Matthew Locke (composer)

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Matthew Locke.
Engraving by James Caldwall .

Matthew Locke (* 1621 in Exeter , † August 1677 in London ) was an English composer of the Baroque period .

Life

Matthew Locke was trained as a choirboy in his youth at St Peter's Cathedral in Exeter under Edward Gibbons , brother of Orlando Gibbons . He then studied with the organist William Wake . In 1648 Locke was in The Hague , where the Stuarts had temporarily relocated their exile court during the civil war ; during this time he converted to Catholicism. He returned to England around 1651 and began to compile his score book, in which he collected his chamber music. He settled in Hereford , where a lot of chamber music was written for public concerts. In the second half of the 1650s he returned to London, where he increasingly devoted himself to musical dramas, the only form of theater that was allowed under Oliver Cromwell . After the Restoration he was from 1661 under Charles II , Composer in the Private Music and Composer for the Violins and from 1662 organist at the Catholic Chapel, until 1671 worked in St James's Palace and later in Somerset House .

Locke wrote many plays and masques during this time , for example Thomas Shadewell's "Psyche" (1673), which is also a contender for the designation "England's first opera", but was not as successful as "Cupid and Death". In 1674 Locke's works "Macbeth" (William Davenant) and "The Tempest" (Thomas Shadewell) were premiered, but only three years later he died at the age of 56 in London. After his death, his student Henry Purcell took over the post of organist at Westminster Abbey .

Works (selection)

  • Melothesia (1673), an introduction to basso continuo accompaniment on the harpsichord, and a collection of harpsichord suites and individual pieces by Locke and the following authors: Christopher Preston, John Roberts, William Gregorie, William Hall, Robert Smith, John Banister, J. Moss , G. Diesner, William Thatcher.

Stage works

  • 1653 Cupid and Death opera, libretto by James Shirley
  • 1656 The Siege of Rhodes Opera
  • 1667 The Tempest Opera and Theater Music - Libretto by Thomas Shadwell
  • 1673 The Empress of Morocco Opera, libretto by Elkanah Settle
  • 1673 Psyche Opera - text by Thomas Shadwell

Anthems

  • Audi, Domine, clamantes ad te
  • Be thou exalted lord
  • Break, distracted heart
  • Curtain Tune C-groot
  • Descende caelo cincta sosoribus "The Oxford Ode"
  • How doth the city sit solitary
  • Jesus auctor clementie
  • Lord, let me know my end
  • O be joyful in the Lord, all ye lands
  • Super flumina Babylonis

Instrumental music

Duos for two bass viols

  • Two suites for two bass viols in D / D and C / C; Sequence of movements: Fantazie - Fantazie - Courant - Fantazie - Fantazie - Sarabande

Consort of Two Parts (For Several Friends)

  • Eight suites without scoring information (probably treble viol, bass viol, keyboard instrument) in the keys of g / G, B ♭, d / D, e, F, a / A, c / C, d. - Sequence of sentences: Fantazie, Pavan, Ayre, Coranto, Saraband, Jigg, Ayre, Coranto, Saraband.

Little Consort of Three Parts

  • Five suites for two treble viols (violins) and bass viol in g, C, d, B ♭, e. - Sentence order: Pavane, Ayre, Courante, Sarabande.
  • Five suites for treble, tenor and bass viol in F, G / G, A, B ♭, D / D - movement sequence: Pavane, Ayre, Courante, Sarabande.

The Flat Consort for my cousin Kemble

  • Two suites for treble, tenor and bass viol in c and g. - Sequence of sentences: Fantasy - Courante; Fantasy - Sarabande; Fantasy - Jigg.
  • Three suites for treble viol (violin) and 2 bass viols (“Division Viols”) in d, B ♭, a / A. - Sequence of sentences: Fantasy - Courante; Fantasy - Sarabande.

Broken Consort

  • Six suites for 2 treble viols (violins) and bass viol in G, G, C, C, D, D - movement sequence: Fantasy, Courante, Are, Sarabande
  • Four suites for 2 treble viols (violins) and bass viol in C / C, D / D, e, F. - Irregular sequence of dances.

Consort of Fower Parts (German "four-part consort")

  • Six suites for treble, alto, tenor and bass viol in D, D / D, F, F, G, G. - Movement sequence: Fantazie, Courante, Ayre, Saraband.

literature

  • Friedrich Blume (Ed.): Music in the past and present: General encyclopedia of music . Bärenreiter, Kassel / Basel
  • MELOTHESIA or, Certain Rules for Playing upon a Continued - Bass. With a choice Collection of Lessons for the Harpsichord and Organ of all Sorts. The First Part. (1673), New York: Performer's Facsimiles (01234), undated

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ MELOTHESIA or, Certain Rules for Playing upon a Continued - Bass. With a choice Collection of Lessons for the Harpsichord and Organ of all Sorts. The First Part. (1673), New York: Performer's Facsimiles (01234), undated
  2. ↑ Source for this chapter: Michael Tilmouth (ed.): Musica Britannica , Vol. 31 and 32 (1971/72)
personal data
SURNAME Locke, Matthew
BRIEF DESCRIPTION English composer of the baroque period
DATE OF BIRTH 1621
PLACE OF BIRTH Exeter
DATE OF DEATH August 1677
Place of death London