Holbrooke, Joseph (Charles)

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Holbrooke, Joseph (Charles) [ Josef Holbrooke] (b Croydon, 1878; d London, 1958). Eng. composer and pianist. Mus.-hall pianist at age of 12. Pianist-cond. for travelling pantomime 1899. After perf. of his tone-poem The Raven (1900) his works were much in demand at Eng. fests., but did not hold their place and are rarely heard. Comp. trilogy of Celtic operas 1911–15. Controversial writer (e.g. Contemporary British Composers 1925) and frequent polemicist against Establishment. Prin. works:OPERAS: Pierrot and Pierrette (1909); trilogy, The Cauldron of Anwen comprising Dylan (1909), The Children of Don (1911), Bronwen (1920).ORCH.: 4 syms.; sym.-poems, The Raven (1900), Ulalume (1904), Queen Mab, ch., orch (1902), Byron, with ch. (1906), Apollo and the Seaman, with ch. (1907); Variations on Three Blind Mice (1900); vn. conc. (1917); vc. conc. (1936).

Also much chamber mus., pf. pieces, songs, part-songs, etc.