Opera Scotland

John Frederick Lampe Suggest updates

Johann Friedrich Lampe.

Born Saxony, c1703.

Died Edinburgh, 25 July 1751.

German (later English) bassoonist and composer.

Lampe grew up in Saxony, and moved to London in his early twenties, around 1725. He took up the post of bassoonist at the King's Theatre, Haymarket, and his compositions, much influenced by Handel, were played there regularly. After he started to concentrate on parody, he had a great popular success with The Dragon of Wantley.

Lampe was related by marriage to the composer Thomas Arne (their wives being sisters).

He toured widely in Britain, and after his London career faltered, he lived for a brief period in Dublin from 1748, then settled in Edinburgh, where he died.

Stage works performed in Scotland are shown in bold:

01   Amelia (London 1732) (Carey)

02   Britannia (London 1732) ()

03   Dione (London 1733) ()

04   The Opera of Operas, or Tom Thumb the Great (London 1733) ()

05   The Dragon of Wantley (London 1737) (Carey)

06   Margery, or A Worse Plague than the Dragon (London 1738) ()

07   The Sham Conjuror (London 1741) ()

08   Pyramus and Thisbe (London 1745) (anon)