Anecdotes and character of Senesino (from ''The Westminster Magazine'' 1777)

Senesino and Farinelli (Engraving accompanying the original publication in The Westminster Magazine)

MUSICAL BIOGRAPHY
ANECDOTES and CHARACTER of SENESINO and FARINELLI
(Embellished with Elegant Engravings)

SENESINO

Francesco Bernardo Senesino, a native of Sienna, as his surname imports, was a singer in the opera at Dresden in the year 1719, at the same time with Signora Margarita Durastanti{{#tag:ref|Signora Margarita Durastanti was engaged by Mr. Handel at the same time with Senesino, and came with him into England. She sung in the operas composed by Handel, Bononcini, and Attilio till the year 1723. For the reason of her quitting England we are to seek, unless we may suppose, that the applause bestowed on Cuzzoni, who appeared on the stage for two or three winters with her, was more than she could bear. However, she made a handsome retreat; and, as it seems, took a formal leave of the English nation by singing on the stage a song written for her in haste by Mr. Pope, at the earnest request of the Earl of Peterborough, which, together with a burlesque of it by Dr. Arbuthnot, were lately printed in some of the public papers from a volume of poems among the Harleian manuscripts in the British Museum. Both poems are here inserted.

GENEROUS, gay, and gallant nation, ⁠Bold in arms, and bright in arts; Land secure from all invasion, ⁠All but Cupid's gentle darts! From your charms, oh who would run Who would leave you for the Sun?   ⁠Happy soil, and simple crew! Let old charmers yield to new; ⁠in arms, in arts, be still more shining All your joys be still encreasing; ⁠All your tastes be still refining All your jars for ever ceasing: But let old charmers yield to new: Happy soil, adieu, adieu!

PUPPIES, whom I now am leaving, ⁠Merry sometimes, always mad; Who lavish most when debts are craving, ⁠On fool, and farce, and masquerade! Who would not from such bubbles run, And leave such blessings for the fun; ⁠Happy soil, and simple crew ⁠Let old sharpers yield to new! All your tastes be still refining; All your nonsense still more shining; Blest in some Berenstadt or Broschi, He more aukward, he more husky; And never want, when these are lost t'us[1], Another Heidegger and Faustus. ⁠Happy soil, and simple crew! ⁠Let old sharpers yield to new! ⁠Bubbles all, adieu, adieu!

. In consequence of his engagement with the directors of the Academy^[2] Mr. Handel went to Dresden, and entered into a contract with both these persons, as also with Berenstadt, to sing in the opera at London, the former at a salary of 1500 l^[3] for the season. Senefino had a very fine even toned vice, but of rather a narrow compass; some cased it a mezzo soprano, others a contralto, it was nevertheless wonderfully flexible : besides this he was a graceful actor, and in the pronunciation of recitative had not his fellow in Europe. His first appearance was in the opera of Mutius Scavola, represented in the year 1721.

Notwithstanding Senesino was so excellent and useful a singer, as to be in a great measure the support of the opera, Handel and he agreed but ill together; and the former suspecting that his example had given encouragement to that refractory spirit which he found rising in Cuzzoni and Faustina, then the two contending female singers; and being determined to strike at the root of the evil, he proposed to the Directors to discard Senesino; but they refusing to consent, Handel refused also to compose for him any longer, or indeed to have any further concern with him. A year or two afterwards the Academy broke up, after having flourished for more than nine years.

The Academy being thus dissolved, some of the nobility raised a new subscription for an opera at Lincoln's-inn-fields, in which Porpora was engaged to compose, and Senefino to sing, Senesino continued in the service of the nobility, singing at Lincoln's-inn-fields theatre, and afterwards at the Haymarket, which Handel had quitted, till about the year 173S when, having acquired the sum of 15,000 l., he retired to Sienna, the place of his nativity, and built a handsome house, which, upon his decease, he bequeathed, together with the whole of his fortune, to his relations.

Source

Text originally published in Chapter 189 (CLXXXIX) of John Hawkins's A general history of the science and practice of music. (Originally published in 1776) - see Novello, Ever & Co., London 1875. Vol 2, pp. 872 online

The text was later republished literally without indicating the author, but upgraded with the engravings presented here, in The Westminster Magazine: or, The Pantheon of Taste, vol. 5 (1777), pp. 395-396, which is what is published here.

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References

1. read to us
2. The principal Nobility and Gentry of this kingdom had, about this time, formed themselves into a Musical Academy, for the performance of operas at the theatre in the Haymarket, to be composed by Mr. Handel, and performed under his direction. To this end a subscription was raised, amounting to 50,000 l. The King subscribed 1000 l. and permitted the society, thus formed, to be dignified with the title of the Royal Academy.
3. l was the old spelling for £