Thomas Roseingrave (1690 or 1691 – 23 June 1766), like his fatherDaniel Roseingrave, was an English-born Irish composer and organist.
He was born atWinchester, where his fatherDaniel Roseingrave was the Cathedral organist, but spent his early years inDublin, studying music with his father (who, by then, was organist of bothSt Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin andChrist Church Cathedral, Dublin). In 1707 he enteredTrinity College but failed to complete his degree. In 1710 he was sent to Italy with the financial assistance ofSt Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin (awarded in 1709) in order "to improve himself in the art of music". InVenice he metDomenico Scarlatti and was greatly impressed by hisharpsichord playing. He followed Scarlatti toNaples and Rome and, later in life, he published an edition of Scarlatti'ssonatas for harpsichord which led to a "Scarlatti cult" in England.
Roseingrave composed several works in Italy including ananthem and acantata. He returned to England in 1717 (having left Italy for Dublin in 1713). In 1720 he produced Scarlatti's operaAmor d'un'ombra e gelosia d'un'aura under the titleNarciso at theHaymarket Theatre, to which he added twoarias and twoduets of his own. He was appointed organist ofSt George's, Hanover Square, in 1725. He became known as an accomplishedimproviser, especially offugues. He had a great admiration for the music ofPalestrina and was highly skilled atcontrapuntal writing. According toCharles Burney he could sightread the most difficult music.
In the 1730s he was at the height of his technique and skill. However, his successful career came to an end when he was denied permission to marry a young lady with whom he had become infatuated. Her father would not allow her to marry a musician. The disappointment affected Roseingrave psychologically; his behaviour reportedly became irrational at times, and he neglected his duties. Eventually he retired to Dublin in 1747 where he lived with his nephew William inDún Laoghaire. In Ireland, he mainly seems to have spent his retirement, a remarkable exception being the first and only performance of his operaPhaedra and Hippolitus on 6 March 1753 in Dublin. He died atDún Laoghaire in 1766 and was buried in his family's grave in the churchyard ofSt Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin.
Roseingrave's best compositions are his keyboard works which show surprisingly little influence of continental composers. His harpsichord works occasionally reflect the influence of Scarlatti, but the organ works are closer to the English style ofPurcell andBlow. They are at times highly chromatic, reflecting the dissonant approach of English music such as Purcell'sviolconsortfantasies. They show irregular phrasing and form, suggesting that they may have arisen from freely extemporised performances for which he had been so famous. He also wrote solos forflute, and Italiancantatas. His contemporaries often criticised him for his "harsh, ungratefulharmony, and extravagant and licentious modulations". Most English composers in the 18th century had adopted the Italianate style in theHandelian manner, and the ears of English music lovers were becoming accustomed to the easier harmony and form of thegalant style. Thus Roseingrave's music would have appeared to many to be too intellectual and old-fashioned.
One factor which led to increased esteem for Roseingrave in the 20th century (though even now his music is seldom heard in concert, as opposed to being included on recordings) was the enthusiasm demonstrated for his output byConstant Lambert. Indeed, Lambert actually oversaw the first modern editions of several Roseingrave pieces.
Selectively cited from Klein (2001)[1]
Peter Holman, Gerald Gifford and Richard Platt (2001)."Roseingrave family".Grove Music Online (8th ed.).Oxford University Press.ISBN 978-1-56159-263-0.(subscription,Wikilibrary access, orUK public library membership required)
Free scores by Thomas Roseingrave at theInternational Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)
