Not on display

Madea Quadrilles

Sheet Music
ca. 1856 (published)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This music sheet is illustrated with a photograph of the celebrated comedian and singer, the diminutive Frederick Robson (1821-1864) dressed as the Italian opera singer Adelaide Ristori playing Medea, which she had done in Paris in 1856 in Ernst Legouvé's 3-act opera Medea.

Robson (1821-1864) who was born in Margate Thomas Brownhill, became a star of London's Olympic Theatre and eventually one of its managers. He had a great talent for burlesque, or performances that parodied the originals, and he was a hit in the burlesque Medea, or, Best of Mothers with a Brute of a Husband written by Robert Brough, which opened at the Olympic Theatre on 14 July 1856. Charles Dickens noted in one of his letters that in it Robson performed: 'a frantic song and dagger dance, about 10 minutes long altogether, which has more passion in it than Ristori could express in 50 years.'


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 3 parts.
(Some alternative part names are also shown below)
  • Sheet Music
  • Prints
  • Sheet Music
  • Prints
  • Sheet Music
  • Prints
TitleMadea Quadrilles (published title)
Materials and techniques
Chromolithograph. Intermediate pages composed of printed text.
Brief description
Music sheet for Medea Quadrilles composed by John Barnard, from the burlesque Medea, or, Best of Mothers with a Brute of a Husband by Robert Brough, Olympic Theatre 1856. Published by The Musical Treasury, ca. 1856.
Physical description
Music sheet for Medea Quadrilles composed by John Barnard, published by The Musical Treasury, ca. 19th century.
Dimensions
  • Front cover height: 34cm (approx)
  • Front cover width: 25cm
Credit line
Gabrielle Enthoven Collection
Subject depicted
Association
Summary
This music sheet is illustrated with a photograph of the celebrated comedian and singer, the diminutive Frederick Robson (1821-1864) dressed as the Italian opera singer Adelaide Ristori playing Medea, which she had done in Paris in 1856 in Ernst Legouvé's 3-act opera Medea.

Robson (1821-1864) who was born in Margate Thomas Brownhill, became a star of London's Olympic Theatre and eventually one of its managers. He had a great talent for burlesque, or performances that parodied the originals, and he was a hit in the burlesque Medea, or, Best of Mothers with a Brute of a Husband written by Robert Brough, which opened at the Olympic Theatre on 14 July 1856. Charles Dickens noted in one of his letters that in it Robson performed: 'a frantic song and dagger dance, about 10 minutes long altogether, which has more passion in it than Ristori could express in 50 years.'


Associated objects
Collection
Accession number
S.355-2014

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Record createdJanuary 10, 2014
Record URL
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