A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Galliard, John

by William H. Husk

GALLIARD, John Ernest, son of a perruquier of Zell, in Hanover, where he was born about 1687. He studied composition under Farinelli—uncle of the singer, and director of the concerts at Hanover—and Steffani. He soon attained distinction as a performer on the oboe, and coming to England about 1706 was appointed chamber musician to Prince George of Denmark. On the death of Draghi, the then sinecure appointment of organist at Somerset House was bestowed upon him. He speedily learned English, and composed a Te Deum and Jubilate and three anthems ('I will magnify Thee, Lord,' 'O Lord God of Hosts,' and 'I am well pleased'), which were performed at St. Paul's and the Chapel Royal on occasions of thanksgiving for victories. In 1712 he composed the music for Hughes's opera 'Calypso and Telemachus,' which was performed at the Queen's Theatre in the Haymarket. [App. p.644 "in 1713 he was playing in the orchestra at the opera, having a solo part in the accompaniment of the last air in the first act of Handel's 'Teseo.'"] From about 1717 he was employed by Rich to furnish the music for the curious admixtures of masque and harlequinade which he exhibited under the name of pantomime, and produced several excellent compositions for pieces of that description. In 1728 he set for two voices, cantata-wise, the Morning Hymn of Adam and Eve from Milton's 'Paradise Lost.' This admirable composition was afterwards enlarged by Dr Benjamin Cooke by the addition of orchestral accompaniments and the expansion of some of the movements into choruses. In 1742 Galliard published a translation of Pier Francesco Tosi's 'Opinioni di Cantori Antichi e Moderni, o sieno Osservazioni sopra il Canto Figurato,' under the title of 'Observations on the Florid Song; or, Sentiments on the Ancient and Modern Singers.' In 1745 he had a benefit concert at Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre, at which were performed his music for the choruses in the tragedy 'Julius Caesar,' by John Sheffield, Duke of Buckinghamshire, and a piece for 24 bassoons and 4 double basses. Galliard died early in 1749, leaving a small but curious collection of music, which was dispersed by auction after his decease. Besides the pieces mentioned he composed music for 'Pan and Syrinx,' opera, 1717; 'Jupiter and Europa,' pantomime, 1723; 'The Necromancer; or, Harlequin Dr. Faustus,' pantomime, 1723; 'Harlequin Sorcerer, with The Loves of Pluto and Proserpine' (the second title afterwards changed to 'The Rape of Proserpine'), pantomime, 1725; 'Apollo and Daphne; or, The Burgomaster tricked,' pantomime, 1726; 'The Royal Chace; or, Merlin's Cave,' a musical entertainment, 1736, in which occurred the famous hunting song 'With early horn,' which the singing of Beard rendered so extremely popular; music for Lee's tragedy 'Œdipus'; several cantatas, songs, solos for violin, [App. p.644 "violincello,"] bassoon, etc. At the time of his death he had nearly completed the composition of an Italian opera, 'Oreste e Pilade, overa la Forza dell' Amicizia.' Sir John Hawkins conjectured, from internal evidence, that Galliard made the translation of the Abbé Raguenet's 'Parallel,' published in 1709 under the title of 'A comparison between the French and Italian Musick and Operas, with Remarks,' and was the author of 'A Critical Discourse upon Operas in England, and a means proposed for their improvement,' printed at the end of that translation; whilst Dr. Burney, judging from the same evidence, was of a contrary opinion.

[ W. H. H. ]