Corkine, William (EN)

Corkine William, *second half of the 16th century (?), †after 1617, English lutenist, violist, and composer.

Information about Corkine’s life is scarce. He dedicated his first book of Ayres to Edward Herbert and William Hardy, whom he calls his masters and patrons. On 2 February 1613, he performed with J. Dowland at Middle Temple in London, and according to the Privy Council records from June 1617, he planned to travel with a group of musicians recruited by G. Vincent to the court of the “Polish prince,” presumably Władysław Vasa. A safe conduct pass for Vincent and five unnamed musicians to travel to Poland was also issued a year later. The musicians (some of whom were also actors) were probably part of a theater troupe performing in Warsaw and possibly in Gdańsk, most likely between 1617 and 1620.

Almost all of Corkine’s compositions are included in Ayres two books. In the songs, the melody, treated syllabically, closely follows the declamation of the text. However, there is little expressive variation, and there is no emphasis on fragments of the text with characteristic harmonic phrases. The lute accompaniment is reduced to a simple, usually four-voice, support for the vocal line. The three pavanes and three allemandes are among Corkine’s most elaborate dances. The composer makes extensive use of polyphonic techniques in them; there are numerous imitations, as well as phrases composed of chromatic progressions. Polyphony plays a lesser role in the three galliards, while in the five courantes – the simplest dances – homophony with figurative techniques dominates. The fourth allmande and the only galliard in Book 2 are similarly arranged (homophonically); only in these are the repetitions of successive parts of the dance written out, arranged in variations with rich use of figuration. The variation cycles, consisting of 4–8 movements, belong to the ground type, as the connecting elements here are the bass line and harmonic structure, while the melody of the theme itself usually disappears in the virtuoso instrumental figurations.

Literature: J. Limon Komedianci angielscy w Warszawie. Przegląd źródeł, “Pamiętnik Teatralny” XXVIII, 1979, iss. 3–4; D. Greer Two Songs by William Corkine, “Early Music” XI, 1983; P. Frank A New Dowland Document, “The Musical Times” CXXIV, 1983, no. 1; W. Schrickx ‘Pickleherring’ and English Actors in Germany, “Shakespeare Survey” XXXVI, Cambridge and other cities, 1983; G. Nelson The Lyra-Viol Variation Sets of William Corkine, “Chelys. Journal of the Viola da Gamba Society” XVII, 1988; J. Limon Gdański teatr „elżbietański”, Wrocław and other cities 1984; D. Greer Manuscript Additions in Early Printed Music, “Music and Letters” LXXII, 1991; A. Otterstedt Die englische Lyra-Viol. Instrument und Technik, Kassel 1989; B. Przybyszewska-Jarmińska Muzyczne dwory polskich Wazów, Warsaw 2007; G. Herreid The Humors in the English Lute Song, “Lute Society of America Quarterly” XLVIII, 2013, nos. 1–2.