
Music, Books and Theatre in Eighteenth-Century Exton
A Context for Handel's 'Comus'
Colin Timms(Author)
Routledge (Publisher)
1st Edition
Published on 12. December 2023
Book
Hardback
126 pages
978-1-032-62781-6 (ISBN)
Description
This book establishes the cultural background to the productions of Milton's Comus that were staged in the 1740s by Baptist Noel, 4th Earl of Gainsborough, at Exton Hall, his country seat in the East Midlands of England.
The author reveals that Handel's visit in 1745 occurred in a richer and fuller context of cultural interests among the Noel family. Most of the music at Exton was selected from existing works by Handel, but the four movements of the finale were new, written by the composer specifically for the occasion. The study is based on receipted bills and other documents in an archival collection of Noel family papers that provide evidence of the Earl's purchase of books and music and of the musical and theatrical activities undertaken on his Exton estate. The author discusses the Earl's interests in music, books and theatre, indicating a belief in performance as a valuable and enjoyable experience and as a vehicle for the education of the young. In addition to creating a context for Comus, this book sheds light on cultural life in a mid-eighteenth-century English country house and how the Earl's productions made a significant contribution to the cultural life of the East Midlands.
The book will be of great value to cultural musicologists, historians and Handelians, as the documentation sheds a huge amount of light on a variety of cultural practices in eighteenth-century England.
The author reveals that Handel's visit in 1745 occurred in a richer and fuller context of cultural interests among the Noel family. Most of the music at Exton was selected from existing works by Handel, but the four movements of the finale were new, written by the composer specifically for the occasion. The study is based on receipted bills and other documents in an archival collection of Noel family papers that provide evidence of the Earl's purchase of books and music and of the musical and theatrical activities undertaken on his Exton estate. The author discusses the Earl's interests in music, books and theatre, indicating a belief in performance as a valuable and enjoyable experience and as a vehicle for the education of the young. In addition to creating a context for Comus, this book sheds light on cultural life in a mid-eighteenth-century English country house and how the Earl's productions made a significant contribution to the cultural life of the East Midlands.
The book will be of great value to cultural musicologists, historians and Handelians, as the documentation sheds a huge amount of light on a variety of cultural practices in eighteenth-century England.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Postgraduate and Undergraduate Advanced
Illustrations
3 s/w Zeichnungen, 2 s/w Tabellen, 8 s/w Abbildungen, 5 s/w Photographien bzw. Rasterbilder
2 Tables, black and white; 3 Line drawings, black and white; 5 Halftones, black and white; 8 Illustrations, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 222 mm
Width: 145 mm
Thickness: 11 mm
Weight
314 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-032-62781-6 (9781032627816)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Book
10/2025
1st Edition
Routledge
€33.50
Shipment within 10-20 days

E-Book
12/2023
1st Edition
Taylor & Francis
€31.49
Available for download

E-Book
12/2023
1st Edition
Taylor & Francis
€31.49
Available for download
Person
Colin Timms is Emeritus Professor of Music at the University of Birmingham, UK. He has published mainly on Steffani, Stradella and Handel, and edited music by all three composers. His edition of Comus (music by Handel and Arne) appeared in 2016, his study of its verbal and musical text in 2022.
Content
Introduction 1. The 4th Earl of Gainsborough 2. Evidence from the Archives 3. Gainsborough's Legacy Appendix I: Subscriptions and Dedications Appendix II: Documents on Music, Books and Theatre