Matthew Peter King

Matthew Peter King (c.1773 – January 1823) was an English composer, mainly of light operas.

Life

Little is known of his life. King was born in London about 1773,[1] and studied musical composition under Charles Frederick Horn. He lived mainly in London, where he died in January 1823.[2]

Compositions

King wrote the music to a number of dramatic pieces, most of which were produced at the Lyceum Theatre, London. These include:[2]

  • Matrimony, comic opera, words by James Kenney, 1804
  • The Invisible Girl, and The Weathercock, 1806
  • False Alarms, comic opera, music by King and John Braham, words by J. Kenney, 1807
  • One O'clock, or The Wood Demon, comic opera, music by King and Kenney, words by M. G. Lewis, 1807
  • Ella Rosenberg, melodrama, by J. Kenney, 1807
  • Up all Night, or The Smugglers' Cave, comic opera, words by S. J. Arnold, 1809
  • Plots, or The North Tower, melodramatic opera, words by S. J. Arnold, 1810
  • Oh! this Love, comic opera, words by J. Kenney, 1810
  • The Americans, music by King and Braham, 1811
  • Timour the Tartar, romantic melodrama, by M. G. Lewis, 1811
  • Turn him out, musical farce, words by J. Kenney, 1812
  • The Fisherman's Hut, music by King and Davy, 1819

King composed a number of glees, ballads, and piano pieces, as well as an oratorio, The Intercession, which was produced at Covent Garden in 1817. From this, Eve's lamentation, "Must I leave thee, Paradise?" became very popular.[2]

Literature

He was the author of:[2]

  • Thorough Bass made easy to every Capacity (1796)
  • A General Treatise on Music, particularly on Harmony or Thorough Bass (1800; new edition 1809)
  • Introduction to the Theory and Practice of Singing at First Sight (1806)
  • He edited The Harmonist, a Collection of Glees and Madrigals from the Classic Poets (1814)

His son, C. M. King, published some songs in 1826.[2]

References
  1. "King, Matthew Peter". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/15579. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  2. Sharp, Robert Farquharson (1892). "King, Matthew Peter" . In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. 31. London: Smith, Elder & Co. p. 142.

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