Samuel Arnold

Samuel Arnold was a prolific composer for the opera, organist, harpsichord player, and musical editor who studied under Gates and Nares. Many of his works included operas such as "The Summer's Tale," "Love in a Village," and "The Maid of the Mill." The libretto of the latter was taken from Richardson's well-read novel "Pamela" and eight years later the oratorio "The Prodigal Son" was performed after some compositions of the same genre were left untouched. He received his doctorate in music (1773) and shortly thereafter composed strictly for a theatre in the Haymarket; this activity lasted for twenty-five years. Arnold was a conductor of the Academy of Ancient Music and associated with Haydn and others. As a philanthropist Arnold supported less fortunate musicians who were out of work. The genre of his compositions primarily consisted of operas and oratorios and his seminal contribution to musicology was the rewriting of the "Cathedral Music" of Boyce. The feature that best characterizes the volume of Arnold's work was his use of English folktunes that are filled with his energy; unfortunately, most of his music could not stand on its own. Other operas included "The Seraglio," "The Gipsies," "The Spanish Barber," "Macbeth," and the oratorio "Elisha." ~ Keith Johnson