Richard Jones (1680? - died 20 January 1744) was an English

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

and violinist. Jones's first publication appeared in 1720, a solo cantata ''While in a Lovely Rurall Seat''. He was associated with the

Drury Lane Drury Lane is a street on the eastern boundary of the Covent Garden area of London, running between Aldwych and High Holborn. The northern part is in the borough of Camden and the southern part in the City of Westminster. Notable landmarks ...

Theater Orchestra in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

possibly as early as 1723; according to

John Hawkins John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

, in 1730 he succeeded Stefano Carbonelli as the orchestra's leader. He taught violin as well;

Michael Christian Festing Michael Christian Festing (29 November 1705 – 24 July 1752) was an English violinist and composer. His reputation lies mostly on his work as a violin virtuoso. Biography Michael Christian Festing was born in London to parents John and Elizabet ...

was one of his pupils. He was a stage composer at a time when Georg Frideric Handel's music dominated the British stage, and much of his music, or what of it survives, shows clear Italianate influence. He died in 1744, of which his position in Drury Lane was succeeded by Richard Clarke. Like the details of his life, little of Jones's music survives. His

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking ...

stage works and ballad operas are all lost except for a keyboard reduction of the overture to ''The Miser'' and 18 pieces which are probably from the same work. His keyboard and violin suites have been noted for their wide, angular leaps and unconventional structure.

Works

;Stage *''Apollo and Daphne'', masque (1725, music lost) (Written with John Thurmond, and

Henry Carey Henry Carey may refer to: *Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon (1526–1596), politician, general, and potential illegitimate son of Henry VIII *Henry Carey, 1st Earl of Dover (1580–1666), English peer *Henry Carey, 2nd Earl of Monmouth (1596–1661), ...

*''The Miser'', pantomime (1726, music lost; keyboard reduction survives in part) (Written with John Thurmond) *''The Mock Doctor'', ballad opera (1732, music lost) *''Hymen's Triumph'', pantomime (1737, music lost) ;Other *''While in a Lovely Rurall Seat'', cantata (1720) *''6 Suits or Setts of Lessons'' for keyboard (1732) *''8 Chamber Air's'' for violin and

basso continuo Basso continuo parts, almost universal in the Baroque era (1600–1750), provided the harmonic structure of the music by supplying a bassline and a chord progression. The phrase is often shortened to continuo, and the instrumentalists playing th ...

, op. 2 (1735) *''6 Suites of Lessons'' for violin and basso continuo, op. 3 (1741) *''Sonata in A minor''

References

*Richard Platt, "Richard Jones". ''

The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' is an encyclopedic dictionary of music and musicians. Along with the German-language ''Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart'', it is one of the largest reference works on the history and theo ...

'' online. * Richard Jonesat

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

1744 deaths English classical composers English Baroque composers Year of birth unknown 18th-century classical composers 18th-century British male musicians English male classical composers English classical violinists 18th-century violinists British male violinists Male classical violinists Year of birth uncertain {{England-musician-stub