The Enraged Musicain
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Henry Fielding once wrote of Hogarth's engraving' The Enraged Musician'" it is enough to make a man deaf to look at it". The engraving is full of Hogarthian ironies, social commentaries, humour and above all noise!
This programme explores the themes and music found in the engraving.
We play both 'highbrow' music represented by the enraged musician himself (most probably the leader of Handel's opera orchestra) as well as music from the streets - the 'lowbrow' ballads and tunes from the contemporary hit phenomenon The Beggars Opera by John Gay. We go to the bohemian world of 18th century clubs peopled by such characters as Garrick, Leveridge and Hogarth himself. Fresh air and moral rectitude is sought in the Vauxhall pleasure gardens with music by Thomas Arne and finally our attention turns to the central image of the engraving, the clean and lovely milkmaid.
We play both 'highbrow' music represented by the enraged musician himself (most probably the leader of Handel's opera orchestra) as well as music from the streets - the 'lowbrow' ballads and tunes from the contemporary hit phenomenon The Beggars Opera by John Gay. We go to the bohemian world of 18th century clubs peopled by such characters as Garrick, Leveridge and Hogarth himself. Fresh air and moral rectitude is sought in the Vauxhall pleasure gardens with music by Thomas Arne and finally our attention turns to the central image of the engraving, the clean and lovely milkmaid.