For certain kinds of Janeites, nothing beats dressing up in Regency costume and—to paraphrase Mr. Bennet—exposing themselves in some public place or other. Except, possibly, doing all of that to a period-appropriate musical accompaniment.
These people, one must assume, are the intended audience for “Jane Austen’s Music,” a concert of Austen-related pieces scheduled for two weeks from now in Melbourne, Australia. “Dress as your favourite Jane Austen character and immerse yourself in gorgeous music from Jane Austen’s world,” urges the website of the venue, the Melbourne Recital Centre.
The program is a mix of music from Austen screen adaptations, including Carl Davis’ delightful theme from the BBC’s 1995 Pride and Prejudice, and classical pieces by composers (Beethoven, Mozart) whose work Austen knew. Tickets for afternoon and evening shows on May 4 can be purchased here, although, alas, the price doesn’t seem to include airfare to Australia.
As a card-carrying pedantic Janeite killjoy, I must point out that when your website approvingly quotes Caroline Bingley (“There is no enjoyment like reading”) and your program (scroll to page 13) approvingly quotes Mrs. Elton (“Without music, life would be a blank to me”), your concert publicity indicates a certain, shall we say, unfamiliarity with the novels of Jane Austen. But the music looks wonderful, and the costumes will probably be excellent.
Meanwhile, those who want a more scholarly Down Under approach to Austen’s music can turn to Gillian Dooley’s She Played and Sang: Jane Austen and Music, recently published by Manchester University Press. Dooley, an English literature scholar and former librarian at Flinders University in Adelaide, draws on the digitized music books of Austen and her circle to explore Austen’s musical networks and influences. The costumes may not be as good, but at least you won’t have to pay for airfare.