. ii. At o. 27, 1904.] NOTES AND QUERIES.
165
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
- The Tempest,' the vocal music being supplied
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
- Macbeth Music,' where I learn incidentally
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.
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
