Event Comment: Betterton's Company. The date of the first production is not known, but the
Songs were advertised in the
Flying Post, 6-8 Dec. 1698, and the play in the
London Gazette, 19-22 Dec. 1698; hence, the premiere was certainly not later than early December and was probably not later than November. In fact, on 5 Dec. 1698
Dr. William Aglionby wrote
Matthew Prior, referring to
Dennis, "a poor poet who has made us a fine entertainment of
Rinaldo and Armida" (quoted in
The Works of John Dennis, II, 489). In a dialogue written by
John Oldmixon (
Reflections on the Stage [
London, 1699], p. 101)
Savage, referring to
Rinaldo and Armida, states: I have seen it 3 or 4 times already, but the Musick is so fine, and the Play pleases me so well, that I shall not think it a burthen [to see it again] (in
The Works of John Dennis, I, 479).
The Musical Entertainments in the Tragedy of Rinaldo and Armida (1699) is reprinted, with an introduction by
Herbert Davis, in
Theatre Miscellany (
Luttrell Society Reprints, No 14,
Oxford, 1953), pp. 103-15. One song,
Ah queen, ah wretched queen, give o'er, sung by
Gouge, is in
Mercurius Musicus, 1699; and another,
Jolly breeze that comes whistling, sung by Gouge, is in
Twelve New Songs, 1699.
A Comparison between the Two Stages (1702), p. 22:
Critick: At last, (as you say) the old Stagers moulded a piece of Pastry work of their own, and made a kind of
Lenten Feast with their
Rinaldo and Armida; this surpriz'd not only
Drury-lane, but indeed all the Town, no body ever dreaming of an Opera there; 'tis true they had heard of
Homer's Illiads in a Nut-shel, and
Jack in a Box, and what not?...
Sullen: Well, with this Vagary they tug'd a while, and The Jolly-Jolly breeze-came whistling thro'-all the Town, and not a Fop but ran to see the Celebrated Virgin in a Machine; there she shin'd in a full Zodiack, the brightest Constellation there; 'twas a pleasant Reflection all this time to see her scituated among the Bulls, Capricorns, Sagittaries, and yet the Virgo still remain itacta....
Critick: But this merry Time lasted not always; every thing has an end, and at length down goes Rinaldo's inchanted Mountain; it sunk as a Mole-hill seen on't: What a severity was this? that the Labour of such a gigantick Poet, nay Critick, shou'd give up the Ghost so soon: The renown'd Author thought himself immortal in that Work, and that the World was to last no longer than his
Rinaldo; and tho' he stole every thing from the
Italian, yet he said, what the Italian did was but
Grub-street to his. See also 5 Jan. 1698@9 for a letter written by
Mrs Barry, in part concerning
Rinaldo and Armida