Coleridge-Taylor's "Thelma"

[Martin Eastick]

2012, as I am sure most of you know, is the centenary of Coleridge-Taylor's death, and one of the most exciting events confirmed for next year will be a performance (well THREE ACTUALLY - 9-11th February at the Ashcroft Theatre in Croydon) of his three-act opera "Thelma" Op72 (1907-9). Geoffrey Self's book on SC-T has the MS as missing, but it has recently been discovered, and a performing edition is being prepared.

Assuming that the work is of sufficient quality, it may be possible to get some interest in a recording project (especially in view of Naxos' recent forays into the realms of Victorian English opera!) - or perhaps Chandos?

[Jimfin]

This is very high on my wish list! I thought I had heard somewhere that a recording was planned, but it might have been wishful thinking. Operas always seem to come lowest down the list of record companies' priorities, understandably in view of the cost. Look at how much Stanford has been recorded apart from his operas. Or Havergal Brian.

[albion]

Yes, this is a fascinating story of recovery - both the full and short scores of Thelma were in the British Library all the time, but had been mis-catalogued ...



now the autograph full score (three volumes) has been properly catalogued (Add. 63809A-C) and Patrick Meadows' edition of the opera is also held - H06/.10429; H06/.11858; G.1111.hh.

It makes you wonder what else currently regarded as 'missing' or 'lost' might, in fact, actually exist 'in limbo' at the BL or another large institutional library.

[Jimfin]

Yes, that could be the start of an even more "head-in-the-clouds" thread that "hopes for 2012": "Works one hopes might be rediscovered one day: the operas of Cowen, Sullivan's 'Thespis', Havergal Brian's "Prometheus Unbound", Foulds' "Symphony of East and West"... someone stop me.

[JimL]

Yes, this is a fascinating story of recovery - both the full and short scores of Thelma were in the British Library all the time, but had been mis-catalogued ...



now the autograph full score (three volumes) has been properly catalogued (Add. 63809A-C) and Patrick Meadows' edition of the opera is also held - H06/.10429; H06/.11858; G.1111.hh.

It makes you wonder what else currently regarded as 'missing' or 'lost' might, in fact, actually exist 'in limbo' at the BL or another large institutional library.

See: Moszkowski Op.3! 

[albion]

Yes, that could be the start of an even more "head-in-the-clouds" thread that "hopes for 2012": "Works one hopes might be rediscovered one day: the operas of Cowen, Sullivan's 'Thespis', Havergal Brian's "Prometheus Unbound", Foulds' "Symphony of East and West"... someone stop me.

I think we must have been separated at birth!

One of my collecting interests is first-run Sullivan and/or Gilbert programmes (http://math.boisestate.edu/GaS/memorabilia/programmes/index.html) - the tantalising idea that there was at least a vocal score of Thespis in existence as late as 1964 (the year of the catastrophic Chappell fire which also put paid to the Cello Concerto) is probably no more than that.

The full scores of Cowen's operas are a mystery: his library was dispersed after his death and, having no direct descendants, far too many of his full scores are unaccounted for - they could most plausibly have perished in the Blitz, unless Thorgrim is with the Carl Rosa collection at Liverpool.

Prometheus Unbound is perhaps the Havergal Brian Holy Grail - is it somewhere within the BBC as has been rumoured? It would seem to be a remarkably large score to simply 'misplace'.

Foulds' score, if it was ever completed, probably succumbed to the ants, rats or whatever else made significant inroads into his manuscripts following his death in 1939.

[Jimfin]

Yes, that could be the start of an even more "head-in-the-clouds" thread that "hopes for 2012": "Works one hopes might be rediscovered one day: the operas of Cowen, Sullivan's 'Thespis', Havergal Brian's "Prometheus Unbound", Foulds' "Symphony of East and West"... someone stop me.

I think we must have been separated at birth!

One of my collecting interests is first-run Sullivan and/or Gilbert programmes (http://math.boisestate.edu/GaS/memorabilia/programmes/index.html) - the tantalising idea that there was at least a vocal score of Thespis in existence as late as 1964 (the year of the catastrophic Chappell fire which also put paid to the Cello Concerto) is probably no more than that.

The full scores of Cowen's operas are a mystery: his library was dispersed after his death and, having no direct descendants, far too many of his full scores are unaccounted for - they could most plausibly have perished in the Blitz, unless Thorgrim is with the Carl Rosa collection at Liverpool.

Prometheus Unbound is perhaps the Havergal Brian Holy Grail - is it somewhere within the BBC as has been rumoured? It would seem to be a remarkably large score to simply 'misplace'.

Foulds' score, if it was ever completed, probably succumbed to the ants, rats or whatever else made significant inroads into his manuscripts following his death in 1939.

[Jimfin]

Sorry, not yet very good at this "quote" business. Anyway, yes, we do seem to have been separated at birth! Re. Thespis, Lesley Baily's 'Gilbert and Sullvan Book' of 1951 claims that [quoting from memory of about 20 years ago: the book is somewhere back in England] "The search for Thespis has gone on for about half a century to no avail", which suggests that the score was probably never at Chappell, as someone would probably have spotted it when they unearthed the Cello Concert for the 1953 performance. So I live in hope. Maybe it is somewhere in the US, as Sullivan had it with him there before the premiere of 'Pirates'. Though he possibly had it with him in 1898 too. Well, I am an eternal optimist: Purcell's Fairy Queen was lost for about 250 years, wasn't it?