Thomas Augustine Arne

Thomas Augustine Arne is one of the British musicians most popular of his time. He was especially a talented type-setter of operas, leaving behind him about thirty works for the theater, of tens of instrumental parts and religious vocal works. 

 Thomas Augustine Arne
© NYPL Performing Arts/Lebrecht Music & Arts

Life :

Born in London in March 1710 (probably about on March 12th because its exact date of birth not being known with precision), Thomas Augustine Arne is baptized on May 18th, 1710 at the church of St. Paul's, Covent Garden. He’s resulting from an easy catholic family, his parents exerting the trade of tapestry makers. The Arne’s children could then profit from a solid education; Thomas was supposed to become a brilliant lawyer. 

But the boy was impassioned and especially very gifted for the music. He initially studies the harpsichord and the violin, in hiding-place, his father badly accepting the occupation of musician for his son. Once convinced by one of his professors, the father gave his blessing to Thomas so that he makes his trade of it. 

Nevertheless, in a country with wars of religion between Catholicism and Protestantism, Thomas Augustine Arne cannot reach official functions because its Catholic religion prohibits to him. 

However, he learns singing with his sister and to his brother and all three start a musical career. It's with them that it created its first Opera, Rosamond in 1733.

In 1736, he married singer Cecilia Young, the daughter of an organist and raises of Geminiani. He composes several masks successfully. He becomes a very appreciated type-setter then, both for the incidental musics instrumental works. He's one of the most snuffed musicians of his time and was even named D.Mus.

However, even if Thomas Arne were a man respected of all, he had many financial problems, in particular about 1770. Thomas Auguste Arne dies on March 5th, 1778 in the town of London.

Work :

As for the majority of the type-setters of its time, the first works are lost. One considers that the first important work of Thomas Arne is his arrangement of Rosamond, of Joseph Addison. Unfortunately, a good part of this piece is now lost. The first interpretation of this arrangement, in 1733, is a family affair, with his sister taking the principal part and the part of the page-boy taken by his brother at the theatre in Lincoln's Inn Fields. 

“Rule, Britannia! ” from the opera “Alfred” (1740), made and makes still the fame of Arne - in any case in the United Kingdom, where he is still frequently sung. 

Thomas Arne is a prolific type-setter in his time, with thirty operas (of which “Artaxerxès” is crowned success), many masks, various musics for the theatre (for Shakespeare for example), sonatas for the harpsichord and other instruments, concertos for organ, of the openings, the symphonies and various parts of instrumental music, without forgetting a big part reserved for the catholic sacred music.  

If one wants to have a more precise idea of his music, one can bring it closer to the gallant style so much in vogue at the XVIIIs. As a large melodist, Thomas Arne could be made serious famous, allowing him not to be completely made eclipse by Georg Friedrich Haendel or other more recognized type-setters of his time.