A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Cowen, Frederic

COWEN, Frederic Hymen, born Jan. 29, 1852, at Kingston, Jamaica, exhibited early an extraordinary love of music, was brought to England by his parents when four years old, and placed under the tuition of Sir J. Benedict and Sir J. Goss, whose pupil he remained until the winter of 1865. He then studied at the conservatoires of Leipzig and Berlin, returning to London in 1868. Amongst his early works are an operetta entitled 'Garibaldi,' a fantasie-sonata, a trio, quartet, pianoforte concerto, and a symphony in C minor. He has also written a cantata, 'The Rose Maiden' (1870); the incidental music to Schiller's 'Maid of Orleans' (1871); a festival overture for Norwich (1872); 'The Corsair,' a cantata composed for the Birmingham Festival, 1876, and a symphony in F major. On Nov. 22, 1876, his opera of 'Pauline' was brought out by the Carl Rosa company at the Lyceum Theatre with great success. Mr. Cowen is also the composer of many popular songs. [App. p.601 adds "the oratorio of 'St. Ursula' (Norwich, 1881), and the cantata 'The Sleeping Beauty' (Birmingham, 1885); an orchestral suite, 'The Language of Flowers,' and a 'Scandinavian' symphony (No. 3). A 'Welsh' symphony (No. 4) was played at the Philharmonic in 1884, and a fifth, in F, written for the Cambridge University Musical Society, was performed there, and subsequently at a Richter concert, in 1887. An oratorio entitled 'Ruth,' the words by Joseph Bennett, was given at the Worcester Festival of the same year. In 1888 he was appointed conductor of the Philharmonic Society, and was given the post of musical director of the Melbourne Centennial Exhibition."]

[ M. ]