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1924 Repertoire played at Trinity post WW1

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1924 Repertoire played at Trinity post WW1

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Post World War 1, and as we can see from this ephemera (?), students at Trinity were playing German and Austrian composers in performances.

The argument whether it is appropriate to play music written by composers from adversary countries during war time has been widely debated for many years. Whilst some musicians feel choosing to play or not to play this music signifies the musicians standing on the conflict, others feel music and politics should remain separated.

1. What music was played at Trinity during World War 2.
2. If their repertoire did change during this time, how long was it before musicians went back to performing this ‘controversial’ music?

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Published by Trinity Laban, covering from the founding of the college to official renaming in 2012

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Trinity College of Music Timeline (1872-2012)

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Trinity College of Music Timeline (1872-2012)

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During the war, Myra Hess (a graduate of Trinity, Guildhall and RAM), stayed in London to perform in various venues around the city, including the Proms. She also worked for the BBC.

To some others dismay, Myra decided to continue playing the repertoire of Austro-Hungarian composers (Bach, Brahms, Beethoven), as she believed that music should be separated from politics.

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The day war was declared, the Principle NAME, stated he was taking residence at the College to protect staff and students. A bomb-proof basement shelter was built, an air raid warden and night- time fire watchers appointed but teaching, rehearsals and performances continued up to the end of the war.

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A bomb hit a building close to Trinity. Despite the impact, not long after, students and teachers alike where back learning in the College.

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A collection of articles and information about one of the teachers at the college at the time. This is currently fairly limited due to constraints around time to access archive material.

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In 1941 the college opens on Sundays during term time for people who can’t attend during the week and correspondence courses are arranged for those who cannot attend in person.

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There are also examples of musicians playing on the frontline.
New Zealand pianist, Janetta McStay, was asked to play piano for the Entertainments National Service. As a graduate from the Royal Academy of Music, she agreed to play classical music to troops who wished to hear, including some Schubert and Dvorak.
In this example, with Schubert being a named composer, the speculation that musicians in Britain did not play music by composers from enemy countries is disproved.

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Bust of Charles Kennedy Scott in King Charles Court, Trinity Laban

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Charles Kennedy Scott was a member of staff at Trinity College of Music in Marylebone, London, from 1929 to 1965. He taught singing, conducted the College Choir, and was involved in the governance of the College.

In his archive collection at the college, there are concert programmes, photographs, personal papers and press cuttings. The college created a catalogue in 2014 of all the titles of everything held in this collection. There are a few programmes listed of memorial concerts of well-known musicians, one of which was for Sir Granville Bantock at the college, on 3rdNovember 1946. As mentioned in a Jerwood Library word press, his choir, the Phoebus Singers, was well known for performing concerts during world war 2, often at Trinity College of Music.

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Conductor - C.K. Scott

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135 students from the US army of occupation in Europe enter the college for the Michaelmas term bringing professional experience, giving concerts at Wigmore hall and presenting drama productions at Cripplegate theatre. Access to the archives in Wigmore Hall could be requested to find concert programmes for these performances, although access is in-person only so we are unable to find these due to time constraints.

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During the Second World War the Royal Opera House was used as a dance hall. Many native Londoners and Military personnel would attend this amazing architecture to gain a little bit of enjoyment during such dire times.

By being open as a dance hall the spirits of London and its millatary personnel would be lifted and this was pivotal in London not falling during the blitz and keeping the morale of the allied forces.

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The Wigmore hall had interesting information that during the war audiences and clients would be put off from attending performances where German instruments where being played. There was strong hostility towards anything to do with Germany. A singer was even criticised when performing land of hope and glory to the accompaniment of a German made Bechstein.

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Trinity College of Music introduced their GTCL (Graduate of Trinity College of London) course. This became the modeul used by other British conservatoires, and continued to be taught until 1997, when it was replaced by the BMus course.

The course format covered a range of classes, designed primarily to prepare students to be class music teachers.

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Professional first performances after the end of the Second World War

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Professional first performances after the end of the Second World War

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After the war the Royal Opera House decided to re establish as the permanent home to the company’s known as the Royal Opera and the Royal Ballet.

The first pieces to be put on in 1947 where Purcell’s The Fairy Queen which combined forces with the Royal Ballet.
Also in 1947 after The Fairy Queen, some French repertoire was put on with a production of Bizet’s Carmen.

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First German Operatic Repertoire performed in London after the Second World War

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First German Operatic Repertoire performed in London after the Second World War

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It was not until 1948, nearly four years after the war, that German repertoire such as Wagner’s The Valkyrie was put on. This was also sung in English and not German.

The cast included Arthur Carron, a British tenor, as Siegmund. Dorris Doree, an American soprano as Seiglinde. The first German singer I came across since the end of the war was Hans Hotter, playing the role of Wotan.

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Ideas of the time behind the casting and productions at the Royal Opera House

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Ideas of the time behind the casting and productions at the Royal Opera House

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Karl Rankl was a conductor and one of the first leaders of the company after the war. It is shown that he was casting young British singers and helping establish their careers. Including the likes of Michael Langdon and Charles Craig. The Royal Opera House playing a large part in the development of these singers. This approach by the house continued into the 1950’s. Not until the mid 1960’s under Kubelik did more famous International singers start to become more popular casting choices.

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2021 Little Amal and displays of support for refugees in the modern day

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2021 Little Amal and displays of support for refugees in the modern day

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In October 2021, the Royal Opera House hosted specially curated evening, attended by refugee groups from across London as part of Good Chance Theatre’s ‘The Walk’.
The event included performances by The Royal Ballet, The Royal Opera, Citizens of the World Choir, Phosphoros Theatre and London-based Syrian oud player Rihab Azar. Amal also walked to other iconic musical locations such as The National Theatre and Southbank Centre.

Little Amal’s walk is a strong and outward display of support from these musical companies for Syrian refugees and other refugees fleeing war torn countries.

It would be important to add, it is seemingly easier to display support for counties involved in war when it is not your country actively involved and under attack.

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Little Amal arrives at the Royal Opera House as part of The Walk

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2022 Should music and politics be separated?

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2022 Should music and politics be separated?

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Modern day opinions on performing music and composers from ‘enemy’ counties is widely discussed. If musicians do decide to perform this music, does it reflect their political standing? Or, like the opinion of Myra Hess, should music and politics be separated?

Despite these on going debates, as we can see from further down the timeline, many Russian based companies and musicians did have performances and competitions cancelled over the world.

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2022 Russians musicians forced out of work

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2022 Russians musicians forced out of work

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In light of the escalating situation in the Ukraine, the Russian State Opera had to cancel productions of Carmen and Aida at various theatres around the country.

Two major piano competitions, the Honens International Piano Competition in Canada and the Dublin International Piano Competition announced they will be not accepting Russians applicants this year.

Soprano, Anna Netrebko, has announced that she will 'withdraw from concerts until further notice' due to her support of Putin. Concerts at Hamburg's Elbe Philharmonic and Milan's La Scala have been postponed and cancelled.

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2022 Musicians continue to take a stand 

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2022 Musicians continue to take a stand 

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Similarly to the Principle of Trinity College of Music in 1939 taking measures to protect the ethos of the college and its staff and students, there are many reports of music making in solidarity happening on Ukraine.
One of such is that of musicians of Odesa Opera House singing whilst packing sandbags, in an attempt to barricade and protect the buildings, incase of an attack. Barricades are also shown to have been set up in a similar way during WW2 . Here, we can see a clear similarity in attitudes and reactions from musicians both then and now.

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2023 Supporting the music in the future 

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2023 Supporting the music in the future 

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The Congress Theatre, Eastboune, UK, will be head lining the Ukrainian National Opera with productions of Carmen and Madame Butterfly.

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Carmen-Habanera/Iryna Petrova (The National Opera of Ukraine) 05.05.2021