Event Comment: The Duke's Company. This performance is on the L. C. list, 5@141, p. 2. See also Nicoll, Restoration Drama, p. 347. There is no certainty that this performance is the premiere, but it may well be. Two songs, Ah false Amyntas, and Amyntas led me to a grove, both set by Robert Smith, are in Choice Songs and Ayres, 1673. Preface to the edition of 1673: Good, Sweet, Honey, Sugar-candied Reader, ...Indeed that day 'twas Acted first, there comes into the Pit a long, lither, plegmatick, white, ill-favour'd, wretched Fop, an Officer in Masquerade newly transported with a Scarfe & Feather out of France, a sorry Animal that has nought else to shield it from the uttermost contempt of all mankind, but that respect which we afford to Rats and Toads, which though we do not well allow to live, yet when considered as a part of God's Creation, we make honourable mention of them. A thing, Reader--but no more of such a Smelt: This thing, I tell ye, opening that which serves it for a mouth, out issued such a noise as this to those that state about it, that they were to expect a woful Play, God damn him, for it was a womans.... Reader, I have a complaint or two to make to you, and I have done; Know then that this Play was hugely injur'd in the Acting, for 'twas done so imperfectly as never any was before, which did more harm to this than it could have done to any of another sort; the Plot being busie (though I think not intricate) and so requiring a continual attention, which being interrupted by the intolerable negligence of some that acted in it, must needs much spoil the beauty on't. My Dutch Lover spoke but little of what I intended for him, but supplied it with a great deal of idle stuff, which I was wholly unacquainted with until I heard it first from him. According to the Preface, the Prologue was lost

Event Comment: Betterton's Company. The date of the premiere is not known, but the Epilogue refers to it as a summer production and the play was advertised in the London Gazette, No 3108, 22-26 Aug. 1695; hence, it appeared first not later than August. A song, Stretch'd in a dark and dismall grove, composed by John Eccles and sung by Mrs Hudson, is in Deliciae Musicae, The Third Book, 1696. A Comparison Between the Two Stages (p. 16): Sullen: Imprimis, Here's Pyrrhus King of Epire. Ramble: Whose is that? Sullen: Charles Hopkin's, an Irish Gentleman of good Sense, and an excellent Ovidian. Ramble: What was it's Fate? Sullen: Damn'd

Event Comment: Rich's Company. The date of the first performance is not certain, but the Preface refers to the Long Vacation and a thin house, suggesting a late summer production. As the play was advertised in the Post Boy, 16-18 Nov. 1697, a first performance in October 1697 is probably the latest date for this play, and September seems more likely. Among the songs are several for whom the composer and singer are named: Happy we who free from love, and How calm Eliza are these groves, the music set by Morgan and both sung by Mrs Lindsey. She comes my goddess comes, set by Morgan and sung by Mrs Cibber. Sleep shepherd sleep, the music set by Morgan and sung by Mrs Cross. All four are in A Collection of New Songs, 1697. Preface, Edition of 1698: To serve the wants of a thin Playhouse, and Long Vacation...This hasty Brat...had the Honor of keeping the Stage for five Days Reign. Animadversions on Mr Congreve's late Answer to Mr Collier (1698), pp. 34-35: The mighty Man of Wit [Congreve]...at the Representation of this Play...was seen very gravely with his Hat over his Eyes among his chief Actors, and Actresses, together with the two She Things, call'd Poetesses, which Write for his House, as 'tis nobly call'd; thus seated in State among those and some other of his Ingenious critical Friends, they fell all together upon a full cry of Damnation, but when they found the malicious Hiss would not take, this very generous, obliging Mr Congreve was heard to say, We'll find out a New way for this Spark, take my word there is a way of clapping of a Play down

Event Comment: Alice Hatton, writing on (possibly) 20 Jan. 1699@1700: I was last night (with Lady Longuevil and Lady Arundel) at ye Princess's, and Lady Long: was so kind to offer to carry me to ye Oppera to day with her and Lady Portland; but I was so unfortunate as to be engaged to go to Lady Denbighs to see ye famous Mrs Binges dance, or else I should have bin glad to have waited on Lady Long: tho I had seen it before and think it very silly. Mr Abel is to have a fine musicke meeting to morrow, and ye tickets are guineas a piece, wch is a little to much for me to throw away; so I shall not be there, and I find so many yt can afford it better of my mind, yt I fancy, if he had lower rates, he would have got more (Hatton Correspondence, Camden Society, XXIII [1878], 245). It is difficult to assign a proper date to this letter. It is unlikely that it was written on Saturday 20 Jan., as Abell was not likely to offer a concert on Sunday at which admission would be charged. It is possible that the opera referred to is The Grove, which is known to have been performed on 19 Feb. 1700, but the fact that this opera was unsuccessful makes it unlikely that it had its premiere in mid-January and was played again in mid-February. Perhaps the letter should be dated mid-February

Event Comment: There will be no Action on the Stage, but the Scene will represent, in a Picturesque Manner, a Rural Prospect, with Rocks, Groves, Fountains and Grotto's, amongst which will be disposed a Chorus of Nymphs and Shepherds, the Habits and every other Decorations suited to the Subject

Event Comment: Formerly Compos'd by Mr Handel, and now again Revis'd by him. With several Additions, to be perform'd by a great Number of the best Voices and Instruments. There will be no Action on the Stage, but the Scenes will represent (in a Picturesque Manner) a Rural Prospect, with Rocks, Groves, Fountains, and Grottos, amongst which will be disposed a Chorus of Nymphs and Shepherds. The Habits and every other Decoration suited to the Subject. [Prince of Wales and Princess Royal present. See letter from Hill to Handel, in Hill, Works, I, 174-75, and in Deutsch, Handel, p. 299.

Event Comment: Benefit of Miss Mozart of eleven, and Master Mozart of seven Years of Age, Prodigies of Nature. At the Great Room, Spring Garden, St James's Park. Tickets at half a guinea each. By Permission of the Lord Chamberlain. [For Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his sister. Their father had brought them to visit London in May. See hay 21 Feb. 1765. They remained through July 1765. See also Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, III, p. 539 (3rd edn. New York, 1947).

Event Comment: [Pasticcio: an opera, cantata, or other composition made up of various pieces from different authors or sources. See H. Walpole to Mann, 1 Nov. 1752, Our Operas begin tomorrow with a pasticcio full of most of my favourite songs." Grove's Dictionary, II, 688: "A species of lyric drama composed of airs, duets and other movements selected from different sources and so grouped as to provide a mixed audience with the greatest possible number of favourite airs in succession." See favorable notice 20 March in the Public Advertiser. The Westminster Magazine remarked of Oratorio season at cg: "They have not possessed so uninterrupted a flow of success, but we remember that they have experienced more barren seasons. The instrumental band is superior to that at the other house, and the vocal not at all inferior. At this house they have produced selections of musical pieces, by the most capital masters, arranged so as to form entire entertainments. In general these are very agreeable." See 20 March.] Charges: #35

Event Comment: Benefit for T. Ansell, Pilfold, Marks & Furkins. Tickets delivered by Claridge, Doe, Wells, Roberts, Walker, Cox, Abbot, R. Ledger, Sargent, Seymour for She Stoops to Conquer [announced on playbill of 27 May] will be admitted this Evening. [Afterpiece in place of Retaliation, announced on playbill of 27 May. This was Miss Catley's last appearance on the stage (erroneously stated in DNB, Grove, &c. as taking place in 1784).] Receipts: #245 3s. (26/0/6; 2/10/6; tickets: 216/12/0)

Event Comment: Benefit for the London Hospital. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. 1st Gallery 2s. 2nd Gallery 1s. Places for the Boxes to be taken at the Stage Door of the Theatre; the Doors of which will be opened at 5:30, and the Performance to begin precisely at 6:30. No Money to be returned after the Curtain is drawn up, nor will any Person be admitted behind the Scenes. [Master Braham is identified in Grove. Address by Arthur Murphy (Town and Country Magazine, July 1787, p. 324).] This was the opening night of this theatre, which had been built by and was under the management of John Palmer. Following the afterpiece he explained to the audience the objections of the proprietors of dl, cg and hay to his opening the theatre. He said that he had from the Lieutenant of the Tower of London what he considered to be sufficient permission, but that he would nevertheless close the theatre temporarily. Palmer's difficulty was that he had no really legal permission from anybody for the performance of actual plays. See 3 July, and for further details the head-note to this season. World, 18 July, prints an official accoudting for this night from the theatre's treasurer: Receipts were #273 12s.; paid for music, advertisements, servants, &c. #37 10s.; lost in bad silver #1 19s.; paid the London Hospital #234 4s.; the players acted without salary

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; MD 3, by Prince Hoare. Larpent MS 1126; not published; synopsis of plot in Monthly Magazine, May 1796, p. 320]: With new Scenes, Dresses, Decorations, &c. The Musick principally composed by the late Mr Storace [who had died on 19 Mar.], with a few Selections from Paisiello, Haydn and Sarti. [Grove, under Storace, states that the music was completed and prepared for the stage by Kelly and Sga Storace.] The Scenes designed and executed by Marinari and assistants. The Dresses by Johnston, Gay and Miss Rein. Books of the Songs to be had in the Theatre. "It was exceedingly tedious the first night, not being over till eleven o'clock. Since, it has been prudently cut down, and yet has lost nothing. A prologue, written on the very morning of representation, deploring the loss of the composer, was spoken (perfectly) by the last unfortunate Benson [for whom see 9 June. It was written by Hoare (Universal Magazine, May 1796, p. 362), and Was perhaps spoken only on the 1st night; it is not listed on any playbill]" (Monthly Magazine, May 1796, p. 320). "In short, possessing all the science of Harrison, the melody of Incledon, and the pleasing articulation of the late Mrs Kennedy, we have no hesitation in pronouncing [Braham] the first public singer of the present day. He was three times encored. His action is indifferent, and his dialogue scarcely audible" (Morning Herald, 2 May). Receipts: #297 14s. (258.10.6; 38.19.6; 0.4.0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: A New Oratorio, in Two Parts, the only one composed in this Country nearly these 30 years. Afterpiece: An Ode, in One Part. The Band will wholly consist of Professors of the first eminence, and the Chorusses will be numerously supported by the best Performers in London, assisted by the young Gentlemen of his Majesty's Chapels, and of Westminster Abbey. The music entirely new, composed by Thomas? Busby, who will take the Piano Forte. Boxes 7s. Pit 4s. 1st Gallery 3s. 2nd Gallery 2s. Grove: [Busby] worked at a setting of Pope's 'Messiah' for some years, and it was produced in 1799 with considerable success as 'The Prophecy.

Event Comment: [The new piano appears to be the Instrument patented in 1799 by Joseph Smith; it contained "the first real use of metal longitudinal bracing, [which] was to be under the sound-board and to replace the wooden braces, and thus provide space for the introduction of a mechanically-played tambourine" (Grove, under Pianoforte).