She Stoops to Conquer’ and its Lost Songs

Oliver Goldsmith’s 1773 play She Stoops to Conquer is a beloved mainstay of the theatrical repertory, but its connections to music have been obscured or lost since its premiere. One song lyric, Let schoolmasters puzzle their brain, remains in the script, though without known tune, while several other songs were contemplated by Goldsmith at the time of his writing. This article investigates all of the surviving song lyrics, connects them to their recovered tunes, and identifies likely melodies for lyrics whose tunes are unknown. A handful of song snatches and other musical references are illuminated as well. The result is a much more musical version of Goldsmith’s play than has heretofore been known, but one that is closer to the author’s original conception.