The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-04-20
The Music of Macbeth.

The Macbeth music which the play-bills
always ascribe to Matthew Locke is without
doubt of very respectable antiquity. If it be
really the work of that composer, it must
date from 1872, when Sir William Davenaut
produced his adaptation of Macbeth with
machines for the witches, dancing, and
singing, at the theatre in Dorset Garden.
DR.. Rimbault's edition of North's "Memoirs
of Music" expressly states, however, that "the
music of Macbeth now popularly known as
Lockes, is the composition of Richard Leve-
ridge, and was performed for the first time on
the 25th of January, 1904; Locke music, COM
posed in the reign of Charles II, is entirely
different" Yet even if this assertion be
correct-and it is not confirmed by any &C
count Of production of Macbeth in 1904 to
be found in the elaborate "History of the
Stage, in ten volumes, compiled by the Rev.
Mr.. Geneste from the collection of playbills
in the Britism Museum-music that has en-
dured from the early years of Queen Anne's
reign may be fairly complimented on its lon
gevity. Leveridge was the composer of the
words and music of ''The Roast Beef of Eng
land, and the music to tho song of ''To you
who live at home at ease, and Gays ballad
of 'Black-eyed Susan"
He was, moreover, a bass singer at the
theatre in Lincoln's Inn Fields, and when
more than sixty years of age still thought
bO VI Ills NOChl pOW0IS ILHD u0 Ou6Teu,
for wager of hundred guineas, to sing q
bass song with any man in England. If he
indeed composed new music for Macbeth,
he yet, it seems clear, availed himself of the
words Davenant had arranged for Locke,
which were borrowed for the most part from
a manuscript copy of Middleton's Witch.
Davenant's mangled version of the spoken
portions of Macbeth kept possession of the
stage until 1744, when the tragedy was
produced for Garrick ''from the text of
Shakespeare" music, whether Locke's
or Leveridge's, being still retained, how
ever. Indeed, the play has never but once
been produced without its musical excres-
cence. This was some twenty years ago,
under Mr.. Phelps excellent management at
Sadlers Wells, when fidelity to Shake
speare amounted to q passion the play
was presented in its integrity, even to the
restoration of 'Lady Macduff' and her son,
and literal compliance with the stage direc-
ton, "Enter 'Macduff' with 'Macbeth's head
on pole"-the incident being found rather
trying to the gravity of the spectators-not
a note of music being heard throughout the
performance from first to last. Nor did it
seem that the omission occasioned much
regret to the audience Still, Mr.. Phelps
laudable example was not followed by other
managers, and stands alone in the stage
history of the play. When Mr. Charles
Kean came to revive Macbeth after the ornate
and elaborate fashion which distinguished
hisproductions oflShakespeare at the Princess,
Theatre, he was faithful to the old music, to
the singing witches, soloists, and chorus, and
Locke or Leveridge enjoyed his own again.
This somewhat servile fidelity to stage ira
dition is certainly curious enough, for it is
not, of course, pretended that the Macbeth
accompaniments are now held in much esti-
nation by musical amateurs, are peculiarly
Shakespearian, valuably descriptive or sug-
gestive, or of any particular aid to the repre-.
sentation of the tragedy. The interpolated
words of the songs are in many instances the
merest nonsense, and the tunes, if of catch.
ing and popular kind, still are seriously in
terruptive of the due progress of the events
of the play. 1t may reasonably be held now
that the composers improvements" have
become exhausted by the prolonged duration
of his tenure, and that he may forthwith bt
elected from his occupancy. 1t is really time
for Macbeth" to run alone, and to speak fo
himself, unencumbered by the music of thu
time of Charles ii or of Queen Anne.
PATENTS.