Loder, Edward (James)

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Loder, Edward (James)

Loder, Edward (James), English composer,cousin of George Loder; b. Bath, 1813; d. London, April 5, 1865. He was the son of the English violinist and music publisher John David Loder (b. Bath, 1788; d. London, Feb.13,1846). After training from his father, he went to Frankfurt am Main to study with Ries. Returning to England, he had an initial success with the operaNourjahad (London, July 21, 1834). However, much hackwork followed. In 1846 he became musical director of the Princess’s Theatre in London, where success returned with his opera The Nights Dancers, or The Wilis, which was first performed on Oct. 28 of that year. He went to Manchester in 1851 as musical director of the Theatre Royal, where his most important opera, Raymond and Agnes, was premiered on Aug. 14, 1855. Soon thereafter Loder was stricken with a brain malady and returned to London. In 1861 he became comatose and died four years later almost totally forgotten. Among his other works were several overtures, chamber music, sacred and secular vocal pieces, and various arrangements.

—Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire