Richard Jones (composer) facts for kids
Richard Jones (born around 1680, died January 20, 1744) was an English composer and violinist. He lived during a time when music was very important in England. He is known for his work with the Drury Lane Theater Orchestra in London.
Richard Jones published his first piece of music in 1720. It was a solo cantata called While in a Lovely Rurall Seat. A cantata is a type of vocal music, usually for one singer. Jones started working with the Drury Lane Theater Orchestra possibly as early as 1723. By 1730, he became the leader of the orchestra. This meant he was in charge of all the musicians. He also taught the violin, and one of his students was Michael Christian Festing, who became a famous violinist himself.
Jones composed music for the stage, like plays and operas. This was a time when the music of Georg Frideric Handel was very popular in Britain. Much of Jones's music that we still have today sounds like Italian music. This is called "Italianate influence." Richard Jones passed away in 1744. After he died, Richard Clarke took over his role at the Drury Lane Theater.
What Happened to His Music?
Just like many details about Richard Jones's life are missing, much of his music has also been lost over time. He wrote music for pantomimes and ballad operas. A pantomime is a type of musical play that often uses gestures and dance. A ballad opera is a play that includes popular songs.
Sadly, most of these stage works are gone. We only have a small part of the music from his pantomime The Miser. We have a keyboard version of its opening music, called an overture. We also have 18 other pieces that are probably from the same work. His music for keyboard and violin, called "suites," are known for their interesting and unusual melodies. A suite is a collection of musical pieces.
Richard Jones's Music
Here are some of the musical works that Richard Jones created:
Stage Works
These are pieces he wrote for plays and performances:
- Apollo and Daphne, a masque (1725). A masque was a type of entertainment with music, dance, and costumes. The music for this piece is lost.
- The Miser, a pantomime (1726). Most of the music for this is lost, but some keyboard parts still exist.
- The Mock Doctor, a ballad opera (1732). The music for this piece is also lost.
Other Musical Pieces
These are other types of music he wrote:
- While in a Lovely Rurall Seat, a cantata (1720).
- 6 Suits or Setts of Lessons for keyboard (1732). These were collections of pieces for keyboard instruments.
- 8 Chamber Air's for violin and basso continuo, op. 2 (1735). "Basso continuo" means a continuous bass line, often played by a cello and a keyboard.
- 6 Suites of Lessons for violin and basso continuo, op. 3 (1741).
- Sonata in A minor. A sonata is a piece of music for one or more instruments.
