An Italian family, in a poverty-stricken room, practise for opera. A young man stands full-face, singing, his fingers interlaced across his chest. He wears an open, ruffled shirt, awaistcoat, breeches, and ungartered stockings. To his right an old man plays an enormous 'cello. To his left a middle-aged man, seated in profile singing, plays a low harpsichord; he wears open ruffled shirt and breeches, with bare legs. Beside him on the extreme left a little boy dressed in a shirt plays the violin. On the extreme right a pretty young woman sits over the fire with an infant on her knee; she holds out a cloth to dry, looking over her shoulder to sing. Her score ('Affetuoso') is pinned to the chimney-piece, on which stands a crucifix with a tankard, &c. A lean greyhound howls up the chimney. All but the old man have fashionably dressed hair, and a certain elegance. The room is lit from an open casement window (left); there are dark cast shadows and the bare room has no ceiling. On the wall are a print of 'Vestris' dancing, a sword, a play-bill: 'l'Avaro Deluso' (opera by Paisiello, libretto by Vulpius), and a bunch of farthing dips; on the window ledge a cracked mirror, cocked hat, bottles, &c. Beneath the harpsichord is a large bowl labeled 'Macaroni'; and in the foreground lie a violin, music-books, earthenware pots, &c."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title etched below image., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., and Watermark: J Whatman.
Publisher:
Pubd. Decr. 1785 by S. Alken, No. 3 Dufours Place, Broad Street, Soho. Sold by W. Hinton, No. 5 Sweeting Alley, Cornhill
Subject (Name):
Vulpius, Christian August, 1762-1827, Paisiello, Giovanni, 1740-1816, and Vestris, Auguste, 1760-1842
Subject (Topic):
Children, Families, Italian, Mothers, Musical instruments, Musicians, and Singing
119 pieces copied by the Duchess of Gloucester, the daughter of George III. Composers include: Thomas Moore (1779-1852), Giacomo Gotifredo Ferrari (1763-1842), William Shield (1748-1829), Samuel Arnold (1740-1802), William Lawes (1602-1645), Charles King (1687-1748), William Hayes (1705-1777), Henry Harington (1727-1816), George Friedric Handel (1685-1759), Giovanni Paisiello (1740-1816), Thomas Augustine Arne (1710-1778), Francesco Bianchi (1752-1810), Giocchino Cocchi ([1715]-1804), Pietro Antonio Domenico Buonaventura Metastasio (1698-1782).
Description:
Holograph MS. and With indexes.
Subject (Name):
Arne, Thomas Augustine, 1710-1778, Arnold, Samuel, 1740-1802, Bianchi, F. (Francesco), ca. 1752-1810, Cocchi, Gioacchino, b. ca. 1720, Ferrari, G. G. (Giacomo Gotifredo), 1763-1842, Handel, George Frideric, 1685-1759, Harrington, Henry, 1727-1816, Hayes, William, 1708-1777, King, Charles, 1687-1748, Lawes, William, 1602-1645, Metastasio, Pietro, 1698-1782, Moore, Thomas, 1779-1852, Paisiello, Giovanni, 1740-1816, and Shield, William, 1748-1829
Subject (Topic):
Glees, catches, rounds, etc.--19th century, Songs--England, Songs--Italy, Vocal duets--19th century, and Vocal trios
