To Die With You Again John Singing Lesson English Song Tenor Classical Voice

John Coates (29 June 1865 – xvi August 1941) was a leading English tenor, who sang in opera and oratorio and on the concert platform. His repertoire ranged from Bach and Purcell to contemporary works, and embraced the major heldentenor roles in Richard Wagner'south operas. For more than 40 years, with only a four-year interruption for military service during Earth State of war I, he overcame the limitations of a voice that was non naturally large past impressing listeners with his intense artistic expression, lively wording, musical versatility and memorable stage presence.

Coates spent some time on the European continent, toured Australia and South Africa in 1912–13 and performed in N America in the 1890s and again in 1925. He performed most ofttimes, however, in his native country and became a beloved figure at England's regional music festivals. Elgar's Dream of Gerontius was one of his specialties. Subsequently 1921, he limited his performances to the concert stage and recitals, nevertheless performing a broad-ranging repertoire, but championing English composers. A dispute with music publishers about royalties overcast his later years.

Training and career as baritone [edit]

John Coates was born in Girlington, Bradford. He came from a musical family on both sides, and for many generations. He attended Bradford Grammar School, where Frederick Delius was his (slightly younger) contemporary.^[1] His early singing experience came as a chorister in a church choir (under his father'south management), where he learnt the importance of accent in singing from the operation of the Gregorian chant. He studied voice nether multiple teachers: in Yorkshire nether J. G. Walton, Robert Burton and Dr. J. C. Bridge, in London under W. Shakespeare and T. A. Wallworth, and in Paris under Jacques Bouhy.^[ii]

Coates began his performing career every bit a baritone. He start appeared as Valentin in Gounod's Faust, as an amateur, with the Carl Rosa Opera Company in Manchester and Liverpool. After further grooming, he was engaged past the D'Oyly Carte Opera Visitor for its 1894 tour, at kickoff playing the baritone role of Mr. Goldbury in Utopia Limited in the original American production.^[3] He then created the office of Baron van den Berg in Mirette with D'Oyly Carte at the Savoy Theatre, followed by more touring, and left the company in 1895.^[4] Coates then sang in Edwardian musical comedies in London and on tour in the United States.^[5] He also introduced Arthur Sullivan's vocal, "The Absent Beggar" at the Alhambra Theatre in 1899.^[four]

1900–1916 in opera and touring [edit]

In the after 1890s, Coates left the stage for a medical operation on his vocal cords and further study,^[6] and reappeared as a tenor in calorie-free opera in 1899–1900 at the Globe Theatre in London. He starting time appeared at the Globe Theatre in The Gay Pretenders in November 1900^[4] and so at Covent Garden Opera House to create the part of Claudio in Charles Villiers Stanford's 4-act opera Much Ado About Null in 1901.^[7] Here he was in enthusiastic company with Marie Brema (Beatrice), David Bispham (Benedick), Suzanne Adams (Hero), Pol Plançon and Putnam Griswold, though the printing did not much appreciate the value of the piece of work or their efforts.^[8] This was followed past Gounod'due south Faust, this fourth dimension in the championship office. That yr he likewise appeared in the "Gürzenich'south Concerts and Opera" at Cologne and at Leipzig.

Coates became one of the most popular festival singers in England, singing at the triennial Leeds Festival in 1901 and performing Elgar's oratorio Dream of Gerontius at Worcester in 1902, followed by numerous other Elgar works.^[4] In 1902, he was heard at the Berlin and Hanover royal opera houses and, in 1906, at key venues in Dresden, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Mannheim and Paris, plus the Cincinnati May Festival.^[v] He sang for the English seasons of the Moody-Manners Company at Covent Garden in 1907 and 1908.^[ix] Coates took part in the May 1908 premiere (concert) performance of Ethel Smyth'due south The Wreckers, with Blanche Marchesi, under the baton of Artur Nikisch at the Queen'due south Hall,^[10] and in the Thomas Beecham production of the same work at His Majesty's a year later. He appeared with the Carl Rosa company in 1909. Coates was a successful London Don Jose in Bizet'due south Carmen.^[11] He was with the Beecham Visitor for the spring, summer and winter seasons of 1910, in which the vivid product of Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffmann owed its success mainly to him, and he besides appeared in an uncommonly romantic estimation of Pedro in Eugen d'Albert'south Tiefland.^[9] In 1911–13, he toured with the Quinlan Opera Company in provincial England, Australia and South Africa.^[5]

Despite his lack of raw vocal ability, Coates was all the same considered to be amongst the finest of English Wagnerian tenors, especially every bit Siegfried and Tristan, owing to the strength of his musicianship, his axiomatic intelligence and his impressive deportment on phase. Earlier the First Globe State of war, he also appeared in London as Lohengrin, Tannhäuser too equally Tristan. He sang often in Wagner concerts and appeared as Parsifal in concert performances of the opera. He sang Lohengrin at Cologne, too, and in 1911, performed the Siegfrieds of both Siegfried and Götterdämmerung for the Denhof Opera Company nether Sir Thomas Beecham, actualization opposite the Wotan of Frederic Austin.^[12]

1901–1916 in Festival and oratorio [edit]

The year 1901 saw John Coates' kickoff English festival appointment, at Leeds, and he was thereafter in all the principal English festivals, notably at Worcester, Brighton and Norwich, and at The Crystal Palace.^[13] In November 1900 he appeared for Henry J. Woods in the Arthur Sullivan Memorial Concert at Queen's Hall in The Golden Legend, aslope Lillian Blauvelt, Louise Kirkby Lunn and David Ffrangcon-Davies.^[fourteen]

He was above all admired in The Dream of Gerontius, in which work he and young man English-built-in tenor Gervase Elwes held foremost place in public esteem. In the 1902 Sheffield Festival he sang Gerontius under Elgar's baton with Marie Brema and Ffrangcon-Davies, and with the same soloists under Henry J. Woods at the Queen's Hall, with the London Choral Social club, in February 1904.^[xv] He was chosen to appear at the Festival of Elgar'south music under Hans Richter at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, performing Gerontius on 14 March 1904 with Kirkby Lunn and Ffrangcon-Davies, then with Agnes Nicholls, Kennerley Rumford and Andrew Black in The Apostles, on 15 March of that aforementioned twelvemonth.^[16]

Elgar, writing to Frank Schuster in 1905, wanted to hear Coates perform the 'Three Holy Kings' scene from Wolfrum's Weihnachtsmysterium.^[17] Gerontius was performed with the 1904 line-upwards under Henry Woods'south direction in his 1906 flavor.^[18] Then Frederic Austin was Priest and Angel of the Agony to Coates'due south Soul at the Festivals of Southport (1906) and Birmingham (1909) and at Manchester (1908).^[19] In 1907, in correspondence, Elgar wrote of him: 'The Arch-chanter John was the greatest success and a joy to see.'^[20]

Classical-singing commentator Michael Scott (who, incidentally, calls Coates 'one of the finest English singers on record') notes in The Record of Singing that his repertoire was exceptionally wide-ranging and included Handel's Messiah and Belshazzar, Mendelssohn'southward St Paul and Elijah, Bach's St Matthew Passion, Elgar's Male monarch Olaf and Saint-Saëns'south The Promised Land.^[21] John Coates and Gervase Elwes were great friends, and Coates stood in for an indisposed Elwes on (at least) one occasion at Gloucester.^[22] On another occasion, at Worcester in 1911, Elwes (a Roman Catholic) was booked to sing Gerontius, but upon existence told that the name of Mary Mother of God must be excluded from the text (to sing, 'Jesu, pray for me' instead of 'Mary' etc., and with other absurd substitutions and cuts) on the insistence of the Dean and Chapter, he refused to perform, and Coates was chosen in to replace him.^[23] Coates performed the Bach Mass in B minor in the Apr Festival of 1915 at Queen's Hall, under Henri Verbrugghen.^[24]

War service and later career [edit]

Coates then saw four years' war service in French republic as a helm in the Yorkshire Regiment (from 1916 to 1919).^[25] In March 1919, he signaled his return to music by giving the kickoff of a long series of English-song recitals, with Anthony Bernard at the piano, at the Queen's Hall. His programs, his enjoyment of the work, his diction and characterization were intensely admired in them.^[26]

In 1921, he appeared once again in opera equally Don José in Carmen and equally Lohengrin for Carl Rosa at Covent Garden, but thereafter devoted near of his efforts to concert operation.^[27] In 1921 he sang Gerontius at the memorial coming together for Gervase Elwes at the Purple Albert Hall with the Royal Choral Order.^[28] (He sang wonderfully, co-ordinate to the Sunday Times, a courageous thing to practise since in his ain words he constitute the sudden death of Elwes in a train accident 'too shocking, too staggering to contemplate. It has affected me to the very depths of my nature ... it brought me to my knees.')^[29] From 1920 he began to specialise in song-recitals, of which he gave several each year, favouring all-English performances and championing English composers, simply drawing from the repertoire of German and French songs likewise.^[xxx] In 1922 Roger Quilter, who had written much for Elwes and worked closely with him, dedicated his 'Morning time vocal' (Thomas Heywood) to Coates, one of his near vibrant and characteristic miniatures, though Coates did non requite the first performance of it.^[31]

As the 1920s unfurled, Coates faced competition at home from an emerging generation of British tenors led by Walter Widdop and Heddle Nash. He toured overseas energetically and in 1925 he fabricated his simply extended tour of North America, including Canada as well as the United states of america on his itinerary. For this trip his usual partner on the pianoforte, Berkeley Mason, was non available. Instead, he found Gerald Moore, then a immature accompanist at the beginning of his career.^[32] Moore had often heard Coates' recitals at Chelsea Town Hall, but it was through the Australian baritone Peter Dawson (with whom Moore had toured) that the contact came. Once the contact was made, Moore became Coates' sole accompanist for four or five years. Moore devotes a chapter of his memoirs to Coates. He found the tenor a hard taskmaster, only one who transformed him from a mediocre accompanist to an artist with a full realisation of the duties and possibilities of the accompanist'southward office, aware of the necessity of existence a full participant in every living nuance and accent of the music at hand. Moore considered that Coates had laid the groundwork of any was truly first-class in his work. Indeed, Coates had told him that the American tour would 'kill or cure' him, and considered the outcome a 'cure'. The Coates-Moore partnership eventually dissolved over a rehearsal-fees' disagreement, though any cracks in the friendship were repaired by 1929.

Similar his renowned British tenor predecessors Sims Reeves and Edward Lloyd, Coates had a famously protective wife. Moore refers to Coates' home life every bit serene, with an ambrosial spouse, sons and daughters; but he thought, despite Coates'due south good humour, he was not a happy person because he was too much of a worrier. Coates adult financial headaches, too. He wasted a good deal of money in a legal case that he launched confronting the Performing Right Order, in which he argued that he should not have to pay a royalty to perform music in public which had been brought to him in manuscript, and which therefore, by like-minded to sing it, Coates had encouraged the publishers to publish. He lost the case, and it preyed on his mind and finances for long afterward, though he refused offers of financial support from other singers. In his terminal years he thought of going back on the stage and started to slim, but he was seized with anaemia and became permanently confined to bed, frustrated at beingness unable to assist his country as the Second World War took hold. In July 1940, Gerald Moore presented a one-half-hr broadcast in tribute to their work together, and received a final letter from him in friendship and gratitude.

Coates died in Northwood, London in 1941, aged 76.

Reputation [edit]

Conductor Sir Thomas Beecham remarked of him: 'Coates was among the 6 most interesting artistic personalities of the time in England – scrupulous, fastidious and careful in all that he attempted. His appearance on the stage was noble and animated, and his phonation, although of moderate ability, was flexible and expressive. His wording was admirable and his singing of English language an unalloyed pleasure to the ear.'^[33] In 1924 Eaglefield Hull wrote: 'He unites to a fine tenor voice, wide culture, perfection of vocal declamation and loftier dramatic attainments.'

Of his concert repertoire Gerald Moore wrote: 'Was there e'er a vocalizer with a wider repertoire ...? He was equally at habitation in the lieder of Beethoven, Schubert and Schumann as he was with the early on English songs of Arne, Byrd and Purcell; he championed the songs of Bax, Ireland, Howells, Warlock, and was abreast of the younger school; the chansons of Weckerlin, Bruneau, Lully, tripped as easily off his tongue equally did Fauré and Duparc. In Frg they chosen him the platonic Siegfried and Lohengrin. He had played many roles at the Purple Opera House, Covent Garden, nether Sir Thomas Beecham, and it is a moot point whether he or Gervase Elwes was the finest Gerontius of that era.'^[34]

Recordings [edit]

John Coates recorded first for the British Gramophone Company, first in 1907. Afterwards, he made discs for Columbia Records (including by the electric recording process). His acoustic recordings of 1907-1915 included:

Gramophone Company: English and Italian Catalogues: ^[35]

• 3-2910 Take a pair of sparkling eyes, from The Gondoliers (Sullivan). 1907
• 3-2911 John'south married woman (Roeckel). 1907
• three-2963 Eldorado (Mallison). 1908
• 3-2968 There is a bloom that bloometh, from Maritana (Vincent Wallace). 1908
• 3-2984 At the mid hour of nighttime (Cowen). 1908
• 3-2985 Light-green grow the rashes, O. 1908
• 4-2552 Ninetta (Brewer). 1915 (E34)
• four-2614 O may my dreams come up true (Fothergill). 1915 (E34)
• 02092 Cielo e mar, from La Gioconda (Ponchielli). 1907
• 02100 Dai campi, dai prati, from Mefistofele (Boito). 1907
• 02108 Lohengrin'south farewell, from Lohengrin (Wagner). 1907
• 02109 Lohengrin's narration, from Lohengrin (Wagner). 1907
• 02111 Come into the garden, Maud (Balfe). 1907
• 02144 Celeste Aida, from Aida (Verdi). 1908
• 02145 Watchman'southward scene, from Hymn of Praise (Mendelssohn). 1908
• 02172 As well late! (Atkins). 1909
• 02584 In the Dawn (Elgar). 1915
• 052219 Cielo e mar, from La Gioconda (Ponchielli). 1908
• 052223 Giunto sul passo estremo, from Mefistofele (Boito). 1908

Images [edit]

• In Kobbe 1922: John Coates as Siegfried (p195), Tristan (p229) and equally Dick Johnson (La Fanciulla del West, Puccini)(p675).
• In Scott 1979: John Coates portrait, Pl 125 (p171).
• In Lee-Browne 1999: John Coates equally Hoffmann, Plate vii.

Notes [edit]

1. ^ T. Beecham, Frederick Delius (Hutchinson, London 1959), eighteen.
2. ^ A. Eaglefield-Hull, A Dictionary of Modernistic Music and Musicians (Dent, London 1924).
3. ^ Kanthor, Hal. "Gilbert and Sullivan: From London to America" Archived xvi Feb 2009 at the Wayback Machine, University of Rochester, accessed 7 June 2010. Click on the New York programme for Utopia to see cast listing.
4. ^ ^{a b c d} "Data nigh Coates' career from the WhoWasWho in the D'Oyly Carte website". Archived from the original on three September 2006. Retrieved 31 May 2007.
5. ^ ^{a b c} Eaglefield-Hull 1924.
6. ^ Thousand. Scott, The Record of Singing II (Duckworth, London 1979), 171.
7. ^ Eaglefield-Hull 1924; K. Davidson, Opera Biographies (Werner Laurie, London 1955), 71-73).
8. ^ D. Bispham, A Quaker Singer'southward Recollections (Macmillan, New York 1920), 294.
9. ^ ^{a b} Davidson 1955.
10. ^ Elkin 1944, 88.
11. ^ cf also Scott 1979, 171.
12. ^ Davidson 1955; cf T. Beecham, A Mingled Chinkle (Hutchinson, London 1944).
13. ^ Eaglefield-Hull 1924; Scott 1979, 171.
14. ^ H. J. Forest, My Life of Music (Gollancz, London 1946 edn), 155.
15. ^ R. Elkin, Queen'south Hall 1893-1941 (Passenger, London 1944), 64.
16. ^ Percy Thou. Young, Messages of Edward Elgar (Geoffrey Bles, London 1956), 131-132.
17. ^ Young 1955, 143.
18. ^ Wood 1946, 205.
19. ^ G. Lee-Browne, Nothing so charming as Musick! (Thames, London 1999), 38.
20. ^ Young 1955, 173.
21. ^ M. Scott, The Record of Singing II (Duckworth, London 1979), 170-173.
22. ^ W. & E. Elwes, Gervase Elwes, The Story of his Life (Grayson and Grayson, London 1935), 200-201.
23. ^ Elwes 1935, 210-212.
24. ^ Elkin 1944, 77.
25. ^ Eaglefield-Hull 1924; Davidson 1955.
26. ^ R. Elkin 1944, 115.
27. ^ Scott 1979, 171.
28. ^ Elwes 1935, 276-277.
29. ^ Elwes 1935, 276-277, 282.
30. ^ Scott 1979, 171-172.
31. ^ 5. Langfield, Roger Quilter - His Life and Music (Boydell, Woodbridge 2002), 66, 148.
32. ^ The following department is derived from M. Moore, Am I besides Loud? (Hamish Hamilton, London 1962), Affiliate iv.
33. ^ Davidson 1955, 72.
34. ^ Moore 1962: cf Penguin edn 1968, 34.
35. ^ J.R. Bennett, Voices of the Past: Catalogue of Song recordings from the English Catalogue of the Gramophone Visitor, etc. (1955); J.R. Bennett, Voices of the By Vol. two: Catalogue of Vocal recordings from the Italian Catalogues of the Gramophone Company, etc. (Oakwood Press, 1967).

Sources [edit]

• T. Beecham, A Mingled Chinkle (Hutchinson, 1944).
• T. Beecham, Frederick Delius (Hutchinson, 1959).
• J.R. Bennett, Voices of the Past: Catalogue of Vocal recordings from the English Catalogue of the Gramophone Company, etc. (1955).
• J.R. Bennett, Voices of the Past Vol. 2: Catalogue of Vocal recordings from the Italian Catalogues of the Gramophone Visitor, etc. (Oakwood Press, 1967).
• D. Bispham, A Quaker Vocalist's recollections (Macmillan, New York 1920).
• G. Davidson, Opera Biographies (Werner Laurie, London 1955).
• A. Eaglefield-Hull (Ed), A Dictionary of Modern Music and Musicians (Dent, London 1924).
• W. Elwes and R. Elwes, Gervase Elwes, The Story of his Life (Grayson and Grayson, London 1935).
• G. Kobbé, The Consummate Opera Volume, 1st English Edn (Putnam'south, London 1922).
• Yard. Lee-Browne, Nothing then Charming as Musick! The Life and Times of Frederic Austin (Thames, London 1999).
• G. Moore, Am I too Loud? (Hamish Hamilton 1962).
• H. Rosenthal and J. Warrack, Curtailed Oxford Dictionary of Opera (Corrected Edition) (London 1974).
• Musical Times, 1 December 1911.
• 1000. Scott, The Tape of Singing Vol 2: 1914-1925 (Duckworth, London 1979).
• H. Wood, My Life of Music (Gollancz, London 1938).
• P.Thou. Young, Letters of Edward Elgar and other writings (Geoffrey Bles, London 1956).

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Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Coates_(tenor)

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