Henry J. Wood

Sir Henry Joseph Wood (3 March 1869 – 19 August 1944) was an English conductor best known for his association with London's annual series of promenade concerts, known as the Proms. He conducted them for nearly half a century, introducing hundreds of new works to British audiences. After his death, the concerts were officially renamed in his honour as the "Henry Wood Promenade Concerts", although they continued to be generally referred to as "the Proms".

Born in modest circumstances to parents who encouraged his musical talent, Wood started his career as an organist. During his studies at the Royal Academy of Music, he came under the influence of the voice teacher Manuel Garcia and became his accompanist. After similar work for Richard D'Oyly Carte's opera companies on the works of Arthur Sullivan and others, Wood became the conductor of a small operatic touring company. He was soon engaged by the larger Carl Rosa Opera Company. One notable event in his operatic career was conducting the British premiere of Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin in 1892.

From the mid-1890s until his death, Wood focused on concert conducting. He was engaged by the impresario Robert Newman to conduct a series of promenade concerts at the Queen's Hall, offering a mixture of classical and popular music at low prices. The series was successful, and Wood conducted annual promenade series until his death in 1944. By the 1920s, Wood had steered the repertoire entirely to classical music. When the Queen's Hall was destroyed by bombing in 1941, the Proms moved to the Royal Albert Hall.

Wood declined the chief conductorships of the New York Philharmonic and Boston Symphony Orchestras, believing it his duty to serve music in the United Kingdom. In addition to the Proms, he conducted concerts and festivals throughout the country and also trained the student orchestra at the Royal Academy of Music. He had an enormous influence on the musical life of Britain over his long career: he and Newman greatly improved access to classical music, and Wood raised the standard of orchestral playing and nurtured the taste of the public, presenting a vast repertoire of music spanning four centuries.

Birth and Death Data: Born March 3, 1869 (London), Died August 19, 1944 (Hertfordshire)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1915 - 1925

Roles Represented in DAHR: conductor, arranger

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

Recordings (Results 76-100 of 146 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia 75258 12-in. approximately 1916 Caprice espagnole, pt. 2 New Queen's Hall Orchestra ; Henry J. Wood Orchestra conductor  
Columbia 75259 12-in. approximately 1916 Danse macabre New Queen's Hall Orchestra ; Henry J. Wood Orchestra conductor  
Columbia 75322 12-in. 12/4/1922 Midsummer night's dream overture, part 1 New Queen's Hall Orchestra ; Henry J. Wood Orchestra conductor  
Columbia 75455 12-in. approximately 1917 Sorcerer's apprentice : Scherzo New Queen's Hall Orchestra ; Henry J. Wood Orchestra conductor  
Columbia 75456 12-in. approximately 1917 Rienzi overture, part 1 New Queen's Hall Orchestra ; Henry J. Wood Orchestra conductor  
Columbia 75457 12-in. approximately 1917 Rienzi overture, part 2 New Queen's Hall Orchestra ; Henry J. Wood Orchestra conductor  
Columbia 75458 12-in. approximately 1917 Carmen : Overture New Queen's Hall Orchestra ; Henry J. Wood Orchestra conductor  
Columbia 75459 12-in. approximately 1917 Carmen : Entracte, act 2 New Queen's Hall Orchestra ; Henry J. Wood Orchestra conductor  
Columbia 75460 12-in. approximately 1917 Carmen : Entracte, act 3 New Queen's Hall Orchestra ; Henry J. Wood Orchestra conductor  
Columbia 75465 12-in. approximately 1917 Carmen : Ballet music, act 4 New Queen's Hall Orchestra ; Henry J. Wood Orchestra conductor  
Columbia 75466 12-in. approximately 1917 Flying Dutchman : Overture New Queen's Hall Orchestra ; Henry J. Wood Orchestra conductor  
Columbia 75467 12-in. approximately 1917 Tannhäuser overture, part 1 New Queen's Hall Orchestra ; Henry J. Wood Orchestra conductor  
Columbia 75468 12-in. approximately 1917 Tannhäuser overture, part 2 New Queen's Hall Orchestra ; Henry J. Wood Orchestra conductor  
Columbia 75992 12-in. 10/1/1917 Villanesca New Queen's Hall Orchestra ; Henry J. Wood Orchestra conductor  
Columbia 75993 12-in. approximately 1917 Andantino New Queen's Hall Orchestra ; Henry J. Wood Orchestra conductor  
Columbia 75994 12-in. 10/1/1917 Allegretto quasi moderato New Queen's Hall Orchestra ; Henry J. Wood Orchestra conductor  
Columbia 75995 12-in. approximately 1917 Molte andante New Queen's Hall Orchestra ; Henry J. Wood Orchestra conductor  
Columbia 75997 12-in. 10/1/1917 El pelele New Queen's Hall Orchestra ; Henry J. Wood Orchestra conductor  
Columbia 75998 12-in. approximately 1917 Caprioccio italien, part 1 New Queen's Hall Orchestra ; Henry J. Wood Orchestra conductor  
Columbia 75999 12-in. approximately 1917 Caprioccio italien, part 2 New Queen's Hall Orchestra ; Henry J. Wood Orchestra conductor  
Columbia 76000 12-in. approximately 1918 Leonora overture no. 3, part 1 New Queen's Hall Orchestra ; Henry J. Wood Orchestra conductor  
Columbia 76001 12-in. approximately 1918 Leonora overture no. 3, part 2 New Queen's Hall Orchestra ; Henry J. Wood Orchestra conductor  
Columbia 76002 12-in. approximately 1918 Leonora overture no. 3, part 3 New Queen's Hall Orchestra ; Henry J. Wood Orchestra conductor  
Columbia 76003 12-in. approximately 1918 Septet in E flat major : Minuet New Queen's Hall Orchestra ; Henry J. Wood Orchestra conductor  
Columbia 76004 12-in. 10/1/1917 Catalonia : Suite populaire New Queen's Hall Orchestra ; Henry J. Wood Orchestra conductor  
(Results 76-100 of 146 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Wood, Henry J.," accessed April 24, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/351463.

Wood, Henry J.. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 24, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/351463.

"Wood, Henry J.." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 24 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/351463

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