_Concolinel_ (Vol. ii., p. 217.).--I have been many years engaged in
researches connected with {318} the _original_ music of Shakspeare's
Plays, but it has not been my good fortune to meet with the air of
_Concolinel_. The communication of your correspondent R. is of the
greatest interest, and I should be for ever grateful if he would allow
me to see the manuscript in question, in order that I might test the
_genuineness_ of the air "stated, in a recent hand, to be the tune of
_Concolinel_ mentioned by Shakspeare."
This air has double claims on our attention, as its existence, in any
shape, is placed amongst the "doubtful" points by the following note
extracted from the Rev. J. Hunter's _New Illustrations of Shakspeare_,
vol. i. p. 268.:--
"Concolinel. In the absence of any thing like sufficient
explanation or justification of this word, if word it is, I will
venture to suggest the possibility that it is a corruption of a
stage direction, _Cantat Ital._, for _Cantat Italicé_; meaning
that here Moth sings an Italian song. It is quite evident, from
what Armado says, when the song was ended, 'Sweet air!' that a
song of some sort was sung, and one which Shakespeare was
pleased with, and meant to praise. If Moth's song had been an
English song, it would have been found in its place as the other
songs are."
I, for one, cannot subscribe to Mr. Hunter's suggestion that our great
poet intended an _Italian_ song to be sung in his play and for this
reason, that Italian music for a _single voice_ was almost unknown in
this country in 1597, at which date we know _Love's Labour's Lost_ was
in existence. Surely _Concolinel_ is just as likely to be the burden of
a song as _Calen o Custure me_, mentioned in _Henry the Fifth_ (Act iv.
sc. 4.), of which there is now no doubt.
I may just mention, in passing, that I have discovered the air of _Calen
o Custure me_ in a manuscript that once belonged to Queen Elizabeth, and
have ample proof that it was an especial favourite with her maiden
majesty. The commentators were at fault when they pointed out the more
modern tune of the same name in Playford's _Musical Companion_, 1667.