George Hogarth – författare

The Philharmonic Society ('Royal' from 1912) is one of the oldest music societies in the world. Founded in 1813 to provide regular concerts of new music in London, it is famous for its commission of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. This detailed account by George Hogarth, music journalist and Secretary to the Society between 1850 and 1864, takes us from the inaugural concert in March 1813 including works by Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven to plans for the golden jubilee concert. Noteworthy performances in these first fifty years included the UK premiere of Beethoven's Ninth in 1825, Mendelssohn's Italian Symphony in 1833 and a cornucopia of works by composers such as Wagner, Berlioz and Weber whose music now forms the core repertoire of the nineteenth century. Appendices provide extracts of letters from Mendelssohn, details of works by English composers performed at Society concerts, and lists of performers, Society members, Honorary Members and Patrons.

George Hogarth (1783-1870), music critic and journalist, is also remembered as a friend of Sir Walter Scott and the father-in-law of Charles Dickens. His lengthy writing career included posts as music critic with The Harmonicon, the Morning Chronicle (where he first met Dickens), the Evening Chronicle (which he co-edited), and the Daily News. He also served as music critic for The Illustrated London News and was secretary to the Philharmonic Society between 1850 and 1864. His account of the first fifty years of the Society has also been reissued in this series. The present work, first published in 1835, is his lively history of music from ancient to modern times, aimed squarely at the general reader. It is couched in 'simple and perspicuous language, avoiding technical phraseology and abstruse discussions'. The final chapter presents an invaluable first-hand account of contemporary music and musical life in England.