Event Comment: Rich's Company. The date of the
first per
formance is not known, but the fact that the play was advertised in the
London Gazette, No. 3140, 12-16 Dec. 1695, to be published 17 Dec. 1695, suggests that its
first appearance was not later than November 1695. According to the Edition of 1695, the music was set by the late
Henry Purcell,
Courteville,
Samuel? Aykerod, and other composers.
For Purcell's music, see
Purcell's Works,
Purcell Society, XVI (1906), xxix-xxxi. The songs were sung by
Miss Cross and
Mrs Verbruggen. Preface, Edition of 1696: I must in
form the Reader, that this Third Part be
fore it came upon the Stage was acknowledg'd and believ'd by all that saw it, and were concern'd (as well those that heard it read, as those that were Actors, who certainly, every one must own, are in their Affairs skilful enough to know the value of things of this Nature) to be much the best of all the Three Parts;...tho prepar'd by my indefatigable Diligence, Care, Pains, nay, the variety which I thought could not possibly
miss the expected Success, yet by some Accidents happening in the Presentment, was disliked and explored; The Songish part which I used to succeed so well in, by the indifferent per
formance the
first day, and the hurrying it on so soon, being streightned in time through ill management--(tho extreamly well set to Musick, and I'm sure the just Critick will say not ill Writ) yet being imperfectly per
formed, was consequently not pleasing; and the Dances too,
for want of some good Per
formers, also disliked; all which, tho impossible
for me to avoid, and not reasonably to be attributed any way to a fault in me, yet the noisy Party endeavour'd to use me as ill as if it were, till the generous Opposition of my Friends gave me as much reason to thank them
for their Justice, as to despise the others Malice.... As to the Poppet Shew in the Fourth Act, the Accident of its being plac'd so far from the Audience, which hindred them from hearing what either they or the Prolocutor said, was the main and only reason of its diverting no better.
A Comparison Between the Two Stages (1702) p. 17:
Sullen: The third Part of
Don Quixote.
Ramble: Oh the ever-running Streams of
Helicon! by all that's Poetical, my Friend
Durfey; good lack! I thought I shou'd meet with him be
fore we got half way: Well, in the name of Impudence, what luck?
Sullen: Damn'd, Damn'd to all intents and purposes. Ramble: His
first and second Part did well