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Robert Johnson

Robert Johnson was the child of composer/lutenist John Johnson. While his dad was known mainly for his lute music, Robert was even more flexible in his result, turning out both lute and sacred vocal functions, aswell as songs, specifically songs created for plays. With this second option genre he was an integral figure in creating the greater declamatory design that started to emerge in Britain in the next decade from the seventeenth hundred years. The exact information on Robert Johnson’s delivery are uncertain, but he most likely was created in London around 1583. His early musical education unquestionably originated from his dad, who passed away in 1594, when Robert was about 11. In 1596 the youthful boy was used into the support of George Carey, who experienced been recently appointed Lord Chamberlain. Carey offered for Robert’s music education and provided him with space and board, in place serving like a surrogate dad. Johnson’s earliest making it through lute music times to around 1600, about the center of the time he was indentured to Carey. He remaining Carey’s support in 1603 and the next year guaranteed the visit of lutenist to Ruler Wayne I. His dad had offered in the same capability under Queen Elizabeth. Johnson would keep this exclusive post, along with others concurrently, until his loss of life in 1633. Over time of travel overseas in 1605-1607 using the Earl of Hertford, Johnson came back to Britain and began dealing with a troupe of stars and performers, the King’s Males. He soon started producing songs for his or her plays, especially for his or her Shakespeare productions: for Cymbeline (1609-1610) he published “Hark! hark! the lark!”; for The Tempest (ca. 1611) he made up two of his most well-known songs, “Complete Fathom Five” and “Where in fact the bee sucks.” Johnson also published songs for additional has, including some by Beaumont and Fletcher, and Ben Jonson. It would appear that Johnson either composed no lute music after 1615, or that if he do, the manuscripts had been lost. He continuing to write music for plays in to the 1620s, nevertheless, and remained energetic at Court aswell. Besides portion as lutenist towards the Ruler, he held supplementary content with Prince Henry (1610-1612) and Prince Charles (1617-1625). The last mentioned position didn’t result in 1625, nevertheless, but was redefined and maintained with the composer until his loss of life in past due November 1633.

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