A Return to Ponderings

News From VHSource, LLC Vol 6 June 2016 A Return to Ponderings Herbert and Politics? for roughly a week, killing over 100 British soldiers before losing, and shockingly, suffering through the n May 14, 2016, I attended a fascinating discussion very public humiliation and execution of 15 of their at the New York Library of the Performing Arts leaders. To hear the details of that uprising in the entitled “Victor Herbert: Nationalism, and safety of the library and to know that it was just 10 O th Musical Expression” presented by Marion R. Casey, days past a 100 anniversary was very eye opening. It Assistant Professor affiliated with Gluckman Ireland House also struck me that this was the first time I had heard of and New York University. I went primarily to gain a the British actually executing rebellion leaders – even different perspective on Herbert as seen through the eyes of more sobering. a definitely Irish point of view. It was a wonderful evening, full of very thorough preparation, and clearly presented. It was during this specific year 1916 that the very The audience was invited to focus anew on the Easter American composer Herbert was in fact more vocal Rebellion of 1916, an event of which I had clearly forgotten about the political plight of the Irish than he had ever far more than I remembered. been before. Ms. Casey raised a very real question -- “Why would a composer become so stridently vocal Having re-written the libretto of Herbert’s 1917 Eileen, I and political.” Fascinatingly, both Hebert biographers, had actually altered the libretto to come more into Edward Waters and Neil Gould, raised the same alignment with Samuel Lover’s (Herbert’s maternal question. None grandfather) book Rory O’Moore (1838) and the various of the three Irish rebellions that were prior to the year Eileen took really offered place. Given my research and the characters mentioned in much in the the original libretto, I placed the story on the day the Irish way of an rebellion of 1798 would fail - a librettist’s attempt to add answer. tension and conflict. T h i s i s I also found I had actually spent four months delving into therefore, my this very same period 1914-16 which Ms. Casey was a t t e m p t t o discussing that night. In preparation for listening to her answer that presentation, I re-read much of that material before question. As attending the New York Library of the Performing Arts a l w a y s t h e event so I could at least be familiar with the topics Ms. whole issue of Casey might be discussing. t h e E a s t e r R e b e l l i o n , Therefore I was most interested to be re-introduced to the H e r b e r t ’ s Irish Easter Rebellion of 1916. On Easter Sunday, April sudden political involvement, 24, 1916, a “time for action” committed portion of the Samuel Lover, Victor Herbert’s citizens in Ireland revolted against the rule of Great Britain and the coming Grandfather 2 News From VHSource, LLC Vol 6 June 2016 creation of his beautifully sophisticated score Eileen, Poet, painter, novelist and composer, who, in raised even more questions in my mind. the exercise of a genius as distinguished in its versatility as in its power, by his pen and First and foremost, I was certainly was never aware of a pencil illustrated so happily the characteristics time when Victor Herbert (1859-1924) was not steeped in of the peasantry of his country that his name the love of his birth country. Yet, he only spent a scant will ever be honourably [sic] identified with three years in Dublin before his father died in 1861, and he Ireland. and his mother moved in with her father, Samuel Lover in England. Lover (1797-1868), also born in Dublin, had That is powerful stuff for a seven year old to be moved to London by 1835 where he became a poet, exposed to, and Herbert never forgot. However, other novelist, painter and a writer of music hall songs. Herbert than exploring traditional Irish music (airs) and and his mother would have joined Lover’s household arranging them with his own unique touch, Herbert around 1862 and been submerged into what was truly a followed in his grandfather’s footsteps and never “salon” atmosphere within that home. NOTE: A reminder that returned to the Emerald Isle. He spent the rest of his “salons” are gatherings of artistic folk of all ilk in the childhood and young adulthood in Germany (primarily living/drawing rooms of either famous artists or patrons of around Stuttgart) until he fell in love and married a famous artists. In this case Lover himself hosted such gatherings. lovely German opera star, Therese Forster. Shortly Artists of every description and devotion came through before, and probably hastening, their marriage, this Lover’s door to spend time with this true renaissance man. talented soprano would be hired by the Metropolitan Opera Company for its 1886-1887 third season in New The young Victor Herbert loved every minute he spent with York City, America. Forster decreed she could not his grandfather. He would spend the rest of his life possibly come unless the Met granted a place in the expounding on that time and its influence on him. Was that their orchestra’s cello section for her new husband to love of Ireland or love of all things Irish? There is a subtle be, cellist Victor Herbert. Thus it was that a 27 years distinction. Also perhaps the real love was the Irishness of old cellist sailed with his new bride for America aboard Samuel Lover, a true Renaisssance man, who fond of the Saale out of Bremen, Germany, arriving in New saying .... York City on the 24th of October, 1886. When once the itch of literature comes over a man, The young couple would return for a brief visit to nothing can cure it but the scratching of a pen. family and friends in Germany during the summer of 1887, they never came near Ireland. It would also be Fascinatingly, almost the exact same statement could apply last time they crossed the ocean until 1914. to his grandson with the exchange of a single word: “music” for “literature.” Herbert’s exposure to “all things To his credit, Irish” would prove exceptionally brief yet exceptionally Herbert joined every powerful. Gaelic group that asked him for Three years in Dublin as a toddler and four subsequent membership in New years with his grandfather in London could not have York City, never possibly imprinted Ireland per se on the composer’s soul. stopping his research In addition, by 1866, Herbert’s mother Fanny had remarried and arrangement of – a German doctor – and moved to Stuttgart, Germany. traditional Irish Herbert followed in 1867 and his revered grandfather music. However – passed on July 6, 1868 in Saint Helier on Jersey (one of the and this is important islands in the English Channel). That being said, Samuel – from 1886 to 1914, Lover must have been a towering personalty period. the composer never once held any A memorial in Dublin’s St Patrick's Cathedral, summarizes position of the Irish regard for this man who had not lived in his native leadership or country for 33 years: 3 News From VHSource, LLC Vol 6 June 2016 spokesmanship in any American or Irish American Now suddenly, in 1914, there was a major shift in organization. Victor Herbert’s Irish leanings. The composer suddenly surged into the public eye as an Irishman more than he Once he achieved his own ensemble by being named had ever done before. What appears to have been begun conductor of the New York 22nd Regiment Band (Gilmore’s with his trip to Europe in March of 1914 would end in Band) in 1892, arrangements for band of “Molly,” “Sweet an amazing, lovingly written tribute to Ireland, his Nancy” and “Belle O’Brien” followed soon after. operetta/opera Eileen in 1917. He would become politically vocal and compose what can only be termed His first really major work composed in American was a “love letter” to Ireland – yet a romanticized Ireland, actually completed for the Gaelic Society in New York a sentimental Ireland, one filled with a deep longing. City. This organization, dating back to 1875, sponsored an Could that longing have actually been for his annual Feis Ceoil agus Seanachus (Music Festival and grandfather? Storytelling) in April of each year. For the event in 1892, Herbert hired a freelance ensemble to play his own newly On January 24, 1914, the composer had a brand new created Irish Rhapsody. A full scale orchestral work, this opera open at the Metropolitan Opera House (1411 piece would become a staple of major orchestras well into Broadway between 39th & 40th, [1883-1966]) the early 20th century. No one can listen to the Irish produced by the Metropolitan Opera Company itself. Rhapsody and not feel the emotion of the composer for all NOTE: Regular readers will remember the “sturm und things Irish. drang (‘Storm and Stress’)” surrounding the opening of Herbert’s grand opera Natoma three years earlier in Through the next February of 1911. Now the Metropolitan was suddenly three decades, the producer of this new Herbert operatic work – the H e r b e r t rather “ahead of its time” one act Madeleine. The arrangements of instigation for this rather surprising re-kindling of a Irish music for the more positive relationship between the Met and Herbert various Irish is most likely found in the person of the leading lady, groups and events New Zealand born soprano, Frances Alda (1879- of New York -- the 1952), who may well have been in need of a starring Gaelic Society and vehicle and liked the work.

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