Holbrooke, Joseph (1878 - 1958)...who he?

[salymap]

Beecham, in his early autobiography, refers to Holbrooke's entertaining book 'Contemporary British Composers'. Now that would be worth seeking out for several reasons. Shouldn't the British Library have details?

It's listed in the RCM Frank Bridge website as published in 1925

[subcontrabass]

Beecham, in his early autobiography, refers to Holbrooke's entertaining book 'Contemporary British Composers'. Now that would be worth seeking out for several reasons. Shouldn't the British Library have details?

Abebooks lists a couple of second-hand copies.

[Lateralthinking1]

Interesting thread.

"It was always his claim that he was the first man in this country to perform the works of Delius......I remember the friendship in those years between Beecham and Holbrooke; to meet them together was to feel like sitting over a powder magazine"

(On the other hand, by La main gauche, Musical opinion, February 1939, p395)

Readers might like to check out the following book:

Sidney Grew (!!!) - Our Favourite Musicians From Stanford to Holbrooke, London, Peter Davies Ltd, 1922

There is also quite a lot about him on the Havergal Brian website, for example:

http://www.havergalbrian.org/zholbrooke.htm

[salymap]

Thanks a lot Lat. He was a one off our Josef/Joseph. Beecham mentions him several times in his early autobiography 'A Mingled Chime' too.

[Sydney Grew]

Those who admit not knowing about him should have known about him, because we already have a long and informative thread about him here:

http://www.for3.org/forums/showthread.php?518-England-s-Greatest-Symphonist-so-shamefully-and-sadly-neglected

[Lateralthinking1]

Thanks Sydney. I have now read the first thread with considerable interest. Saly - I very much enjoyed your comments about his correspondence. Very amusing. We had a few like that - one a Windsor! I have just listened to Ulalume and found it pleasant enough. I agree with some of Serial_Apologist's comments. At the same time, I have a feeling of excitement about this composer.

Born in Croydon, some Welsh themes which I like, a promoter of Delius and others rather than simply his own work, associations with Beecham, full of character for better and worse, open to some extent both to folk and jazz, highly rated by Sydney Grew, Elgar and Chris Newman, and peculiarly lost to time. I will want to listen to more. Looking at his Wikipedia entry, it is clear that his outspoken ways were his undoing. He hardly endeared himself to audiences, writing on one occasion in the notes of a programme:

"Mr. JOSEF HOLBROOKE steps forward somewhat adventurously with his 12th year of endeavour for some Modern English Music to an apathetic public, and hopes to receive as few blows as possible (with the usual financial loss) in return."

That is both serious and funny and from the perspective of 2013 there is something to be said for the spirit. It was hardly obvious self-promotion, whatever the critics claimed. His role in the development of a British music has probably been underestimated too. That is a pity. Admittedly, it is also a double-edged sword because his nationalistic comments were often vehemently anti-German:

"It is a little depressing to watch Mr. Holbrooke endeavouring, week after week, to precipitate Music into the dismal cesspool of Chauvinism that is already full to overflowing."

The question of whether music should be above politics is always complex. However, we were at war when many of his comments were made. It appears that audiences had no feeling at times for the severe difficulties their fellow citizens were experiencing:

"despicable members of the music profession are encouraged to play German music by an absolutely indifferent audience. One wonders if any such people have lost their sons or husbands at the front, or is it that the bulk of our music lovers 'do not fight'"

This paragraph is interesting not so much for its politics as for its insights into the people who were most popular a hundred years ago. Presumably had there been a BBC Radio 3 then, many would have been regulars on "Breakfast on 3" and "Essential Classics"!:

"The British people have ever listened to the alien, as in the days of Handel, and the critic (although not a villain!) is always ready with his enthusiasm, in large type, for Tetrazzini, Caruso, Busoni, Strauss, Puccini, Nikisch, Campanini, Van Rooy, Stravinski, Chaliapine, Debussy, Pavlova, Karsavina, Nijinski, Mengelberg, Steinbach, Schönberg, Savonoff, Paderewski, Elman, and a few other aliens! These are the 'gods' I am mentioning, the gods of the British people." (The New Age Magazine - December 1914)

[salymap]

Those who admit not knowing about him should have known about him, because we already have a long and informative thread about him here:

http://www.for3.org/forums/showthrea...adly-neglected

Thanks for that Mr Grew