A 'Rage for Music' in London On 24 February 1763, a riot broke out in the Convent Garden Theatre during a performance of Thomas Arne's Artaxerxes, protesting the management's refusal to give half-price admission after the third act. The damage done to the interior of the theatre was significant, and an account in the Historical Chronicle records "the rashness of the rioters was so great, that they cut away the wooden pillars between the Boxes, so that if the inside of them had not been iron, they would have brought down the Galleries upon their heads." Indeed, the theatre could not reopen for business until 2 March. What might seem an isolated act of vandalism was, in fact, symptomatic of strongly-held audience views about the role that musical entertainments played in their lives.

—Paul F. Rice

Track List

From The Fairies by J.C. Smith
Overture: 
1. Andante – Allegro    3:02
2. “Minuet” – Andantino     3:18
March: 
3. Allegro     1:47

From The Syrens by J.A. Fisher
Overture: 
4. Allegro     4:30
5. Grave     2:17
6. Allegro     2:22

From Thomas and Sally by T.A. Arne
Overture: 
7. Presto – Largo     2:16
8. “Scotch Gavotte” – Affettuoso     2:00

From The Maid of the Mill by T.A. Erskine
Overture: 
9. Allegro     3:43
10. Adagio ma non troppo     3:25
11. “Minuet”     2:15

From The Enchanter by J.C. Smith
Overture: 12. Andante     1:42
13. Allegro – Adagio     1:39
14. Gavotte     1:56

Dead March: 
15. Largo     1:22

From The Guardian Outwitted by T.A. Arne
Overture: 
16. (Allegro) – con spirito     2:27
17. Andante, Larghetto     0:53
18. Andante e Amoroso     2:05

From The Tempest by J.C. Smith
Overture: 
19. Andante – Allegro/Adagio     3:04
20. “Menuet” – Andante     3:11
Hornpipe: 
21. Allegro     1:20

From Artaxerses by T.A. Arne
Overture: 
22. Poco píu che Andante     3:15
23. Larghetto     1:22
24. Gavotta     1:20

Total time: 56:31
Release date: 2006
UPC: 053479325129

Quotes & Reviews

The performances are lively and well played, the recorded sound is fine, Paul Rice’s notes are informative, and someone did a lot of research to come up with off-the-beaten-path repertoire.

Handel was the dominant figure in London’s music scene for the first half of the 18th century, and there is a huge gap in quality between his music and that of Arne, Smith, Fisher, and Erskine. The strongest music here, at least to my ears, is the Overture to Artaxerxes by Thomas Arne.

Henry Fogel, Fanfare

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