There is no Overture; the various songs and choruses are palpably meant to be in imitation of Handel, but like the words they fail to detract from the value of the originals they vainly burlesque. There is evidence that Arne intended to have a public performance of “Whittington’s Feast”; but circumstances, probably indifferent health, prevented it.
Arne, by Zoffany.