Matthew Peter King
Matthew Peter King was an English composer, mainly of light operas.
Life
Little is known of his life. King was born in London about 1773, and studied musical composition under Charles Frederick Horn. He lived mainly in London, where he died in January 1823.Compositions
King wrote the music to a number of dramatic pieces, most of which were produced at the Lyceum Theatre, London. These include:Matrimony, comic opera, words by James Kenney, 1804The Invisible Girl, and The Weathercock, 1806False Alarms, comic opera, music by King and John Braham, words by J. Kenney, 1807One O'clock, or The Wood Demon, comic opera, music by King and Kenney, words by M. G. Lewis, 1807Ella Rosenberg, melodrama, by J. Kenney, 1807Up all Night, or The Smugglers' Cave, comic opera, words by S. J. Arnold, 1809Plots, or The North Tower, melodramatic opera, words by S. J. Arnold, 1810Oh! this Love, comic opera, words by J. Kenney, 1810The Americans, music by King and Braham, 1811Timour the Tartar, romantic melodrama, by M. G. Lewis, 1811Turn him out, musical farce, words by J. Kenney, 1812The Fisherman's Hut, music by King and Davy, 1819King 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.
Literature
He was the author of:Thorough Bass made easy to every Capacity A General Treatise on Music, particularly on Harmony or Thorough Bass Introduction to the Theory and Practice of Singing at First Sight- He edited The Harmonist, a Collection of Glees and Madrigals from the Classic Poets