Beecham Opera Company

The Beecham Opera Company was an opera company founded by Thomas Beecham which presented opera in English in London and on tour between 1916 and 1920.

The initiative was conceived as part of Beecham's campaign to foster musical life during World War I, after the forced closure of the Covent Garden Opera Company, where the conductor had been mounting opera seasons. Conveniently, Beecham's project was able to draw on many former members of the Edinburgh-based Denhof Opera Company, thereby effectively continuing the earlier company's work. The company was formed with mainly British singers, with New Zealander Rosina Buckman a notable exception; she was assigned the role of a principal dramatic soprano. Supported financially by Beecham's father, Joseph, the new outfit quickly turned into a successful touring company with casts of mainly British singers, including Frank Mullings, who was entrusted with some of the key lead roles.

Beecham's company provided the wartime public with opera performances both around the provinces and in London (at the Drury Lane, Shaftesbury and Aldwych theatres), even during the 1917 Zeppelin raids. The repertoire was extensive, and included productions of works as ambitious as Boris Godunov (in French) and Tristan und Isolde. Although Beecham had intended the company to be a permanent venture, it was disbanded in 1920 when financial problems over buying the Bedford Estate forced him to withdraw temporarily from the music scene. Many of the performers joined the British National Opera Company (1922–1929), a replacement venture which bought the entire assets of the Beecham company, comprising the scenery, costumes, scores, instruments and performing rights for 48 operas.

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1919

Roles Represented in DAHR: Musical group

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

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia 76568 12-in. approximately 1919 Overture Beecham Opera Company ; Eugene Goossens Orchestra Musical group  
Columbia 76569 12-in. approximately 1919 Entracte Beecham Opera Company ; Eugene Goossens Orchestra Musical group  
Columbia 76570 12-in. approximately 1919 On Monday she sold cod-fish Beecham Opera Company ; Eugene Goossens ; Herbert Langley Baritone vocal solo, with chorus and orchestra Musical group  
Columbia 76571 12-in. approximately 1919 When heavy care Beecham Opera Company ; Desirée Ellinger ; Eugene Goossens ; Constantin Stroesco Vocal duet (soprano and tenor), with orchestra Musical group  
Columbia 76572 12-in. approximately 1919 Clairette I worship Beecham Opera Company ; Eugene Goossens ; Constantin Stroesco Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra Musical group  
Columbia 76573 12-in. approximately 1919 The Augereau grenadiers Gladys Ancrum ; Beecham Opera Company ; Eugene Goossens Soprano vocal solo, with chorus and orchestra Musical group  
Columbia 76574 12-in. approximately 1919 Where are you going? Beecham Opera Company ; Eugene Goossens ; Herbert Langley ; Arthur Wynn Vocal duet (2 baritones), with orchestra Musical group  
Columbia 76575 12-in. approximately 1919 In days gone by Beecham Opera Company ; Desirée Ellinger ; Eugene Goossens Soprano vocal solo, with chorus and orchestra Musical group  
Columbia 76576 12-in. approximately 1919 Eh, what! Gladys Ancrum ; Beecham Opera Company ; C. Bloomfield ; Desirée Ellinger ; Eugene Goossens ; Constantin Stroesco ; Arthur Wynn Vocal quintet with orchestra Musical group  
Columbia 76577 12-in. approximately 1919 Come, let's discuss political relations Gladys Ancrum ; Beecham Opera Company ; Eugene Goossens ; Constantin Stroesco Vocal duet (soprano and tenor), with orchestra Musical group  
Columbia 76578 12-in. approximately 1919 You spent a lot on my education Beecham Opera Company ; Desirée Ellinger ; Eugene Goossens Soprano vocal solo, with chorus and orchestra Musical group  
Columbia 76579 12-in. approximately 1919 She is so sweet Beecham Opera Company ; Eugene Goossens ; Herbert Langley Baritone vocal solo, with orchestra Musical group  
Columbia 76580 12-in. approximately 1919 Bless me, 'tis Larivaudiere Beecham Opera Company ; Eugene Goossens ; Constantin Stroesco ; Arthur Wynn Vocal duet (2 baritones), with orchestra Musical group  
Columbia 76581 12-in. approximately 1919 This surely is a mystery Beecham Opera Company ; Desirée Ellinger ; Eugene Goossens ; Herbert Langley ; Arthur Wynn Vocal trio, with orchestra Musical group  
Columbia 76582 12-in. approximately 1919 Oh, happy days of childhood Gladys Ancrum ; Beecham Opera Company ; Desirée Ellinger ; Eugene Goossens Vocal duet (2 sopranos), with orchestra Musical group  
Columbia 76583 12-in. approximately 1919 Softly, idly Gladys Ancrum ; Beecham Opera Company ; C. Bloomfield ; Desirée Ellinger ; Eugene Goossens ; Constantin Stroesco ; Arthur Wynn Vocal quintet, with orchestra Musical group  
Columbia 76584 12-in. approximately 1919 Ah, then 'tis you Gladys Ancrum ; Beecham Opera Company ; Desirée Ellinger ; Eugene Goossens Vocal duet (2 sopranos), with chorus and orchestra Musical group  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Beecham Opera Company," accessed April 23, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/357769.

Beecham Opera Company. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 23, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/357769.

"Beecham Opera Company." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 23 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/357769

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