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Michael Costa: England's First Conductor

The Revolution in Musical Performance in England, 1830-1880. Music in Nineteenth-Century Britain

By (author) John Goulden
Format: Hardback
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd, London, United Kingdom
Imprint: Routledge
Published: 18th Mar 2016
Dimensions: w 193mm h 249mm d 22mm
Weight: 616g
ISBN-10: 1472427173
ISBN-13: 9781472427175
Barcode No: 9781472427175
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Synopsis
Among the major changes that swept through the music industry during the mid-nineteenth century, one that has received little attention is how musical performances were managed and directed. Yet this was arguably the most radical change of all: from a loose control shared between the violin-leader, musical director and maestro al cembalo to a system of tight and unified control under a professional conductor-manager. This process brought with it not only baton conducting in its modern form, but also higher standards of training and discipline, a new orchestral lay-out and a more focused rehearsal regime. The resulting rise in standards of performance was arguably the greatest achievement of English music in the otherwise rather barren mid-Victorian period. The key figure in this process was Michael Costa, who built for himself unprecedented contractual powers and used his awesome personal authority to impose reform on the three main institutions of mid-Victorian music: the opera houses, the Philharmonic and the Sacred Harmonic Society. He was a central figure in the battles between the two rival opera houses, between the Philharmonic and the New Philharmonic, and between the venerable Ancient Concerts and the mass festival events of the Sacred Harmonic Society. Costa's uniquely powerful position in the operatic, symphonic and choral world and the rapidity with which he was forgotten after his death provide a fascinating insight into the politics and changing aesthetics of the Victorian musical world.

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'This is a learned survey of how the conductor gained importance and control, and uses Costa as an example. It dissects his relationships with concert-giving organisations throughout the country'
- Christopher Morley, Birmingham Post

"This is an important and timely book."