INTRODUCTION

 

 

            Charles Dibdin's collection of solos for tenor and piano is titled "The Music of the Best and Most Esteemed of The songs of Charles Dibdin, with new piano-forte accompaniments, by various composers." The pieces are classical-era ballads for a vocalist with a more-than-average vocal ability. Most of the songs are sea chanteys, with a goodly amount of slang (and spelling variants). Based upon the biography of Mr. Dibdin in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (NGDMM), and examining a similar but not identical copy of Dibdin's songs at the University of Maryland, College Park, several points are clear. The heirs of Mr. Dibdin surely gathered together several collections of his works, and published them after his death, ca. 1800. The biography in NGDMM also states that Dibdin only composed the melody, leaving the piano part to be composed by unidentified persons.

            The structure of the original source is relatively simple, yet flawed. Page numbers appear within brackets below the titles. These page numbers are not concurrent. At the bottom of the page, appears a second, different page number. This second number is concurrent. Owing to the condition of the Maryland copy, determining the exact page count of that edition was not possible.[1]

            Within the copy used for this edition (and owned by the editor), several notes exist indicating possible ownership. The first note, found on the inside cover, is "Frederic Thomas Roche, Hampstead, England.” The second note found on the title page seems to be a dedication related to the possible gift of this collection. It is written in a partly legible cursive style, and could be "Wm. Low. With affectionate regards of Frederic T. Roche. The Rectong, Darlington 20th July 1864."

            Neither collection includes a contents list, date of publication, location, or name of the publisher. The title page of this copy was missing, and evidently not included when bound. Therefore, the title is based upon the information found in NGDMM. The title of this collection is thus offered with reservation. The following list was generated from the editor’s copy.

            Because the original source contained 126 works, this edition is offered in three volumes. As a final observation, this editor strongly suspects that additional verses might exist, though evidence is lacking in the original source. Additional verses would, however, explain the relatively short nature of these works, such as “Ned that Died at Sea.

 

Additional reading:

The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.

Dibdin Charles. A History of the English Stage. London, 1800 [no publisher]. This work was located in the British Library’s online catalog. The editor assumes that this Charles Dibdin is the same Charles Dibdin who coauthored this collection of music.
 

Notes about the editing/performing of this music

 

            In preparing this edition, the editor has taken great care to include every printed mark found in the collection. However, piano pedal marks were not included in the original collection. During the late 1700s, pianos were replacing harpsichords. Pedals were optional on many pianos of that time. The clavichord, though still in use was well on its way out of fashion by then. So, the author has decided not to include any editorial pedal marks in this modern edition.

            Dynamic marks, however, present a more complex situation. In preparing this edition, the editor has corrected obvious errors. To this end, the following comments are offered. Dynamic marks were not applied consistently. Good musicianship would strongly suggest that the accompanist (pianist) should reduce volume once the soloist enters. All too rarely in this collection, the accompanist part begins with mezzo forte and drops to mezzo piano when the soloist enters on a mezzo forte. Therefore, works have been modified here to conform to this convention. Specifically, dynamic marks for the keyboard part are provided at the beginning, and when the soloist enters. All other dynamic marks are from the original source. All other marks are as they appear in the original.

            Slurs do not appear consistently in the original. Therefore, where slurs surely were intended but not provided, broken slurs are added. To this end, a very conservative approach has been used in this new edition. Therefore, the accompanist may chose to add additional slurs. A case in point is “The High-Mettled Racer.” This work lacked a number of slurs that are included in this modern edition. Specifically, in the treble line measures 16, 20, and 34 slurs have been added here for consistency. Additionally, in the bass line, measures 7, 22-24, 29-32, and 35 slurs have been added.

            Many works appear with incorrect rhythms in the original. This lack of consistency is especially noticed in dotted rhythms. The error is easily corrected by comparing the other staff in the accompaniment. Therefore, no comments are made here when such corrections were made.

            Throughout the original edition, grace notes are not consistently slurred to the following note. Therefore, only when such slurs are found in the original edition, they are included in the modern edition.

            One work presents a unique problem. “Victory or Death” begins not with a pick-up note in the accompaniment, as is found all other works in this collection. Rather, this work begins with a full measure in 4/4 time. Yet, the measure before when the soloist enters is 3 beats long not 4 beats. Adding a pick-up measure to this work was rejected. So, the measure before when the soloist enters and also the last measure of the work have been slightly modified. This is the only such example in this collection when the editor has made any significant alterations to the music.

            As an example of a curious piece of music, “Shenkin and Winny” is transcribed exactly as it appeared in the original source, including some dissonances not characteristic of this style. Possibly the most striking example is when the soloist cadences on an E natural while the accompanist plays an F major chord, which is the tonic of the piece.

            Had the collection been in good condition, a facsimile reprint might have been possible. It is the hope of this editor that this collection will be a serviceable alternative.

 

 

A few Notes about the Music

 

            Some sources describe Dibdin’s music as light and requiring only average technical demand. These observations are not altogether evident in this collection. The vocal range is that of a tenor who can easily sing from A bottom line of the bass clef to A 2 octaves above that. While the range is not difficult for most tenors, the facility and breath control is arguably above the average. Many works in this collection require the soloist to sing long florid passages without an obvious place for a breath. The occasional extensive use of grace notes is also noticed.

            While most works in this collection are sea chanteys, a few works are of a completely different nature. A number of these works are about the life of the soldier. Other works provide a glimpse into social attitudes in England. “Kickaraboo” is one work that is not a sea chantey, but rather what in the United States would be described as minstrel music. The words today are quite offensive, describing the plight of the African slave in less than accurate terms. This work is rather curious given the anti-slave sentiment developing in Europe. Another work is “The Mason's Creed” that exalts Masonic virtues. The titles of other works are quite descriptive. “Lamplighter Dick” describes the lamplighter’s profession. “The Beggar” provides a glimpse of that lifestyle. “The Irish Wedding” combines two major themes of this collection: drinking, and looking for female companionship. This work, however, also portrays Irish in less than a flattering manner. This editor, not being fully conversant with the time in which this music was composed, wonders to what extent sexual innuendo exist within this collection, or was incorporated in stage performances of these works. What is clear is that all the music was designed to extol the virtues of men. Women were only thought of in terms of their men. In total, the collection portrays aspects of lower class life in a romantic manner quite consistent with the time. The music is typical of the Classical era.

            The entire printed collection can be purchased from Peter H. Adams. His contact information can be found on his resume. The three volume set is $350 and is spiral bound with a card stock cover. The price includes shipping. The material will be sent upon receipt of payment by personal check.

 

            Below is a content list for the three volumes printed by Peter H. Adams. Click on the page number to see a printable PDF file of that page.