of Bohemia. The following year he was at Mantua, and in 1725 sang for the first time at Venice in the 'Seleuco' of Zuccari, and in 1726 with Farinelli and Paita. In 1728 and 30 he visited Rome, singing in Vinci's 'Alessandro nell' Indie' and 'Artaserse.' Owen Swiny, happening to be in Italy with Lord Boyne and Mr. Walpole, wrote to Colman from Bologna, on July 12, 1730, mentioning letters which he had received from Handel, and goes on to say: 'I find that Senesino or Carestini are desired at 1200 guineas each, if they are to be had. I am sure that Carestini is engaged at Milan, and has been so for many months past.' Senesino was engaged for London on this occasion; but three years later Handel was more fortunate, and Carestini made his début here on Dec. 4, 1733, in 'Cajus Fabricius,' a pasticcio; and his magnificent voice and style enabled Handel to withstand the opposition, headed by Farinelli, at the other house. In 34 he sang in 'Ariadne,' 'Pastor Fido,' 'Parnasso in Festa,' 'Otho,' 'Terpsichore,' 'Deborah,' and 'Athaliah'; and the next season in 'Ariodante' and 'Alcina.' In the cast of the latter his name is spelt Carestino, as it is also by Colman. In 'Alcina' occurs the beautiful song 'Verdi prati,' which he sent back to the composer as not suited to him. Handel on this became furious, ran to the house of the singer, and addressed to him the following harangue: 'You tog! don't I know petter as yourseluf vaat es pest for you to sing! If you vill not sing all de song vaat I give you, I will not pay you ein stiver' (Burney). In 1735 Carestini left England for Venice, and for twenty years after continued to enjoy the highest reputation on the continent, singing at Berlin in 1750, 54, and 55. In 55 he was engaged at St. Petersburg, where he remained till 58, when he quitted the stage, to retire to his native country and enjoy a well-earned repose. Shortly after, he died. He was held in the highest esteem by Handel, Hasse, and other composers, in whose works he had sung. Quantz says: 'he had one of the strongest and most beautiful contralto voices, which extended from D (in the F clef) to G above the treble clef. He was also extremely perfect in passages which he executed with the chest-voice, according to the principles of the school of Bernacchi, and after the manner of Farinelli: in his ornaments he was bold and felicitous. He was also a very good actor; and his person was tall, handsome, and commanding. There is a good mezzotint of him by J. Faber, engraved in 1735 from a picture by George Knapton, of which a fine impression is now rare.
[ J. M. ]
CAREY, Henry, a reputed natural son of George Savile, Marquis of Halifax, was a popular composer and dramatist in the first half of the 18th century. His first music-master was a German named Olaus Westeinson Linnert, and he subsequently received instruction from Roseingrave and Geminiani. Although possessed of ready invention as a melodist, yet, his acquaintance with the science of his art being but limited, he had to gain a subsistence chiefly by teaching. In 1715 he wrote and composed the music for the farce of 'The Contrivances; or, More Ways than One,' which was produced at Drury Lane Theatre on August 9 in that year with much success. The character of Arethusa in this piece was long the probationary part for female singers before they ventured on parts of more importance. His next production was a farce called 'Hanging and Marriage; or, The Dead Man's Wedding,' performed March 15, 1722, at Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre. In 28 he set to music the songs in Vanbrugh and Cibber's comedy 'The Provoked Husband.' He next wrote the operas of 'Amelia' (the music by Lampe), which was performed at the Haymarket Theatre in the summer of 1732, and 'Teraminta,' which was set to music by John Christopher Smith and produced at Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre on Nov. [App. p.579 "Oct."] 20, 1732. Each of these pieces was described as 'a New English Opera after the Italian manner.' On Dec. 2, 32, Carey produced at Drury Lane Theatre a ballad opera called 'Betty; or, The Country Bumpkins,' which met with a cold reception. In 33 he wrote and composed a musical entertainment called 'Cephalus and Procris,' which was produced at Drury Lane Theatre with a pantomime interlude entitled 'Harlequin Volgi.' On Feb. 22, 1734, he produced at the Haymarket Theatre 'The most Tragical Tragedy that ever was Tragedized by any Company of Tragedians, called, Chrononhotonthologos'; a highly humorous burlesque of the bombast and fustian prevalent among some of the dramatists of the day, and especially of their partiality for tautologous expressions. This he also described as his 'Tragedy of half an act.' In 1735 he produced a ballad-opera entitled 'A Wonder; or, the Honest Yorkshireman,' performed by the Covent Garden company at Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre for one night only, July 11, 1735, but which, when transferred to the Haymarket and Goodman's Fields Theatres later in the same year under its second title, met with such success that it was soon adopted at the other theatres and long remained a stock piece. On Oct. 26, 1737 Carey's burlesque-opera 'The Dragon of Wantley,' a satire on the Italian opera of the day, the music by Lampe, was produced at Covent Garden Theatre with such signal success that it ran 67 nights during the season. In the next year the author and composer joined in the production of a sequel entitled 'Margery; or, A Worse Plague than the Dragon' (a title afterwards changed to 'The Dragoness'), which was produced at Covent Garden Theatre on Dec. 9, 1738. Although by no means deficient in merit, its success was but partial. In 39, on the breaking out of the war with Spain, Carey wrote and composed a musical interlude called 'Nancy; or, The Parting Lovers,' which was brought out at Drury Lane Theatre and was remarkably successful. It was revived at Covent Garden Theatre, with alterations in 1755 (on the prospect of a war) under the name of 'The Press Gang; or, Love in Low Life,' and frequently brought forward on similar
