masque-msg - 5/22/08
Masque, a form of dramatic writing and production featuring poetry, music,
and dance, popular in 17th-century England, especially in court circles.
NOTE: See also the files: masks-msg, dance-msg, theater-msg, theater-bib.
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Subject: Re: 12th Night Masque or Masked Ball?
Date: Wed, 4 Oct 2000 14:58:08 -0400
From: "Wolf Kestris Rowanwood" <kestris at earthlink.net>
To: "Ceridwen/Jessica McMahan" <ceridwen at disinfo.net>,<atlantia at atlantia.sca.org>
> Yes, could someone please explain what a Masque is? I'm quite perplexed
> and can't find any information online...
>
> Lady Ceridwen merc Tudwal Penwyn
> Black Diamond PE
http://encarta.msn.com/find/Concise.asp?ti=052AE000
Masque
Masque, form of dramatic writing and production featuring poetry, music,
and dance, popular in 17th-century England, especially in court
circles. In the masque, the actors wore masks and usually represented allegorical or mythical characters. (The use of masks in drama originated in ancient Greece; their use in masques was part of the classical revival of the
Renaissance.) The roots of the masque may be found in Italian and French
pageants and masquerades, as well as in the English disguising, a
performance descended from the practice of mumming and the art of the
troubadours. Actors spoke, sang, and danced on allegorical or mythological
subjects in the disguising, which was known from the early 15th century in
Italy. The most important development added by the masque was audience
participation in the dances.
The formal court masque was introduced in 1512, during the reign of King Henry VIII of England. During the reign of James I, the masque became the most popular form of drama. The literary form was greatly improved, and a fine lyric style was introduced and perfected by the English playwright and poet Ben Jonson, who wrote many works in this genre. Masques were also written by the playwright John Fletcher. The poet John Milton wrote two works in masque form, Arcades (1632-1634?) and Comus (1634), both with music by the composer Henry Lawes. The genius of the English architect and stage designer Inigo Jones contributed greatly to the technical improvements in the production of masques. Several hundred of his sketches of costumes and scenery are extant in various collections. The best-known composer of music for the masques, who collaborated with Jonson and Jones from 1605 to 1612, was Alfonso Ferrabosco. Among their collaborations are Masque of Blackness (1605) and Masque of Beauty (1608), from both of which music has survived. The poet Thomas Campion wrote both music and texts for such works as Masque in Honor of the Marriage of Lord Hayes (1607). Robert Johnson wrote music for Shakespeare's The Tempest, a play that incorporates masques in several scenes, as well as for the dances in other masques. The dances-the entry, the main dance, and the going off-were the most important element of the masque. Burlesque dances, called antimasques, were also incorporated.
After enjoying a great vogue, the masque declined rapidly in England, but it survived for another century at the royal court of France and at other European courts. Many of the forms and characters were gradually incorporated into later forms such as ballet, opera, and pantomime. The masque has not survived in modern times, except as an esoteric literary form.
Quite possibly, more than you really wanted to know, eh? *G*
-Wolf
From: "willowdewisp at juno.com" <willowdewisp at juno.com>
Date: May 22, 2008 10:45:22 PM CDT
To: ansteorra at lists.ansteorra.org
Subject: [Ansteorra] site for masque costume butterfly wings
These are the three site I found that had good things on Masque costumes. I did not write them but I will be putting something together later in the year. The second one has the pictures with the Butterfly wings.
willow
http://www.elizabethancostume.net/wardrobe/masque.html
http://www.elizabethancostume.net/masque/index.html
http://people.cornell.edu/pages/ms154/masque/
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