The Musical Life of the Crystal Palace [Paperback]

This is the first book to reconstruct the musical history of the Crystal Palace.This is the first book to reconstruct the musical history of the Crystal Palace. In doing so, Michael Musgrave also offers a unique survey of British musical life stretching from the Victorian period to the eve of the Second World War.This is the first book to reconstruct the musical history of the Crystal Palace. In doing so, Michael Musgrave also offers a unique survey of British musical life stretching from the Victorian period to the eve of the Second World War.Though it was never designed to accommodate musical performance, the Crystal Palace at Sydenham, opened in 1854, quickly established itself as the most important single location for public music-making in the United Kingdom. For almost fifty years the orchestral concerts and choral festivals provided weekly performances which set new standards and introduced new repertory unparalleled anywhere in its time. Since its spectacular destruction by fire in 1936, the once familiar patterns of music-making have been long forgotten. This is the first book to reconstruct the musical history of the Crystal Palace. In so doing, Michael Musgrave also offers a unique survey of British musical life stretching from the Victorian period to the eve of the Second World War. Fully illustrated and with valuable catalogues of performers and repertoire, the book will be of interest to students and scholars of nineteenth- and twentieth-century music, British social history, and architecture, as well as to the general music enthusiast.List of illustrations; Preface; Part I. The Beginnings: 1. The Crystal Palace in Hyde Park; 2. The Crystal Palace at Sydenham; Part II. The Choral Life: 3. The Handel festivals 18571926; 4. Other large scale choral performances; Part III. August Manns and the Saturday Concerts, 18551900: 5. The concerts, orchestra and conductor; 6. Programmes, performers, repertory, programme notes; 7. The Crystal Palace and its audienl"