Shows how the work of orchestral conductors was shaped by and enriched cultural life in Britain from the late Victorian era to World War I. Drawing on many archival findings, this book considers the emerging function and status of orchestral conductors in Britain, and the nature of the opportunities available to them, from the late Victorian era until the outbreak ofWorld War I. It does so by examining and comparing the profiles and impact of eight men whose work supplied the needs of a variety of institutions across the period but whose significant contributions were overshadowed by the emergence of virtuoso interpreters. The conducting activities of Julius Benedict, William Cusins, Joseph Barnby, Arthur Sullivan, Frederic Cowen, Alexander Mackenzie, Dan Godfrey and Landon Ronald provide a lens through which the evolution of conducting as a profession is traced. At the British Empire's height their work was shaped by and enriched the cultural life of the nation. During a period of intense activity and development, their portfolios of engagements and working patterns shed light on the infrastructures within the music business. By focusing on the fortunes and agency of conductors resident within the marketplace, this book deepens our understanding of the internal networks, influences and priorities within musical life in Britain in the late nineteenth century. FIONA M. PALMER is Professor of Music at the National University of Ireland Maynooth.
Reviews
Fiona Palmer provides a revealing perspective on the period in which British conductors gradually began to achieve comparable status with their Continental colleagues...a valuable contribution to our understanding of late nineteenth and early twentieth-century musical life in Britain. * ENGLISH HISTORICAL REVIEW *
A masterly survey of the 40-year evolution of the role of conductor from that of a 'time-beating' part-timer (often with his head in the score) to that of a specialist, able to conduct from memory and to 'interpret' the music for the benefit of the audience... one suspects that Palmer's years as a performer have contributed to the success of this warmly recommended book. * NINETEENTH CENTURY MUSIC REVIEW *
A thoughtful and well-written book. A mix of social and economic history, it is a stellar example of what a study of conductors and conducting can achieve, when the various mix of emphasis is in the right hands. It is a distinctive addition to scholarship on British musical culture. * MUSIC & LETTERS *



Book Information
ISBN 9781783271450
Author Fiona M. Palmer
Format Hardback
Page Count 320
Imprint The Boydell Press
Publisher Boydell & Brewer Ltd
Weight(grams) 1g