New Music for the Piano Forte or Harpsichord
by Riddell, Capt. Robert

Full title: New Music for the Piano Forte or Harpsichord; Composed by a Gentleman Consisting of a Collection of Reels, Minuets, Hornpipes, Marches and two Songs in the Old Scotch Taste, with Variations, to five favorite Tunes.

Publisher: Edinburgh

Printer: James Johnson Engraver, Bells Wynd

Date: [1785?]

Description:

Reels, some variations, and two songs apparently tacked on at the end: some interesting tunes with character.

Notes:

The seven reels on the first three pages have almost identical repetitive basses.
'Mrs Riddell's Hornpipe' (p4) is two simple lines, but does appear to be piano music in the form of a fiddle tune with bass, as does 'Miss Wood's Minuet'.
The first set of variations is on 'O'Kellys Rant', with detailed ornaments written in very short notes. 'Tullochgorum' is given with almost no dotted rhythms.

Gore: R6-1

Biographical info: Captain Robert Riddell of Glenriddel (c.1745-94) was an antiquarian, composer, gentleman amateur, and friend of Robert Burns. Glen echoed Edinburgh librarian David Laing in asserting that Riddell wasn't very musical and that the 'reels and other dances which the Editor has seen ... have little or no merit.' (Glen 1, xii) Alburger describes his Collection of Scotch Galwegian and Border Tunes as 'useful', but echoes Glen regarding Riddell's own compositions. (Alburger, 139-41)

Location(s):

GB-En Inglis 296(1)
GB-En Mus.E.l.111

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