Duffin, Ross W.. Unmasked. Lost Music for the 1613 Palatine Wedding Masques.

Duffin, Ross W.. Unmasked. Lost Music for the 1613 Palatine Wedding Masques. New York: Oxford University Press, 2025.


Abstract:
The 1613 marriage of Princess Elizabeth of England to Frederick, Count Palatine, was one of the most spectacular events of King James’s court, lavishly celebrated with banquets, tournaments, a mock sea battle, fireworks, and most notably, with masques—extravagant entertainments with elaborate sets, costumes, much dancing, and songs. Three masques have long been associated with the celebrations, but sadly, although we have the lyrics, music survives for only one song. One other song can be identified as a close partner to an existing song by the same poet/composer, Thomas Campion. Using the clue of that contrafaction, music has been found for all of the songs in all three of those masques, and a little-known fourth masque for the same occasion, in French, has been reconstructed. This book presents the complete dialogue and descriptions from each masque, along with reconstructed songs and dances, enabling a fuller understanding of what the Jacobean court audience experienced at the events. Fully staged performances of these icons of Jacobean culture are also made possible for the first time.