John Frederick Lampe (born Johann Friedrich Lampe; probably 1703 – 25 July 1751) was a musician and composer.

Life

Lampe was born in

Saxony Saxony, officially the Free State of Saxony, is a landlocked state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Bavaria, as well as the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. Its capital is Dresden, and ...

, Germany but came to England in 1724 and played the

bassoon The bassoon is a musical instrument in the woodwind family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuosity ...

in opera houses. In 1730, he was hired by John Rich to be the composer for

Covent Garden Theatre The Royal Opera House (ROH) is a theatre in Covent Garden, central London. The building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. The ROH is the main home of The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet, and the Orch ...

. During his time as a bassoonist in London opera houses, in 1727, he played at the

coronation A coronation ceremony marks the formal investiture of a monarch with regal power using a crown. In addition to the crowning, this ceremony may include the presentation of other items of regalia, and other rituals such as the taking of special v ...

of King George II. Like Arne, Lampe wrote operatic works in English in defiance of the vogue for Italian opera popularized by

George Frideric Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel ( ; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well-known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concerti. Born in Halle, Germany, H ...

and

Nicola Porpora Nicola (or Niccolò) Antonio Giacinto Porpora (17 August 16863 March 1768) was an Italian composer and teacher of singing of the Baroque era, whose most famous singing students were the castrati Farinelli and Caffarelli. Other students include ...

. Lampe, along with Henry Carey and J. S. Smith, founded the short-lived English Opera Project. He became a friend of

Charles Wesley Charles Wesley (18 December 1707 – 29 March 1788) was an English Anglican cleric and a principal leader of the Methodist movement. Wesley was a prolific hymnwriter who wrote over 6,500 hymns during his lifetime. His works include "And Can It ...

, and wrote several tunes to accompany Wesley's hymns. His works for the stage include the mock

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

s ''

Pyramus and Thisbe In Greek mythology, Pyramus and Thisbe () are a pair of ill-fated lovers from Babylon, whose story is best known from Ovid's narrative poem ''Metamorphoses''. The tragic myth has been retold by many authors. Pyramus and Thisbe's parents, drive ...

'' (1745) and '' The Dragon of Wantley'' (1734), which ran for 69 nights, a record for the time, surpassing '' The Beggar's Opera''. From November 1750 until his death, Lampe was based in Dublin and later in Edinburgh. He is buried in Canongate Kirkyard on the

Royal Mile The Royal Mile () is the nickname of a series of streets forming the main thoroughfare of the Old Town, Edinburgh, Old Town of Edinburgh, Scotland. The term originated in the early 20th century and has since entered popular usage. The Royal ...

. The grave lies to the northeast of the church behind the Fettes vault.

Works

*''The Cuckoo Concerto'' *''Cupid and Psyche'' or the ''Columbine Courtezan'' *''The Dragon of Wantley'' *''Hymns on the Great Festivals and other Occasions'' *''The Perfections of True Love'' *''Pyramus and Thisbe''

Family

His wife, Isabella Lampe, was sister-in-law to the composer Thomas Arne with whom Lampe collaborated on a number of concert seasons. John and Isabella's son, Charles John Frederick Lampe, was a successful organist and composer as well.

References

External links

* 1703 births 1751 deaths Burials at the Canongate Kirkyard Emigrants from the Holy Roman Empire to the Kingdom of Great Britain Young musical family (England) 18th-century German people Musicians from the Kingdom of Saxony English classical composers German Baroque composers German opera composers English male opera composers English classical bassoonists German classical bassoonists 18th-century classical composers German male classical composers German emigrants to Scotland 18th-century German composers 18th-century German male musicians {{germany-composer-stub