Music, Books and Theatre in Eighteenth-Century Exton: A Context for Handel's ‘Comus’

This book explores the cultural context in which a version of Miltons Comus, with music by Handel, was staged in the 1740s at Exton Hall, Rutland, in the East Midlands of England. It is based on archival documents that provide detailed information on the price of goods and materials and the cost of labor in mid-eighteenth-century England. It completes a tetralogy of publications on Comus and Exton.

Format: Hardback
Length: 126 pages
Publication date: 12 December 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This comprehensive volume delves into the rich cultural backdrop that shaped the staging of a version of Milton's Comus, featuring music composed by Handel, in the 1740s at Exton Hall, Rutland, situated in the East Midlands of England. The book takes a deep dive into the cultural pursuits of an eighteenth-century English peer, the 4th Earl of Gainsborough, who firmly believed in the transformative power of the arts, particularly in the education and growth of children and young individuals.

Drawing upon a wealth of archival documents meticulously transcribed in an appendix, the book offers a detailed account of the acquisition of books and the domestic performance of music and plays within a mid-eighteenth-century English country house. These documents provide invaluable insights into the prices of goods and materials, encompassing a wide range of items such as paper, books, music, violin bows and strings, hats, fabrics, whale bone, and thread. Moreover, they shed light on the cost of labor, encompassing music lessons, instrument repairs, concert fees, music copying and binding, carpentry, scene painting, and costume making, all prevalent in mid-eighteenth-century England.

Completing a quartet of publications on Comus and Exton, this book stands as a significant contribution to the field. Its predecessors include an edition of the masque (2016), a study on Lord Gainsborough's acquisition of a bust of Handel (2021), and a comprehensive examination of the verbal and musical text of the entertainment (2022). Together, these works form a comprehensive and interdisciplinary exploration of the cultural significance of Milton's Comus and its enduring legacy in the realm of eighteenth-century English society.

Weight: 290g
Dimension: 143 x 224 x 16 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032627816