Marriage à-la-Mode was first performed in London in 1673 by the King's Company. It is written in a combination of prose, blank verse and heroic couplets. It has often been praised as Dryden's best comedic endeavour, and it's said that "the comic scenes are beautifully written, and Dryden has taken care to connect them with the serious plot by a number of effective links. He writes with . . . one of the most thoughtful treatments of sex and marriage that Restoration comedy can show." The play contains two songs, "Why Should a Foolish Marriage Vow" by Robert Smith and "Whilst Alexis Lay Pressed" by Nicholas Staggins, both set to Dryden's lyrics and printed in the 1673 book Choice Songs and Ayres for One Voyce to Sing to the Theorbo-Lute or Bass-Viol. John Dryden's play has rarely, if ever, been published with the included sheet music, rendering performances difficult. This edition has crisp new copies of the songs "Whilst Alexis Lay Pressed" and "Why Should a Foolish Marriage Vow" transcribed from the original 17th century printings.
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Publisher: CreateSpace
Released: 2010
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