DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS PERFORMANCE PORTFOLIO ...

eing a friend of Mozart and an outstanding tenor of his day, sang the first Don
Basilio in The Marriage ofFigaro. After the performances of the opera in Vienna in
1787 Kelly travelled to London2 and would have probably meet up with his friend
Eley, maybe Kelly sang the March to Eley who wrote it down then published it as a
commission for the Duke of York? It is safe to say that it was later published in 1805
under the new title The Figaro March, Mozart arranged Eley. The Regiment adapted
the march as its Regimental March in 1805.
PERFORMANCE
Performance
styles have changed dramatically since the music of Eley was
first performed. It is impossible to know with absolute certainty how the music would
have sounded. Instruments have become louder, the tuning pitch level has risen, and
performance spaces have changed dramatically. Without question performances styles
and practices are much different today. 3
Much research was done comparing existing works of the period with that of
Eley in order to be as accurate as possible in both tempo and style. It was found that
the quick march tempo was slightly slower than today's J= 120 beats per minute,
whilst the slow marches are quicker than today's 65 beats per minute. Conclusive
tempo and Stylistic recommendations based upon the performance practice research of
Graham Jones are listed belOW: 4
2 Michael Kelly, Reminiscences,
ed. Roger Fiske (London: Oxford University Press,
1975), 131.
3 Thursford Dad, 7'he
Interpretation ofMusic (New York: Harper Colophon, 1963),
76.
4 There are several good texts on performance practise. See: Adam Carse, The
Orchestra in the XVINth CenturY (Cambridge, England: W. Heffer & Sons Limited,
1940; reprint, 1950). Thursford Dart, The Interpretation ofMusic (New York: Harper
Colophon, 1963) and the musical scores of Ignace, Pleyel and Samuel Arnold held in
the British Library.
3