Musical Myths and Facts Volume I Part 16

[44] A groschen is about an English penny.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

THE ENGLISH INSTRUMENTALISTS.

Towards the end of the sixteenth century, and in the beginning of the seventeenth, companies of English actors visited Germany to perform at the courts of princes, and at public festivities. The Germans called these actors 'Die englischen Comodianten' (The English Comedians); and the musicians accompanying them they called 'Die englischen Instrumentisten' (The English Instrumentalists.) Respecting the English Comedians much has already been written by Shakespearean scholars. The musical accomplishments of these strolling troupes have, however, not received sufficient attention to satisfy musicians. Although they appear not to have been remarkable, they are interesting inasmuch as they were a.s.sociated with the performances of Shakespeare's dramas, and also because the English Instrumentalists have been, with few exceptions, the only English musicians who ever visited Germany with the object of gaining a livelihood in that country by displaying their skill.

Some notices of them are to be found in the historical records of the German theatres, which have been published during the present century.

What induced these actors and musicians to leave their native country?--Want of support at home. There were too many of them in England. During the sixteenth century many were in the service of English n.o.blemen. It was a usual custom with the n.o.bility to keep a company of instrumentalists as well as actors; and to these were not unfrequently added skilful tumblers, or acrobats, who seem to have enjoyed great popularity. Strolling troupes of the latter visited the provincial towns. W. Kelly, in his 'Notices ill.u.s.trative of the Drama, and other popular amus.e.m.e.nts in Leicester, during the 16th and 17th centuries,' says: "The earliest notice we have of the visits of companies of tumblers to the town is in 1590." These personages undoubtedly also played on musical instruments. In the German records alluded to, they are called _Springer_ (_i.e._ "Jumpers" or "Dancers"), and it would appear that not all the English Instrumentalists, but only the lowest cla.s.s of them, combined the art of dancing and tumbling with that of music. The majority were musical actors rather than professional musicians; while others occupied themselves almost exclusively with playing on musical instruments, such as the lute, treble-viol, viola da gamba, recorder, cornet, trumpet, etc.

In a Proclamation of Queen Elizabeth, issued in the year 1571, these strolling performers are mentioned in rather disreputable company: "All Fencers Bearewardes Comon Players in Enterludes, and Minstrels, not belonging to any Baron of this Realme, or towarde any other honorable Personage of greater Degree; all Juglers Pedlers Tynkers and Petye Chapmen; wiche said Fencers Bearewardes Comon Players in Enterludes Minstrels Juglers Pedlers Tynkers and Petye Chapmen, shall wander abroade, and have not Lycense of two Justices of the Peace at the Feaste, whereof one to be of the Quorum, wher and in what Shier they shall happen to wander ... shalbee taken adjudjed and deemed Roges Vacaboundes and St.u.r.dy Beggers;" etc.[45]

Some interesting details concerning the nature of the performances of the English common musicians at the time when this Proclamation appeared, may be gathered from 'A Dialogue betwene Custome and Veritie, concerninge the use and abuse of Dauncinge and Mynstralsye, by Thomas Lovell, London, 1581.' The book is written in verse. Custom defends and excuses dancing and minstrelsy, which Verity attacks and abuses. As regards the minstrels, Verity remarks:--

"They are accounted vagarant roges By act of Parliament, What reason why they should not then Like Roges to Jaile be sent, Except they doo belong to men Which are of high degree, As in that act by woords set downe Expressly we may see.

To such, I think, but few of these Vain Pipers doo pertain: To men so grave a shame it were Fond Fidlers to maintain.

A great disgrace it were to them, Their cloth abrode to send Upon the backs of them which doo Their life so lewdly spend."

Respecting the performances of the minstrels, vocal as well as instrumental, Verity says:--

"Their singing if you doo regard, It is to be abhord: It is against the sacred woord And Scripture of the Lord.

But this doo minstrels clene forget: Some G.o.dly songs they have, Some wicked Ballads and unmeet, As companies doo crave.

For filthies they have filthy songs, For baudes lascivious rimes; For honest good, for sober grave Songs; so they watch their times.

Among the lovers of the trueth, Ditties of trueth they sing; Among the Papists, such as of Their G.o.dlesse legend spring.

For he that cannot gibe and jest, UnG.o.dly scoff and frump, Is thought unmeet to play with Pipe, On tabret or to thump.

The minstrels doo with instruments, With songs, or els with jest, Maintain them selves, but as they use, Of these naught is the best."

This Dialogue, the author of which is supposed to have been a Puritan, concludes with Verity convincing and converting Custom.[46]

A grant under the Privy Seal of James I. for the issue of letters patent in favour of Thomas Downton and others, on transferring their services as players to the Elector Frederic, dated January 4th, 1613, contains the following names of actors and musicians: Thomas Downton, William Bird, Edward Juby, Samuell Rowle, Charles Ma.s.sey, Humfrey Jeffs, Franck Grace, William Cartwright, Edward Colbrand, William Parr, William Stratford, Richard Gunnell, John Shanck, and Richard Price. These, and "the rest of their a.s.sociates" were licensed and authorised as servants of the Elector Palatine "to use and exercise the art and facultie of playing Comedies, Tragedies, Histories, Enterludes, Moralls, Pastoralls, Stage Plaies and such other like as they have already studied, or hereafter shall use or study."

In a Patent of James I., licensing the performance of plays by his Majesty's Servants at the private house in Blackfriars, as well as at the Globe, March 27th, 1620, are mentioned: John Hemings, Richard Burbadge, Henry Condall, John Lowen, Nicholas Tooley, John Underwood, Nathan Feild, Robert Benfeild, Robert Gough, William Ecclestone, Richard Robinson, and John Shancks. In a patent of Charles I., dating June 24th, 1625, which renews that of James I., we have, besides the names just mentioned, Joseph Taylor, William Rowley, John Rice, Elliart Swanston, George Birch, Richard Sharpe, and Thomas Pollard.[47]

The names are here given to enable the reader to compare them with the names, often arbitrarily spelt, of the English actors and instrumentalists in the German records.

The earliest account of the appearance of these foreigners in Germany dates from the year 1556, when an English company of actors visited the court of the Margrave of Brandenburg. In Berlin they found a well-organized musical band belonging to the Elector Joachim II., the regulations of which, dating from the year 1570, are still extant. In a more comprehensive set of regulations issued by the Elector Johann Georg, in the year 1580, the following instruments are specified as being played by the Elector's musicians:--_Positif_, _Zimphonien_, _Geygen_, _Zinckenn_, _Qwerpfeiffen_, _Schalmeyenn_, _Krumbhorner_, _Dultzian_, _Trummeten_, _Posaunen_, _Bombarten_, ("Organ, spinets, instruments played with a bow, cornets, small German flutes, shalms, cormornes, a small ba.s.soon, trumpets, trombones, bombardos."[48]).

In the beginning of the seventeenth century we find in the Elector of Brandenburg's service some English musicians who had probably come to Germany with the English actors. The following are mentioned in the Prussian records, with their names more or less Germanized.

Johann Kroker (John Croker), Berlin, 1608. He must have been a rather distinguished musician; for the Elector Joachim Friedrich made him Vice-Kapellmeister, or second leader of the orchestra.

Johann Spencer. In a letter dated "Konigsberg, July 14th, 1609," the Elector Johann Sigismund recommends Johann Spencer to the Elector of Saxony as an English musician who was recommended to him by the Duke Franz von Stettin, and who had been for some time in Berlin. The Elector adds that Johann Spencer's music had pleased him pretty well.[49] There can hardly be a doubt that this musician is the same John Spencer who was the director of a company of English Comedians travelling in Holland and in Germany.

Walter Rowe (also written Roe) Berlin, 1614. A viola-da-gamba player of some reputation. He must have been at least thirty-three years in the service of the Elector, for he is still mentioned as a member of the orchestra in 1647. About the year 1626 he resided for some time at the court of the Duke of Mecklenburg-Gustrow. His son, Walter Rowe, was likewise a musician in the Elector's orchestra at Berlin.

Lambert Blome (probably Bloom) is mentioned in the year 1621 as a _Clarin-Blaser_ (trumpeter) in the orchestra at Berlin.

Valentin Flood was, in 1627, engaged in Berlin, as player on the Treble Viol.

John Stanley, a theorbo player, was, in the autumn of the year 1628, at the court of the Elector of Brandenburg, and in the year 1631, entered the service of the Landgrave Wilhelm of Hesse-Ca.s.sel.

Johann Boldt (probably John Bolt), Berlin, 1635. Cornetto player.

These musicians were not the only foreigners in the band of the Elector at Berlin. Several Italians are mentioned in the records, and even one or two Polish cither players. As early as in the year 1564, mention is made of an Italian virtuoso, Antonio Bontempi, who was engaged as player on the lute, theorbo, and cornetto.

Although the English comedians most probably visited the Netherlands before they made their appearance in Germany, we meet with them in Holland not earlier than in the year 1604. A company, which in 1605 performed in Leyden, had previously been in Berlin, and was provided with letters of recommendation from the Elector of Brandenburg.[50]

Moreover, there was a company of English comedians in Denmark during the second half of the sixteenth century. Five of these, who in the old doc.u.ments are mentioned as Instrumentalists, probably because they were chiefly musicians, arrived in the year 1586 at the court of Christian II., Elector of Saxony. Leaving unnoticed those who are mentioned only as actors, we find recorded in Dresden the following English instrumentalists, whose names are copied as spelt in the German doc.u.ments:--

Tomas Konigk (Thomas King), Dresden, 1586. He had previously been in Denmark.

Tomas Stephan (Thomas Stephen), Dresden, 1586.

George Bryandt (George Bryant), Dresden, 1586; also known as an actor.

Thomas Pabst (Thomas Pope), Dresden, 1586. He is supposed to have been a personal acquaintance of Shakespeare.[51]

Rupert Persten (probably Rupert Pierst). Dresden, 1586.

These musicians are in their appointment designated as _Geyger und Instrumentisten_ ('Fiddlers and Instrumentalists') and their duties are prescribed as follows:--"They must be attentive and obedient, of good behaviour at our Court; they must follow us on our travels if we desire it. Whenever we hold a banquet, and also on other occasions, as often as they are ordered, they have to attend with their fiddles and other requisite instruments, to play music. And they must also amuse us with their art of tumbling, and other graceful things which they have learnt.

They are expected to demean themselves towards us as behoves faithful and attentive servants; which they have also promised, and bound themselves to observe."[52]

John Price, who came to Dresden in the year 1629, was a _virtuoso_ on the flute. The Elector of Saxony gave him a superior appointment in his orchestra. Mersenne ('Harmonie universelle,' Paris, 1636) mentions him as a brilliant player. The little flute which he princ.i.p.ally used had only three finger-holes; but he is said to have been able by various expedients, or knacks, to obtain on it a compa.s.s of three octaves. He had previously an engagement at the Court of Wurtemberg, in company with John Dixon, mentioned as an English instrumentalist, and with John Morell, David Morell, and two other Englishmen, who probably were comedians.

In the year 1626, a company of English comedians performed in Dresden, among other pieces, Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet,' 'Hamlet,' 'King Lear,' and 'Julius Caesar.'[53] A troupe of English comedians, which in the year 1611 visited Konigsberg, consisted of thirty-five members, nineteen of whom are designated in the records as actors, and sixteen as instrumentalists.[54] No doubt most of those designated as actors were also musical; but the circ.u.mstance of nearly one half of the troupe being professional musicians sufficiently shows how greatly the entertainments consisted of musical performances. Another proof of this may be found in a record stating that in Hildesheim a company of English actors gave representations in English.[55]

There were probably but few persons among the audience who understood English. It may, therefore, be surmised that music const.i.tuted the chief attraction of the entertainment. There was, however, also amusing leaping and dancing, and the funny clown,--the English Jack-Pudding, Dutch Pekelharing, German Hanswurst, French Jean Potage, Italian Signor Maccaroni. The clown derives his nickname from the favourite dish of the mob.

It is unnecessary, for the purpose of tracing the pursuits of the English actors and instrumentalists, to follow them in their visits to all the German towns which preserve records of them. Suffice it to notice their stay in Ca.s.sel, where they arrived in the year 1600. The Landgrave Moritz of Hesse Ca.s.sel took them into his service, and, in 1605, built for them a theatre in the form of a circus, to which he gave the name Ottoneum, in honour of his eldest son, Otto. The walls of this edifice were beautifully ornamented with frescoes.

However, in 1607, the Landgrave Moritz declared that he was tired of "the confounded dancers and jumpers," as he called them; and he dismissed the company from his service, with the exception of a few clever members, whom he retained until the year 1613. The Landgrave Moritz was a learned man, and likewise a poet and a musical composer.

His opinion is therefore not without some weight. The company, after its departure from Ca.s.sel, perambulated for several years through Germany, and appears to have found everywhere a good reception,--especially at Nurnberg, where, in 1612, their "new beautiful comedies" were much admired.

Four names may here be given of English actors, who, in the year 1591, set out to go to Germany with the avowed intention of improving their impoverished circ.u.mstances. They are: Robert Brown, John Broadstreet (or Breadstreet), Thomas Sackville and Richard Jones. As in the letter of recommendation of these men, which has been discovered in the archives of the Hague, their musical accomplishments are mentioned before their other accomplishments,--it being stated that they intended to travel for the purpose "of practising their profession by performing of music, feats of agility, and games of comedies, tragedies and histories,"[56]--it is evident that music must have been one of their most practised arts, if not actually their original profession.

In the year 1603, Lord Spencer was sent by James I. on a special emba.s.sy to Prince Frederick, Duke of Wurtemberg, to invest him with the Order of the Garter. Among Lord Spencer's retinue were four skilful musicians, who appear to have been picked English instrumentalists, to judge from the praise bestowed on them by Erhardus Cellius in his account of the visit, which was published at Tubingen in the year 1605. The following quotation is a translation, the narrative of Erhardus Cellius being originally written in Latin:--"The royal English musicians whom the ill.u.s.trious royal amba.s.sador had brought with him to enhance the magnificence of the emba.s.sy and the present ceremony [the Duke's invest.i.ture of the Order of the Garter], though few in number, were eminently well skilled in the art. For England produces many excellent musicians, comedians and tragedians most skilful in the histrionic art; certain companies of whom, quitting their own abodes for a time, are in the habit of visiting foreign countries at particular seasons, exhibiting and representing their art princ.i.p.ally at the courts of princes. A few years ago, some English musicians coming over to our Germany with this view, remained for some time at the courts of great princes; and their skill, both in music and in the histrionic art, procured them such favour that they returned home liberally rewarded, and loaded with gold and silver."[57] Erhardus Cellius was Professor of Poetry and History at Tubingen.

There remain to be noticed a few English musicians who came to Germany about the time of the visits of the English comedians, but who appear not to have been connected with any of the companies.

John Dowland, a _virtuoso_ on the lute, and also a composer, visited about the year 1585 the Courts of Hesse-Ca.s.sel and of Brunswick-Wolfenb.u.t.tel. Afterwards, he was for some time lutenist in the service of the King of Denmark, where perhaps he may have a.s.sociated with the English comedians. John Dowland was evidently a personal acquaintance of Shakespeare, who has immortalized him in his 'Pa.s.sionate Pilgrim':--

"If music and sweet poetry agree, As they must needs, the sister and the brother, Then must the love be great 'twixt thee and me, Because thou lov'st the one, and I the other.

Dowland to thee is dear, whose heavenly touch Upon the lute doth ravish human sense; Spenser to me, whose deep conceit is such As pa.s.sing all conceit, needs no defence.

Thou lov'st to hear the sweet melodious sound That Phoebus' lute, the queen of music, makes; And I in deep delight am chiefly drown'd Whenas himself to singing he betakes.