Tracing the Madness

Victoria Oftestad

As a tourist in London during the late 17th century, it was mandatory to visit the House of Bedlam, the biggest mental institution in the city. The patients, being considered completely unreasonable, were attributed animalic characteristics, which was reflected in the brutal treatment behind the bars. The ultimate mirroring of the culture of exposing madness could be found in the theatre. Composers for the theatre, in wanting to explore the inability of reason in humanity, wrote The Mad Songs, where the madness is reflected in quick shifts in emotions. These songs have been my tool to gain access to a broader palette of expression in singing. I have developed a handbook of historically informed techniques and documented my process of embodying them, using sources such as Le Brun's "Conférence (...)" (1698); Walter Charleton's "Natural History of the Passions" (1701); Aaron Hill's "The Art of Acting" (1753); and George Vandenhoff's "The Art of Elocution" (1846). My quest for madness has also become a quest for genuinity. When Charles Le Brun conveyed his theory of expression on canvas, he strongly distinguished the difference between painting tense muscles and painting genuine expression. This has become a guideline for my research: in order to gain genuinity, one has to channel a reaction and produce an impulse. This study is an attempt to bridge the gap between now and then, allowing for a deeper understanding of the Mad Songs, as well as encouraging others to dive into theatrical repertoire on its own premises.

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V. Executing Madness - The Handbook

During the year of 2024, I suffered some minor vocal issues. Because of this, I was not able to execute my research experiments until January 2025. The following videos are therefore a documentation of my first experiences with the exercises, rather than something that was allowed to develop over a long time. However, during the spring of 2024, I followed the class of “Rhetorical Acting for Musicians,"¹ and through that course, I created a base for what I wanted to research. The following handbook can be seen as a guide for singers on how to get into the field of historically informed acting, whether in connection to Mad Songs or other material from the period, as well as a documentation of my first experience with historically informed embodiment.

I have divided the Mad Song: "Restless in thought, disturbed in mind"² into different passions (access the full set-up here) of my choice, both obvious and contradictory matches with the text phrase. Each passion, I have connected with the suiting description, painting and/or exercise from my chosen sources. However, not all passions are covered in all sources, therefore the material will vary somewhat from passion to passion. Where Aaron Hill's essay doesn't cover the passion, I have still kept his method of the Mazy Round³, and remained uncompromising in my search for complexity in passions, despite lack of material.

I have let Charleton contribute a scientific and philosophical insight; Le Brun to present a visual alternative for facial expression; Hill to put my body in the right position; and Vandenhoff to guide me towards an historically informed way of speech. I am going from speech to song, and thus searching for my inner 17th century Mad Singer. Let the experiment begin!

Restless in thought, disturbed in mind

See the full score in the Appendix.

The Mad Song I have chosen for my experiment, is written by John Eccles for the play She ventures, and he wins⁴. My reason to choose this specific song is because of its clear descriptions of emotions, and the fact that it doesn’t refer to characters from antique mythology, as so many Mad Songs and theatre songs from that time do. It can simply be taken out of its context quite easily, however, I will still give you an insight of precisely that. The official title is “A Song in She Venturs He Wins, Sung by Mrs. Hogdson,” but I will refer to it as “Restless in thought,” based on the first text line. The play from where it is taken, She Venturs He Wins, was written in 1695 by an anonymous young lady under the pseudonym Ariadne. The play caused a lot of discussion and scandal, and led to her pseudonym being left out of the first publication, only saying “Written by a young lady.”⁵

She ventures, and he wins is an entanglement drama where love wins. In the first act, the two female main characters, Charlot, described as “a Rich Heiress” and portrayed by none else than Mrs. Bracegirdle herself, and “Juliana her Cousin, in Love with Sir Ch. Frankford,” portrayed by Mrs. Boman⁶, enter the town in man’s clothes, in want of finding a man who can match Charlot’s heart’s desire, and believing that this can only be done in disguise. Their reasoning is based upon the following, as Charlot herself claims:

Besides, should I meet with the Man whose outside please me, 'twill be impossible by any other means to discover his Humour; for they are so used to flatter and deceive our Sex, that there's nothing but the Angel appears, tho' the Devil lies lurking within, and never so much as shews his Paw till he has got his Prey fast in his Clutches⁷.

I will not go into the plot with a lot of detail, but rather emphasize some interesting choice of words. Juliana is not very convinced by the plan, and uses the word “mad” to describe Charlot. They also describe Charlot’s feelings for her chosen one as one who loves him “to madness”⁸. The following is taken from a conversation between Charlot’s brother: “Sir Charles Frankford, Brother to Charlot, in Love with Juliana”, and “Sir Roger Marwood, Friend to Sir Charles”⁹:

Sir Char.

No, I'll see that Mad Sister of mine dispos'd of first: I'd give Five Hundred Guineas to see her in love; for I dare not own my being so, till she's a little tamed. She'll only make me her sport, as she does all Mankind besides.

Sir Roger.

I think Sir Char. you should rather give it to secure her from it if possible; for what Assurance have you she will not blind with that mad Passion, be betrayed to match her self to one unworthy of her Merit, and bring an Alliance to your Family, you'd blush to own¹⁰.

The use of “mad” to describe both Charlot and the feeling of being in love, is striking. When the Mad Song enters, it is also to describe the torments and chaotic state of being in love, emphasizing precisely how the feeble minds of women can turn to madness by the effect of being in love. The song is sung by Betty, probably a maid or servant, portrayed by Mrs. Hogdson in Act 2, scene 2. She is not mentioned in the Dramatic Personæ, but we know the role holder from the musical score, and Mrs. Hogdson was not an unfamiliar name. Anthony Rooley when talking about John Eccles, mentions her:

Particularly rewarding is “Restless in thought, disturb’d in mind” sung by Mary Hodgson in She Ventures and He Wins (1695). It is a demanding song which needs all the professionalism for which she was famed, being a fine example of the virtuoso vocal art¹¹.

Being two impressive actress-singers, Bracegirdle and Hogdson often worked in the same productions. While Bracegirdle was the star of madness, Hodgson more often sung off-stage as an effect, showing off her impressive vocal skills that she was famous for¹².

If you ever get the chance to witness She Ventures, and he Winns, you will be up for a lot of plotting and confusing misunderstandings. However, as in every comedy, the story ends well, and Charlot (and everybody else) gets her chosen partner. The whole play is concluded with an epilogue which I find particularly interesting. The speaker is using the writer's “troubled Mind” and female characteristics to beg the audience to not judge her work too harshly. I have decided to include the first part of it here as an introduction to the experiment, and encourage you to bear over with me as well:

EPILOGUE, SPOKEN BY MR. DOGGET, DREST AS A BEAU.

Written by Mr. Motteux.

OVR Poetess is troubled in her Mind,

Like some young Thing, not so discreet as kind,

(...)

For, pray take notice, 'tis her Maidenhead,

(that of her Brain I mean) and you that wed

Feel seldom easie Joys, till that is fled.

If you are kind, she's willing to go on;

But if you turn her off, the Nymph turns Nun;

And what a scandal wou'd be to the Nation,

Sheu'd some for want of Trade leave their Vocation;

And, among Friars pray for Occupation?

I'm much afraid a Woman's like a Play,

Yeu'd have 'em new and pretty ev'ry Day,

Or, else, your Servant; 'Gad I cannot stay.

'Tis true, you wait a while in expectation

(When up the Curtain flies) of Recreation;

But you all go, when ere the Play is done;

Then down the Curtain drops, and whip you're gone,

And thence to tell ungrateful Truths you run.

Be kinder; let our unknown Fair appease ye,

Tho' you mislike her Play, her Face may please ye:

She hides it now, yet she mislikes the Task,

But knows how much you love a Visard Mask.

Yet sure she must be safe among You here;

We Beaux can ne're be Criticks on the Fair:

As for you, Judges, if I rightly know ye,

You shou'd think that ungrateful Task below ye.

Ye Braves, that made your Campaign at the Wells,

Storming the Breach of some Fair Citadels,

If kind, may chance to find out where she dwells.

Ladies, for your own sakes you must be kind;

Lest, while we scarce one writing Beauty find,

Vain Man deny your Sex the Graces of the Mind.

Take you her part, the Men of course submit,

And so your Beauty shall secure her Wit.

Let all these Reasons kindly draw you in,

And safely then She Ventures, and we Win.¹³

V.I A quick guide to Le Brun

The following is taken from Jennifer Montagu's translation¹⁴ of Conférence sur l'expression (...)¹⁵ to introduce Le Brun's way of illustrating passions:

"But if it is true that there is one interior part where the soul exercises its functions most immediately, and that this part is the brain, then we way also say that the face is the part where it makes its feelings most apparent.

And as we have said that the gland which is in the middle of the brain is the place where the soul receives the images of the passions, so the eyebrow is the part of the face where the passions are best distinguished, although many have thought that it was the eyes. It is true that the pupil, by its fire and movement, shows the agitation of the soul, but it does not show the nature of this agitation. The mouth and nose also play a large part in expression, but ordinarily these features only follow the movements of the heart, as we shall see later.

(…)

And as we have said that the sensitive part of the soul has two appetites, from which all the passions are born, so there are two movements of the eyebrows which express all the movements of these passions.

These two movements which I have observed have a strict correlation with these who appetites, for that which rises towards the brain expresses all the gentlest and mildest passions (picture 1), and that which slopes down towards the heart represents and that which slopes down towards the heart represents all the wildest and cruellest passions. (picture 2) But I will tell you further that there is something particular in these movements, and that in proportion as these passions change their nature, the movement of the eyebrow changes its form, for to express a simple passion the movement is simple (picture 3), and, if it is mixed, the movement is also mixed (picture 4); if the passion is gentle, so is the movement (picture 5), and, if it is violent, the movement is violent (picture 6).

But it must also be noted that there are two ways in which the eyebrow can be raised: one whereby it arches in the middle which expresses agreeable emotions (picture 7) , and another whereby the eyebrow slopes up towards the middle of the brow, which represents an emotion of pain and sorrow(picture 8).

It should be observed that when the eyebrow is raised in the middle, the mouth is raised at the corners (picture 7), whereas in sorrow the mouth is raised in the middle (picture 8).

But when the eyebrow is lowered in the middle, it expresses physical pain(picture 9), and then the mouth moves in the opposite direction, for it is pulled down at the corners (picture 9)

In laughter all the parts of the face go in one direction, for the eyebrows slope down towards the middle of the face, and cause the nose, the mouth, and the eyes to follow this movement (picture 10).

In weeping the movements are mixed and contrary, for the inner ends of the eyebrows will sink, and the eyes and the mouth will rise in the middle (picture 11).

There is another observation to make, which is that when the heart is dejected all the parts of the face will be cast down (picture 12).

But, on the other hand, if the heart feels some passion which heats and hardens it, all the parts of the face will share in this change, and particularly the mouth (picture 13), which proves that, as I have already said, it is the mouth which most particularly indicates the movements of the heart. For it should be observed that when the heart grieves the corners of the mouth sink, and when the heart is happy the corners of the mouth are raised, and when the heart feels any aversion the mouth is thrust out and raised in the middle (picture 14) This, Gentlemen, is what we shall see on these simple outline drawings I have made (pictures I have taken), to help you to understand what I am talking about."

Picture 1

Picture 2

Picture 3

Picture 4

Picture 5

Picture 6

Picture 7

Picture 8

Picture 9

Picture 10

Picture 11

Picture 12

Picture 13

Picture 14

V.II A Quick Guide to Vandenhoff

The following is directly taken from George Vandenhoff's The Art of Elocution¹⁶:

"(…) the middle pitch of that voice may be considered to extend a third above and a third below that tone : and so of any other prevailing tone of any voice. Above and below the range of the middle pitch, are the high and low pitch respectively.

THE MIDDLE is the proper pitch for narration, description, (when not particularly animated, ) statement, and moral reflection, or calm reasoning.
HIGH PITCH is the representative of elevated feeling, and impetuous, impulsive passion : joy, exultation, rage, invective, threat, eagerness, all speak naturally in high pitch it is also proper to stirring description, or animated narration.
Low PITCH is the natural expression of deepseated feeling and concentrated passion, nursed darkly in the inmost recesses of the heart : it is the tone of grief, -suppressed rage, —brooding thought,- very solemn reflection, — melancholy, —hate, — remorse; and also, in its softest and deepest expression, of love and veneration¹⁷.

Intimately allied to expression, is energy, or force. As Expression is variety of Intonation, Energy may be called the Emphasis of Expression. It is the life, the soul, the animating spirit. Without it, the speaker may be correct, and even agreeable, by a due observance of rule ; but if he lack energy, he will be listened to without interest ; his voice will fall powerless on the ear, and neither "awake the senses," nor " stir the blood. "

Energy, it is true, depends somewhat on individual temperament and constitution. But even where natural or physical energy is deficient, an energetic manner may be acquired by practice and exercise under judicious direction ; just as the muscular powers may be improved, and bodily vigor increased, even in a feeble frame, under a course of training and well-regulated exercise.

The first requisite, in order to create an interest in others, is to feel, or at least to exhibit, an earnestness ourselves. We must be in earnest. Between the orator and his auditory, there is a certain involuntary sympathy communicated from one to the other. If he be himself animated and energetic, his audience soon acknowledge a kindred spirit ; if, on the contrary, he be cold, they catch the infection ; if he be tame, they are apathetic ; if he be spiritless, they are listless : their torpor again re-acts upon him, and both orator and audience sleep together.

Energy quickens and infuses life into the style : it warms, it revivifies with its touch. It adds a brisker movement to the voice : it flushes the cheek, it lights the eye, it animates the frame ; and passing like an electric spark from speaker to audience, it enkindles in them a sympathetic spirit, it arouses their enthusiasm, it takes possession of their hearts, and places their feelings, their reason, and their will, in the hands of him whose power has agitated the recesses of their souls. FORCE is, after pitch, the next constituent of Expression : and the increasing or diminishing the amount of force on any passage is a matter requiring nice taste, and artistical execution, in governing the voice to forte (loud), and piano (soft)¹⁸.

The last constituent of Expression is —Time. The time, that is, the rapidity or slowness of our delivery, must accord with the character of the feeling or passion expressed, -whether impetuous or concentrated ; —of the action, or scene described, — whether stirring or tranquil ; —or of the sentiment that pervades the language, — whether it be elevated, impulsive, glowing, or deep, solemn, and enduring. For, different sentiments and passions, as they use different pitch, also speak in different time : the utterance of grief is slow and heavy ; while that of hope and joy is light, bounding, and rapid. Again, the rush of an impetuous torrent, roaring and bursting over the plains, destroying vegetation, tearing up trees, carrying away cottages, in its resistless course, must be painted, as it were, to the ear, not only by appropriate pitch and force, but by a rapidity of utterance whose time shall be in keeping with the sweeping destruction described : while the placid flow of a gentle river, calmly gliding between its flower-spangled banks, amid a landscape of richest verdure, whose unbroken silence, and golden smile, caught from the rays of the setting sun, breathe the quiet happiness of content and peace, — this requires to be painted by a slow and even movement of the voice, —whose time shall accord with the tranquillity of the scene, and allow the hearer to dwell on the placid picture before him"¹⁹.

As Vandenhoff, I use William Collins' (1721-1759) poem The Passions. An Ode²⁰ (see full text in Appendix) to bring to life his didactics. The poem illustrates how each passion would play music, using their characteristics to describe a musical outcome. The reader can access the full poem in the appendix.

(The following pictures describe the different symbols used, you may click on them to enlarge them.)