CORE Metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk Provided by University of Birmingham Research Archive, E-theses Repository “GOVERN’D BY STOPS, AW’D BY DIVIDING NOTES” THE FUNCTIONS OF MUSIC IN THE EXTANT REPERTORY OF THE ADMIRAL’S MEN 1594-1621 by Elizabeth Ketterer A thesis submitted to The University of Birmingham for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY The Shakespeare Institute Department of English The University of Birmingham April 2009 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. ABSTRACT This thesis examines the functions of music in the extant repertory of a single playing company, the Admiral’s Men, at their primary venues between 1594 and 1621. Music’s effectiveness as a theatrical tool depends upon the presence of an audience willing and able to be affected by it. The mimetic relationship between representation in the playhouse and musical practices in the non-dramatic world allows that ability. This thesis traces the dissemination of musical behaviors and ideas to potential playgoers and offers a critical analysis of the evidence of musical performance and discourse in the repertory. Contrary to the long-standing reputation of the company as appealing primarily to a rough and rowdy audience (particularly at the first Fortune), the use of music throughout the repertory suggests the continuous presence of a socially diverse and musically literate body of theatrical patrons. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS In his edition of Henslowe’s Diary, W.W. Greg points out that there “is no such thing as a clearly defined historical field; facts are linked to other facts in all directions, and investigation merely leads to further and yet further questions” (xii). The place to start looking for answers has been, and will probably always be, the library. At the Shakespeare Institute Library, Karin Brown, Kate Welch, John Settle, Kelley Costigan and Lorna Burslem have all provided indispensable scholarly help while keeping me in contact with my fellow human beings during long hours in the library. My thanks are also due to other librarians whose expertise and efforts have made this thesis possible. Clemens Gresser at the British Library, Betsy Walsh at the Folger Shakespeare Library, Calista M. Lucy, Keeper of the Archives at Dulwich College, Bob Kosovsky at the New York Public Library, Nicholas Robinson at the Fitzwilliam Museum, and Mary Robertson and Lita Garcia at the Huntington Library have all responded quickly to my queries, offered helpful suggestions, and generally pointed me in the right direction. The research that went into this thesis could not have been completed without them. My work has been facilitated by the award of School Scholarships by the University of Birmingham. To the teachers and scholars whose guidance has led me here, I am infinitely grateful. James Ayres, James Loehlin and the Shakespeare at Winedale program provided me a playful and passionate introduction to the drama of the period, and an experience of collaborative play-making that will stay with me for the rest of my life. My thanks are of course due to the musicians of Winedale, sometimes known as “Dog Legs and Feet” who have helped me explore the songs of Shakespeare in such creative ways. Juliet Creese and Rebecca White have kept me organized and on-track with their unfailing support. Kate Rumbold has been a model of both intellectual achievement and professional development. Catherine Richardson, in her time here, fielded early questions dealing with how to talk about the past, while Catherine Alexander and John Jowett have always offered encouragement when it was needed. My thanks go to Dr. Jowett particularly for letting me borrow books from his office for long periods of time! This thesis has benefited tremendously from the guidance of Kate McLuskie, whose challenges helped the project take shape. Of course my most profound gratitude goes to my supervisor Martin Wiggins, without whom this thesis would not have come into existence. By example, he has taught me what it means to be a scholar. The intellectual community of the Shakespeare Institute, my fellow students (past and present), the Thursday play reading groups, the Institute Players, and particularly, the Renaissance Drama Research Group have provided me opportunities to share ideas, develop my skills, and further my research. Pete Orford and Charles English II have been kind enough to offer their wisdom and their editorial skills. Any flaws that remain are mine and mine alone. Andy Kesson and Will Sharpe have been my touchstones in the final stages of this process, always there to run ideas by, to make me smile, and to remind me that I am not alone in this journey. Emily Burden has been a constant source of inspiration. To my library companion, Sarah Olive, I will always be grateful for company on a rainy morning and friendship at the end of the day. My thanks must go to Phillippa Green, who has been with me since the beginning. She has watched me lose myself in the project, and will, I hope, celebrate the completion of this thesis with me. Dave Hartwig helped realize a shared vision. He was also always ready to share a pint and a story when those things were necessary. Becky Ruud has been a part of countless productively rambling conversations about expression and art, from many periods. Gene Tucker deserves thanks for understanding my need to be here to do this work, while Joshua Strong and Todd Fitt have consistently reminded me that no matter how long I stay away, I still have a home to come back to. Finally, I am grateful to my family. My sister has grown into a remarkable woman who I am proud to count among my supporters. My mother’s strength and generosity of spirit have not only sustained me through difficult periods, but have given me a model on which to base my approach to all aspects of my life. Above all, this thesis is dedicated to the memory of my father whose love inspired me to push my boundaries and challenge myself. It is my dearest hope that this would have made him proud. CONTENTS Introduction 1 Chapter One: Approaching the Company, the Repertory, and the Music 9 Constructing Narratives: Reputation and Reception 9 On the Shoulders of Giants: Locating the Thesis 27 Speaking of Music: The Adopted Rhetoric 36 Chapter Two: How We Know What We Know About Music in the Repertory 46 The Company 46 The Printed Plays 53 The Plots 58 The Battle of Alcazar 63 The Manuscript Plays 73 Chapter Three: Music in the Social World 79 Musical Thought and Ideas about Affective Music 80 Otherworldly Music 91 Musical Annunciation 96 Musical Military Signals 103 Funeral Music 109 Wedding Music 114 Music for Courtship 117 Music for Banquets 122 Music for Hunting 126 Music and Cultural Identity 130 Chapter Four: Music at Work in the Repertory 146 Otherworldly Music 147 Musical Annunciation 153 Musical Military Signals 164 Funeral Music 180 Wedding Music 188 Music for Banquets 194 Music and Cultural Identity 196 Chapter Five: Rich Musicality: Playing at Court 214 I and II Robin Hood 214 Fortunatus 227 The Shoemaker’s Holiday 236 No Wit/Help Like a Woman’s, or, The Almanac 246 Chapter Six: The Repertory Through Time: Playing at the Rose and the Fortune 248 Playing at the Rose 248 Doctor Faustus 1604 249 I and II Tamburlaine 256 Patient Grissil 265 The Blind Beggar of Alexandria 272 Playing at the Fortune 277 When You See Me, You Know Me 278 The Patient Man and the Honest Whore 286 The Roaring Girl 290 Doctor Faustus 1616 293 Conclusion 299 Appendix I: The Extant Repertory 1594-1621 303 The Repertory Plays 303 Plays Not Included 319 Bibliography 323 Early Editions of Plays 323 Critical and Modern Editions of Plays 325 Manuscript Music Collections 330 Early Printed Music and Musical Literature 332 Early Printed Materials 338 Supporting Materials 344 TABLES Table 1: Signals in The Plot and the Quarto of The Battle of Alcazar following page 64 ABREVIATIONS BBB Simpson, Claude M. The British Broadside Ballad and Its Music BL British Library CSPD Calendar of State Papers Domestic CSPV Calendar of State Papers Venetian DD Greg, W.W., ed. Dramatic Documents from the Elizabethan Playhouses ES Chambers, E.K. The Elizabethan Stage HD Foakes, R.A., ed. Henslowe’s Diary JCS Bentley, G.E. The Jacobean and Caroline Stage MSR Malone Society Reprints NYPL New York Public Library RECM Ashbee, Andrew, ed. Records of Early English Court Music 1 Introduction “Under the upper heaven nine goodly spheres/Turn with a motion ever musical,” while here on earth music offers pleasure to sovereigns’ ears and sounds in such diverse spaces as sacred places and workers’ fields.1 That is the musical soundscape as defined by Richard while he woos his “Lady Faulconbridge” in Look About You. He does not make a reference to the great variety of music heard in the playhouses of the period. But musical performances and musical signals sound throughout plays performed between 1594 and 1621. Playhouse audiences, like musical performances, were “govern’d by stops, aw’d by dividing notes.”2 This thesis will examine the ways that music functions in the extant repertory of a single company during the late Elizabethan and Jacobean period.