The British Musical Biography

[E] Cowen, Frederic Hymen, composer,
conductor, and pianist, born at Kingston,
Jamaica, January 29. 1852. Brought to
England when four years old, and placed
under the tuition of Julius Benedict, and
John Goss, with whom he remained until
1865. His " Mima Waltz " was published in
1858. Studied at Leipzig and Berlin, under
Hauptmann, Moscheles, Reinecke, and others,
returning to London in 1868. He soon became
known as a brilliant pianist and composer,
giving his first concert, June 24, 1868, at
Dudley House, and introducing his pianoforte
trio in A minor. Other works followed, and
at liis orchestral concert, St. James's Hall,
December 9, 1869, he produced his first sym-
phony (in C minor). Shortly after he went
on tour, as pianist and accompanist, with
operatic concert parties ; gave a series of
Saturday Evening Concerts in St. James's
Hall, 1880-1 ; conducted at the Promenade
Concerts, Covent Garden, 1880. During the
next two years he appeared at various places
in Germany, conducting his own compositions.
Conducted concerts at the Crystal Palace
(December 16, 1882 ; December 18, 1884, etc. ;)
Philharmonic Society (May 7 and 28, 1884) ;
was given the post of Musical Director of the
Melbourne Centennial Exhibition, 1888 ; and
visited Sydney. Conductor of the Philhar-
monic Society, 1888-92 ; appointed successor
to the late Sir Charles Halle as conductor of
the Liverpool Philharmonic Society, and the
Halle Concerts, Manchester, 1896. Conducted
various compositions at the principal musical
festivals, 1876-95.

[W] Works. — Operas : Pauline (Lyceum, Carl
Rosa, November 22, 1876) ; Thorgrim (book
by Joseph Bennett, produced Drury Lane,
April 20, 1890; Signa (Dal Verme Theatre,
Milan, November 12, 1893) ; Harold (book by
Sir Ed. Malet, produced at Covent Garden,
in English — an unique occurrence — June 8,
1895). Operettas: Garibaldi (an early work) ;
One too many (German Reed, 1874). Inci-
dental music to Maid of Orleans (1871).
Oratorios and Cantatas : The Rose Maiden
(1870) ; The Corsair (Birmingham Festival,
1876 : The Deluge (Brighton Festival, 1878) ;
St. Ursula (Norwich Festival, 1881) ; The
Sleeping Beauty (Birmingham, 1885) ; Ruth
(Worcester, 1887) ; Song of Thanksgiving
(Melbourne, 1888) ; St. John's Eve (Crystal
Palace, 1889) ; The Water Lily (Norwich,
1893); The Transfiguration (Gloucester, 1895).
For female voices : Summer on the river ;
Christmas scenes ; The Rose of Life ; A
daughter of the sea, etc. Part-songs, trios,
duets, etc. Many songs, among which may
be mentioned : Two Roses ; Marguerite ; The
better land ; The unfinished song ; More than
all to me ; The promise of life ; Nine songs
(Longfellow) ; Songs for children (1896), etc.
Orcliestral : Symphonv, No. 1, in C minor
(1869) ; No. 2, in F (1872) ; No. 3, in C minor.
The Scandinavian, produced St. James's Hall,
December 18, 1880, and since heard the world
over ; No. 4, in B flat minor. Philharmonic,
May 28, 1884; No. 5, in F (Cambridge, 1887).
Overtures, etc. D minor (1866) ; Festival
(Norwich, 1872); Characteristic o\erture,
Niagara ; and others. Suites : The Language
of flowers (1880) ; In the olden time (for
strings, 1883) ; In Fairyland (Philharmonic,
May 6, 1896) ; Four English dances in the
olden style ; Sinfonietta in A ; Marches, etc.

[+] Concerto in A minor, pf . and orchestra ;
Quartet in C ininor ; Trio in A minor, pf . and
strings; Sonata fantasia, Allegretto grazioso,
Romance and scherzo, Valses, and other pieces
for pf., etc.

entry id: 104-L-51