Robert Johnson

Robert Johnson II (c. 1580 – c. 1634) was an English composer and lutenist of the late Tudor and early Jacobean eras.

Life

Robert Johnson (c.1580-c.1634) was the son of John Johnson (who was lutenist to Elizabeth I). In 1596 Robert Johnson joined the household of Sir George Carey, who became Baron Hunsdon the same year on the death of his father. Carey was patron of a theatre company to which William Shakespeare belonged. The company was briefly known as "Baron Hunsdon's Men", but is better known as the Lord Chamberlain's Men (a title they used after Carey became Lord Chamberlain), or their subsequent name, the King’s Men. After serving an apprenticeship in the Carey household, Johnson found work at court. He became a royal lutenist in James I's "Private Musick" from 1604, and was later lutenist to Prince Henry (until the prince's death in 1612.^[1] He composed for the music for the masques and entertainments which were popular at court in the Jacobean era. He went on to serve at the court of Charles I until 1633, becoming “Composer for Lute and Voices”.

His compositions for the King's Men theatrical company have been dated to 1610-1617. The players required songs and instrumental music, and Johnson composed the original settings for some of Shakespeare's lyrics, the best-known being probably those from The Tempest: "Where the Bee Sucks" and "Full Fathom Five." He is the only composer known to have composed the original settings of Shakespeare's lyrics. While other contemporary settings of Shakespeare's lyrics exist, for example those by Thomas Morley, they have not been proved to be connected to a stage performance.

Apart from the Shakespeare connection, Johnson collaborated regularly with other poets and playwrights such as Ben Jonson, Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher. He also composed a number of other songs and "catches" or rounds, and drinking songs.

Works/Discography

Music connected with Shakespeare’s Plays

The following list mainly follows the order of the Virgin Veritas cd "Shakespeare's lutenist" ^[2].

• Where the bee sucks; (The Tempest)
• Hark, hark! the lark; (Cymbeline)
• Come hither, you that love;
• As I walked forth;
• Woods, rocks, and mountains (supposedly from the lost Shakespearean play "Cardenio")^[3];
• 'Tis late and cold;
• O let us howl;
• Arm, arm!;
• Come away, Hecate;
• Fantasia (lute);
• Pavan I in C minor;
• Pavan II in F minor;
• Pavan III in C minor;
• Galliard (lute);
• Charon, oh Charon;
• Away delights;
• Come, heavy sleep;
• Care-charming sleep;
• Alman I (lute);
• Alman II (lute);
• Alman III (lute);
• Alman IV;
• Corant (lute);
• Full fathom five; (The Tempest)
• Have you seen the white lily grow?;
• Adieu, fond love;
• Come away, thou lady gay;
• Tell me, dearest;
• The Witches' Dance;

Some other pieces

• Fantasia;
• The Gypsies’ dance;
• Gallyard (My Lady Mildmay’s Delight);
• How wretched is the state;
• With endless tears;
• Get you hence;
• He That Will an Alehouse Keep

Pieces for lute solo

• Two Almains

Notes

External links

• http://ise.uvic.ca/Library/SLTnoframes/literature/courtmusicians.html
• http://www.contemplator.com/england/walkfrth.html
• http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/robert-johnson.htm