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Edward German

Sir Edward German (17 February 1862 – 11 November 1936) was an English musician and composer of Welsh descent, best remembered for his extensive output of incidental music for the stage and as a successor to Arthur Sullivan in the field of English comic opera. Some of his light operas, especially Merrie England, are still performed.

As a youth, German played the violin and led the town orchestra of Whitchurch, Shropshire. He also began to compose music. While performing and teaching violin at the Royal Academy of Music, German began to build a career as a composer in the mid-1880s, writing serious music as well as light opera. In 1888, he became music director of the Globe Theatre in London. He provided popular incidental music for many productions at the Globe and other London theatres, including Richard III (1889), Henry VIII (1892) and Nell Gwynn (1900). He also wrote symphonies, orchestral suites, symphonic poems and other works. He also wrote a considerable body of songs, piano music, and symphonic suites and other concert music, of which his Welsh Rhapsody (1904) is perhaps best known.

German was engaged to finish The Emerald Isle after the death of Arthur Sullivan in 1900, the success of which led to more comic operas, including Merrie England (1902) and Tom Jones (1907). He also wrote the Just So Song Book in 1903 to Rudyard Kipling's texts and continued to write orchestral music. German wrote little new music of his own after 1912, but he continued to conduct until 1928, the year in which he was knighted.

Birth and Death Data: Born February 17, 1862 (Whitchurch), Died November 11, 1936 (London)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1901 - 1929

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 51-75 of 81 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia 28743 10-in. approximately 1914 Morris dance Regt. Band of H. M. Scots Guards Band composer  
Columbia 28744 10-in. approximately 1914 Shepherd's dance Regt. Band of H. M. Scots Guards Band composer  
Columbia 74292 12-in. 4/26/1921 Nell Gwyn dances, no. 1 Alick Maclean ; New Queen's Hall Light Orchestra Orchestra composer  
Columbia 74293 12-in. 4/26/1921 Nell Gwyn dances, no. 2 Alick Maclean ; New Queen's Hall Light Orchestra Orchestra composer  
Columbia 74294 12-in. 4/26/1921 Nell Gwyn dances, no. 3 Alick Maclean ; New Queen's Hall Light Orchestra Orchestra composer  
Columbia 75006 12-in. 12/6/1921 Henry VIII : Morris dance Alick Maclean ; New Queen's Hall Light Orchestra Orchestra composer  
Columbia 75007 12-in. 12/6/1921 Henry VIII : Shepherd's dance Alick Maclean ; New Queen's Hall Light Orchestra Orchestra composer  
Columbia 75008 12-in. 12/6/1921 Henry VIII : Torch dance Alick Maclean ; New Queen's Hall Light Orchestra Orchestra composer  
Columbia 75088 12-in. 9/5/1922 Come to Arcadie Hubert Eisdell ; Dora Labbette Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 75414 12-in. approximately 1917 Have you news of my boy Jack? Thomas Beecham ; Clara Butt Female vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 75441 12-in. approximately 1917 Have you news of my boy Jack? Thorpe Bates Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 76344 12-in. approximately 1919 Yeomen of England Norman Allin Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 76396 12-in. approximately 7/15/1919 Tom Jones : Waltz song Elsa Stralia Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 76886 12-in. 2/27/1923 Merrie England, vocal gems, part 1 Columbia Light Opera Company [U.K.] Vocal chorus and soloists, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 76887 12-in. 2/27/1923 Merrie England, vocal gems, part 2 Columbia Light Opera Company [U.K.] Vocal chorus and soloists, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 76915 12-in. 5/10/1923 Three dances Alick Maclean ; New Queen's Hall Light Orchestra Orchestra composer  
OKeh [OK cat 4873-B] 10-in. 1925 Country dance no. 1 Elinor Remick Warren Piano solo composer  
Brunswick [Br cat 5242-a] 10-in. approximately June 1918 Brave little drummer boy Reed Miller Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Brunswick 7164 10-in. approximately Jan. 1922 Rolling down to Rio Richard Bonelli Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Brunswick 6811-6812 10-in. approximately Nov. 1921 Roses in June Theo Karle Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Brunswick E28135 10-in. 8/23/1928 Rolling down to Rio John Charles Thomas Baritone vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Brunswick [Br (U.K.) cat 185-a] 10-in. approximately Feb. 1928 Waltz song Thelma Tuson Female vocal solo, with violin and piano composer  
Edison 539 10-in. approximately Jan. 1911 Waltz song Constance Drever Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Edison 1364 10-in. Dec. 1912 Waltz song Constance Drever Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Edison 3908 10-in. 6/25/1915 The drummer boy Reed Miller Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
(Results 51-75 of 81 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "German, Edward," accessed April 25, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102993.

German, Edward. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 25, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102993.

"German, Edward." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 25 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102993

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