Reginald de Koven
Encyclopedia
Henry Louis Reginald De Koven (April 3, 1859January 16, 1920) was an American
music critic and prolific composer
, particularly of comic opera
s.
, and moved to Europe in 1870, where he received the majority of his education. He graduated from St John's College
of Oxford University in England in 1879. He undertook various musical studies at Stuttgart
with Speidel and with Lebert and Pruckner. He studied composition at Frankfurt
with Dr. Hauff, and after staying there for six months moved on to Florence
, Italy, where he studied singing with Vanuccini. Study in operatic composition followed, first with Richard Genée
, in Vienna
, and then with Léo Delibes
, in Paris.
De Koven returned to the U.S. in 1882 to live in Chicago, Illinois, and later lived in New York
. He was able to find scope for his wide musical knowledge as a critic with Chicago's Evening Post, Harper's Weekly
and New York World
. Many of his songs became popular, especially "Oh Promise Me
", with words by Clement Scott
, which was one of the biggest song successes of its time and remains a wedding standard.
Between 1887 and 1913, De Koven composed 20 light operas, in addition to hundreds of songs, orchestral works, sonatas and ballets. While Victor Herbert
's operettas were heavily influencedy by those of continental operetta composers, De Koven's works were patterned after Gilbert and Sullivan
. His greatest success was Robin Hood
, which premiered in Chicago in 1890 but was performed all across the country. It played in New York at the Knickerbocker Theatre
and in London, in 1891, and at New York's Garden Theatre in 1892. His other operettas included The Fencing Master (1892, Casino Theatre, New York); The Algerian (1893, Garden Theatre, New York); Rob Roy, first produced in Detroit, Michigan
, 1894; The Mandarin, produced in Cleveland, Ohio
in 1896; The Highwayman (1897, Herald Square Theatre, New York) and Maid Marian (1901 Garden Theatre, New York). Harry B. Smith
wrote the libretti for many of his comic operas.
From 1902 to 1904, De Koven conducted the Washington, D.C.
symphony. His wife, Anna de Koven
, was a well-known socialite, novelist and amateur historian who published her works under the name "Mrs. Reginald de Koven." The music press doubted that De Koven could compose serious operas. His opera The Canterbury Pilgrims
(with a libretto by poet and dramatist Percy MacKaye
) premiered at the Metropolitan Opera
in 1917. He composed a second opera, Rip Van Winkle (also with a libretto by MacKaye) prior to his death but was unable to see it performed in 1920 in Chicago.
One obituary read: he proved that "the American stage was not dependent upon foreign composers."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
music critic and prolific composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, particularly of comic opera
Comic opera
Comic opera denotes a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending.Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a new operatic genre, opera buffa, emerged as an alternative to opera seria...
s.
Biography
De Koven was born in Middletown, ConnecticutMiddletown, Connecticut
Middletown is a city located in Middlesex County, Connecticut, along the Connecticut River, in the central part of the state, 16 miles south of Hartford. In 1650, it was incorporated as a town under its original Indian name, Mattabeseck. It received its present name in 1653. In 1784, the central...
, and moved to Europe in 1870, where he received the majority of his education. He graduated from St John's College
St John's College, Oxford
__FORCETOC__St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, one of the larger Oxford colleges with approximately 390 undergraduates, 200 postgraduates and over 100 academic staff. It was founded by Sir Thomas White, a merchant, in 1555, whose heart is buried in the chapel of...
of Oxford University in England in 1879. He undertook various musical studies at Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
with Speidel and with Lebert and Pruckner. He studied composition at Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
with Dr. Hauff, and after staying there for six months moved on to Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, Italy, where he studied singing with Vanuccini. Study in operatic composition followed, first with Richard Genée
Richard Genée
Franz Friedrich Richard Genée was a Prussian born Austrian librettist, playwright, and composer.Genée was born in Danzig. One of his best known works was the libretto of Karl Millöcker's operetta Der Bettelstudent, which he co-wrote with Friedrich Zell .In 1876, Genée composed the operetta Der...
, in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, and then with Léo Delibes
Léo Delibes
Clément Philibert Léo Delibes was a French composer of ballets, operas, and other works for the stage...
, in Paris.
De Koven returned to the U.S. in 1882 to live in Chicago, Illinois, and later lived in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. He was able to find scope for his wide musical knowledge as a critic with Chicago's Evening Post, Harper's Weekly
Harper's Weekly
Harper's Weekly was an American political magazine based in New York City. Published by Harper & Brothers from 1857 until 1916, it featured foreign and domestic news, fiction, essays on many subjects, and humor...
and New York World
New York World
The New York World was a newspaper published in New York City from 1860 until 1931. The paper played a major role in the history of American newspapers...
. Many of his songs became popular, especially "Oh Promise Me
Oh Promise Me
Oh Promise Me is a song with music by Reginald De Koven and lyrics by Clement Scott. The song was written in 1887 and first published in 1889 as an art song. De Koven may have based the melody partly on an aria by Stanislao Gastaldon, "Musica Proibita". In 1890, De Koven wrote his most...
", with words by Clement Scott
Clement Scott
Clement Scott was an influential English theatre critic for the Daily Telegraph, and a playwright and travel writer, in the final decades of the 19th century...
, which was one of the biggest song successes of its time and remains a wedding standard.
Between 1887 and 1913, De Koven composed 20 light operas, in addition to hundreds of songs, orchestral works, sonatas and ballets. While Victor Herbert
Victor Herbert
Victor August Herbert was an Irish-born, German-raised American composer, cellist and conductor. Although Herbert enjoyed important careers as a cello soloist and conductor, he is best known for composing many successful operettas that premiered on Broadway from the 1890s to World War I...
's operettas were heavily influencedy by those of continental operetta composers, De Koven's works were patterned after Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the librettist W. S. Gilbert and the composer Arthur Sullivan . The two men collaborated on fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which H.M.S...
. His greatest success was Robin Hood
Robin Hood (comic opera)
Robin Hood is a comic opera by Reginald De Koven , Harry B. Smith and Clement Scott . The story is based on the Robin Hood legend, during the reign of King Richard I . The opera was composed in Chicago, Illinois during the winter of 1888-1889.Robin Hood was first performed at the Chicago Opera...
, which premiered in Chicago in 1890 but was performed all across the country. It played in New York at the Knickerbocker Theatre
Knickerbocker Theatre (Broadway)
The Knickerbocker Theatre — previously known as Abbey's Theatre and Henry Abbey's Theatre — was a Broadway theatre located at 1396 Broadway in New York City. It operated from 1893 to 1930...
and in London, in 1891, and at New York's Garden Theatre in 1892. His other operettas included The Fencing Master (1892, Casino Theatre, New York); The Algerian (1893, Garden Theatre, New York); Rob Roy, first produced in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, 1894; The Mandarin, produced in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
in 1896; The Highwayman (1897, Herald Square Theatre, New York) and Maid Marian (1901 Garden Theatre, New York). Harry B. Smith
Harry B. Smith
Harry Bache Smith was a writer, lyricist and composer. The most prolific of all American stage writers, he is said to have written over 300 librettos and more than 6000 lyrics. Some of his best-known works were librettos for the composer Victor Herbert...
wrote the libretti for many of his comic operas.
From 1902 to 1904, De Koven conducted the Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
symphony. His wife, Anna de Koven
Anna de Koven
Anna Farwell de Koven was an American novelist, historian and socialite. The wife of famed composer Reginald de Koven and the daughter of senator Charles B. Farwell, she published her works as Mrs...
, was a well-known socialite, novelist and amateur historian who published her works under the name "Mrs. Reginald de Koven." The music press doubted that De Koven could compose serious operas. His opera The Canterbury Pilgrims
The Canterbury Pilgrims
The Canterbury Pilgrims is an opera by the American composer Reginald De Koven. It premiered at the Metropolitan Opera House on March 8, 1917...
(with a libretto by poet and dramatist Percy MacKaye
Percy MacKaye
Percy MacKaye was an American dramatist and poet.-Biography:MacKaye was born in New York City, New York. After graduating from Harvard in 1897, he traveled in Europe for three years, residing in Rome, Switzerland and London, studying at the University of Leipzig in 1899–1900...
) premiered at the Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
in 1917. He composed a second opera, Rip Van Winkle (also with a libretto by MacKaye) prior to his death but was unable to see it performed in 1920 in Chicago.
One obituary read: he proved that "the American stage was not dependent upon foreign composers."
External links
- Reginald de Koven at the IBDB database
- Reginald De Koven at the Songwriters Hall of Fame
- Sheet Music for "Oh promise me", G. Schirmer, Inc., 1889.