The Enraged Musician: Hogarth's Musical Imagery

ISBN-13: 9781138254695 / Angielski / Miękka / 2017 / 387 str.

Jeremy Barlow

Opis

More than 70 works of Hogarth include musical references, and Jeremy Barlow's book is the first full-length work devoted to this aspect of his imagery. The first two chapters examine the evidence for Hogarth's interest in music and the problems of assessing accuracy, realism and symbolic meaning in his musical representations. Subsequent chapters show how musical details in his works may often be interpreted as part of his satirical weaponry; the starting point seems to have been his illustrations of the clamorous 'rough music' protest in Samuel Butler's immensely popular poem Hudibras. Hogarth's use of music for satirical purposes also has connections with a particular type of burlesque music in 18th-century England. It may be seen too in the roles played by his humiliated fiddlers or abject ballad singers. Each of the final two chapters focuses on a particular Hogarth subject: his paintings of a scene from a theatrical satire of music and society, The Beggar's Opera, and the print The Enraged Musician itself. The latter work draws together uses of musical imagery discussed previously and the book concludes with an analysis of its internal relations from a musical perspective. The book is lavishly illustrated with Hogarth's drawings, prints and paintings. Many other images are reproduced to provide contextual background. Several indices and appendices enhance the book's value as a reference tool: these include an annotated index of Hogarth's instruments, with photographs or other representations of the instruments he depicts; a detailed index of Hogarth's works with musical imagery; the texts and music for broadside ballads and single-sheet songs related to Hogarth's titles; 18th-century texts and street cries related to Hogarth's The Enraged Musician, and other musical examples indicated in the text. Also included is a facsimile of Bonnell Thornton's burlesque Ode on St Cæcilia's Day.

Recenzje

'It is extraordinary that this is the first book on Hogarth and music, when, as Jeremy Barlow points out, his art is filled with music and musicians. What Barlow is able to demonstrate is that the tensions in Hogarth's own art between morality and freedom, high art and the popular, and the life of the street and of the academy, are played out with powerful effect in his representations of music in all its forms. Barlow meticulously avoids the fallacy of assuming the 'truth' of Hogarth's views of London to show that music engaged the artist's intellect fully. This is a really important book and one of the most original to appear on the artist for a long time.' Professor David Bindman, Durning-Lawrence Professor of the History of Art, University College London, UK 'The principal readership will be from those whose interests lie in the works of Hogarth, relevant connected areas of art history, 18th-century London political and social history, and musicians with an interest in 18th-century London performance and repertory. The book makes an important contribution to the literature about 18th-century musical instruments and the evidence for their manner of performance. Particularly original is the treatment of 'popular' instruments in Chapter 3, which has not previously been covered in this way, or with this degree of scholarly seriousness. As well as containing substantial new material, the book examines previously explored topics from new perspectives and in greater depth.' Professor Donald Burrows, Music Department, The Open University, UK 'Barlow is familiar with the worlds of the musicologist (and musician), the historian and the art historian and draws on them with aplomb and skill.' Early Music Review 'For the first time this obviously important feature of Hogarth's work becomes the subject of a book-length study... the book will not only be of interest to Hogarth enthusiasts bu also to students of the history of music and popular culture.' Arlis '... Ashgat

Spis treści

Contents: Preface; Chronology; Five Hogarth series summarized; Hogarth and the musical scene; Music in Hogarth's scenes; Rough music; Burlesque music; Solo fiddlers; Ballad singers and ballads; The Beggar's Opera and Italian opera; Hogarth's The Enraged Musician; Annotated index of Hogarth's instruments and musical scores; Appendices; Bibliography; Indexes.

O autorze

Jeremy Barlow has made a special study of English popular music from the 16th to 18th centuries. His many publications in this field include The Music of John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera (Oxford University Press) and The Complete Country Dance Tunes from Playford’s Dancing Master, c.1651-1728 (Faber Music). More than a dozen recordings with his group the Broadside Band include the complete Beggar’s Opera (Hyperion), which won an Edison award. He lectures widely on subjects linking art and music.