"Recent Musical Find"O'Dwyer (Robert, composer) The composer...

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€2,000 - €3,000

"Recent Musical Find"

O'Dwyer (Robert, composer) The composer's original manuscript music score for his ground-breaking opera 'Eithne, nó Éan an Cheoil Bhinn' [Eithne, or the Bird of Sweet Music], performed at the Oireachtas Festival in Dublin in August 1909, and again in
1910 - the first 'grand opera' ever written with text entirely in Irish (the text by Fr. Tomás Ó Ceallaigh of Sligo).
The original music manuscript with words, two volumes quarto full morocco (bindings worn but holding). Also with the bound manuscript of a fantasy overture by O'Dwyer with the same title (based on the music of the opera), dated 1934, signed by the composer; a second copy of the overture score, professionally copied; and also the manuscript orchestra parts, laid into a leatherbacked folio.
Laid into Vol. 1 of the opera manuscript is a printed list of the "Eithne"
Opera Committee, 1910, including Count and Countess Markiewicz, Signor Esposito, Dr. Douglas Hyde, Dr. Sigerson, Mr. P.
Colum, Lady Gore Booth, Edward Martyn, J.G. Swift MacNeill MP, Vincent O'Brien, T.H. Nally (Hon. Sec.) and others of the great and good (single sheet, worn). Also laid in is a printed copy of the libretto in Irish, Gill 1910, inscribed 'Le fíor-mheas, Tomás Ó Ceallaigh, an A.L.S. to Robert O'Dwyer from Thos. O'Kelly concerning proofs and corrections; and various related press reports and reviews, some of them laid down on covers.
The story of 'Eithne' is based on an Irish folk-tale. Its initial performance, and the repeat the following year, represented a very large undertaking in the circumstances of the time, and attracted much interest.
Robert O'Dwyer [1862-1949] was born in Bristol of Irish parentage. He toured with the Carl Rosa Opera Company, and settled in Dublin in 1897, where he was organist at St. Francis Xavier's Church, Gardiner Street. He learned Irish, founded an Irish choir in Dublin, and was active in the Gaelic League. In 1914 he was appointed to the part-time Chair of Irish music at U.C.D. His creative output was small, and 'Eithne' remains his major work.
The present collection represents the composer's own original score of both versions of his major and ground-breaking work. Since the original work preceded the era of commercial music recording, this may be the only record of the entire work now surviving.
As a music collection, w.a.f.