and Baroque triple harp (a copy of a Mersenne harp from 1636 made by Tim Hobrough ), weaving the emotional content of the story through selections from the Scots Musical Museum (the Philadelphia edition ), a haunting late eighteenth-century Scots Gaelic song, a Handel minuet, Rogniono's 1591 version of "Ancor che col partire", a few lovely songs in the "Scottish/Baroque" style by James Oswald 1743, formalised versions of Scots tunes arranged by Francesco Barsanti 1742, Luigi Rossi1s "Gelosia", etc.

I am also including a couple of pieces from an original late eighteenth-century manuscript I found during my tour in August 1997, that features contemporaries of Mozart, such as Schr–ter, Haydn, Kotzwara, Pleyel and Corri.

Texts are taken from plays and poetry of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries authored by Dryden, Etherege, Dekker, Lillo, Marston, John Scott of Amwell, and others. Some of the theatrical devices include Scots dialect with certain texts, a mask, and an elaborate costume that comes off in layers through the course of the show which heightens the changing aspects of Anne's character as well as emotional states and age.

The harp acts as both a musical instrument and as a symbolic representation of Johnnie, Anne's lover. One of the new additions to the performance are the puppets Punch and Judy which enliven a jovial dialogue or two!

Through my research, I have found that the "real" Miss Barsanti was enormously talented and resourceful.
A quote from Fanny Burney's Diary in 1771 describes her as "extremely clever and entertaining, possesses amazing power of mimickry, and an uncommon share of humour".

She studied singing with the renowned Charles Burney, and reportedly was his favourite singing student.
She went on to perform at Covent Garden, from 1772 to 1776. The following season, which saw Miss Barsanti in Ireland, a correspondent of the "Morning Chronicle" wrote on 12 June 1777 that "two years ago we gave her credit for the sprightly, genuine effusions of true comedy; we now behold her with equal delight in the sublime and pathetic".

Later in 1777, she fell in love with and married the distinguished Irishman, John Richard Kirwan Lyster, who unfortunately died shortly after in 1779.

She then married actor-manager Richard Daly. She not only ran his household for him while he was gallivanting about with women and fighting duels, her acting actually financially sustained the theatre!

I view my fictional show as one of Miss Barsanti1s creative responses to the necessities of keeping that theatre "in the black".

She died in 1795. Having created, compiled, written, directed, produced, and performed "If Love Be the Food of Musick", I now have an intimate understanding of the challenges inherent in bringing together theatre and music.
And, Miss Barsanti/Anne has inadvertently given me deeper insights into the characters of Lucia and Queen of the Night in ways that I could never have dreamed of!

Be it my lot to waste in pining grief, The remnants of my days for his known loss or live, as now, uncertain and in doubt.
No second choice shall violate my vows.

Ulla P. Will: Harpo Marx: "Portrait of a Non-Lady Harpist".

HARPA No. 12 (4/1993)
2 Nancy Thym-Hochrein: Judit Kadar (Portrait).
HARPA‚PIANO No. 2 (Herbst ‚ Automne ‚ Autumn 1997)
Barbara Hebeisen Sch”ubli: Susanne Weinh–ppel (Interview).
HARPA‚PIANO No. 2 (Herbst ‚ Automne ‚ Autumn 1997)

Siehe auch ‚ Voir Ègalement ‚ See also:
Rudolf Frick: "Prova d'orchestra". Nino Rota (1911-1979) ‚ Federico Fellini (1920-1993)

HARPA No. 13 (Fr¸hling ‚ Printemps ‚ Spring 1994) 4 George Lillo (1693-1739), "Fatal Curiosity", Act I, scene ii.

Write a note to ZoÎ Vandermer: zoesings@aol.com

Links Odilia Verlag: www.odilia.ch
Classical Singer Magazine: www.classicalsinger.com