A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Pantomime

by William H. Husk

PANTOMIME (Gr. 'An imitation of everything'). A kind of dramatic entertainment in which the performers express themselves by gestures to the accompaniment of music, and which may be called a prose ballet. It has been in use among Oriental nations from very ancient times. The Greeks introduced pantomime into their choruses, some of the performers gesticulating, accompanied by music, whilst others sang. The Romans had entire dramatic representations consisting of dancing and gesticulation only, and some of their performers attained high excellence in the art. A mixture of pantomime and dancing constituted the modern ballet d'action, so long an appendage to the Italian opera. The entertainment commonly known in this country as a Pantomime was introduced about I715 at Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre by John Rich, who himself, under the name of Lun, performed the character of Harlequin in a style which extorted the admiration of those who most disapproved of the class of piece. His pantomimes were originally musical masques, usually upon some classical mythological subject, between the scenes of which harlequinade scenes were introduced, the two parts having no connection. The music for the majority of them was composed by J. E. Galliard. Their popularity compelled the managers of Drury Lane to adopt pantomimes in order to successfully compete with their rival, and they were then soon produced at other theatres also. After a time the original form was changed, and in lieu of the mythological masque, a short drama, of three or four scenes, was constructed, the invariable characters in which, under different shapes, were an old man, his pretty daughter, or ward whom he was desirous of uniting to a wealthy but foolish suitor, but who had a poorer and favoured lover and the old man's knavish serving-man. The girl and her lover were protected by a benevolent fairy, whilst the old man and his favourite had the assistance of a malevolent spirit. To counteract the machinations of the evil being, the fairy determined that her protegés should undergo a term of probation under different shapes, and accordingly transformed them into Harlequin and Columbine, giving to the former a magic bat to assist him in his progress. The evil spirit then transformed the old man and his servant into Pantaloon and Clown, and the wealthy suitor into the Dandy Lover, and the harlequinade commenced, the two lovers being pursued by the others through a variety of scenes, but always foiling them by the aid of the bat.^[1] At length the fairy reappeared and declared the success of the lovers, and the piece terminated. This form continued in use for many years; and indeed, although much altered in detail, it still constitutes the basis of modern pantomime. Vocal music was largely introduced, not only in the opening, but also in the harlequinade, and the best English composers did not disdain to employ their talents in producing it. The two Arnes, Dibdin, Battishill, Linley, Shield, Attwood, and others, all composed music for this class of entertainment. About 1830 the length of the opening was greatly extended and more spectacular effects introduced, and the 'transformation scene' became by degrees the climax of the whole. Original music was still composed for the pantomime, but the task of producing it was entrusted to inferior composers. Gradually the harlequinade scenes were reduced in number, the opening assumed the character of an extravaganza upon the subject of some nursery tale, and the music became a selection of the popular tunes of the day. In the early pantomimes Harlequin was the principal character, and continued so until the genius of Grimaldi placed the Clown in the most prominent position. While modern Clowns are content to display their skill as acrobats, Grimaldi aimed at higher objets; he was a singing Clown, witness, amongst many others, his famous songs, 'Tipitywichet,' and 'Hot Codlins,' and his duet with the oyster he was about to open:—

Oyster.	O gentle swain, thy knife resign, Nor wound a heart so soft as mine.
Clown.	Who is 't that would my pity move?
Oyster.	An oyster that is cross'd in love, etc.

In pantomimes of the middle period the pantomimists who sustained the principal parts in the harlequinade invariably performed in the opening the characters who were transformed. A consideration of the difference between the Italian Arlecchino and the English Harlequin is beyond the scope of our present purpose.

[ W. H. H. ]

1. The names Harlequin, Columbine, and Pantaloon are derived from the Italian—Arlecchino, Colombina, and Pantalone. Clown is known in Italy as Pagliaccio; in France as Paillasse, or Pitre; in German as Bajaz, or Hanswurst (Jack-pudding).