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The Career of Sir Michael Costa
The following article, containing a detailed description of the career of Sir Michael Costa, appeared in The Era newspaper on 3 May 1884. [1]
DEATH OF SIR MICHAEL COSTA
This distinguished musician expired at a quarter-past eight on Tuesday evening at his residence, 13, Seafield-road, Brighton, where for some days, after an attack of apoplexy, he had remained in a condition which gave no hope of recovery. The following memoir, written especially for The Era, will be found a valuable record of a very remarkable man :-
Sir Michael Costa was born at Geneva, February 4th, 1810. He was the son of the Chevalier Pascal Costa, his father being a Italian of Spanish extraction, and his mother a Swiss. Signs of musician precocity led to his being placed at an early age in the Royal Academy of Music at Naples, the principal of which was Nicolo Zingarelli. His first master in composition was Giacomo Tritto, an uncle of Costa. Costa, at the age of nineteen, was principal pianoforte accompanist at San Carlo, Naples, and as a student he produced at that academy a cantata L'Immagine, and an opera, Il Delitto Punito, and also two operas, viz, Il Carcere d’Ildegondo and Malvina, the first for the Unovo Theatre, the latter at the San Carlo, February 7th, 1829. He composed Malvina for Domenico Barbaja, who was manager at that theatre from 1810 to 1839. Costa’s visit to Birmingham arose from Nicolo Zingarelli having intrusted him with the score of a sacred cantata entitled Super Flumina Babilonis, based on the twelfth chapter of Isiah, and with the mission to superintend and direct its production at Birmingham; but the festival committee feared to trust the youth with the baton, they insisted upon his appearing as a singer on the stage, which was quite against his inclination. Of the artists of whom Costa was the colleague in 1829 , Miss Paton (Lady W. Lennox), Mrs Wood, the gifted Malibran, Mrs W. Knyvett, Mademoiselle Blais, Miss Fanny Ayton, Braham, the unrivalled tenor, Vaughan, Knyvett, Bellamy, H. Phillips, Signor de Begnis, and Giubelei, there is not a single survivor.
In the month of October, 1829, there was a musical festival at Birmingham to celebrate the fiftieth year of the establishment of the General Hospital (which was opened 1779, and cost £22,000). The sacred music was given at St. Phillip's Church, the present Town Hall not being built. (The Birmingham Town Hall was commenced in 1832. The organ, built by Hill, 1834, cost £3,000, and, with additions and improvements, is now worth £5,000. The hall, which was opened October, 1834, and finished 1850, cost £52,000, Hanson and Welch being the architects.) Operas and concerts were then given in the evenings at the Theatre Royal, and on one of these nights was performed a scene from Rossini’s opera Donna del Lago, where Elena, the Lady of the Lake, first appears, and sings the well-known air “O mattutini albori” and after she lands from the boat is joined by Uberto (James the Fifth of Scotland) in a duet. The representative of Elena was Miss Fanny Ayton ( that lady, after a successful career in Italy, made her debut at the King’s Theatre, Haymarket, in 1827), the Pippo being Madame Vestris. The artist who sang the part of Uberto was an Italian tenor of nineteen, his first appearance on any stage and his debut in this country. The tenor was Signor Costa, but, what with stage fright and other causes, he failed. Subsequently we all know he became the greatest musical conductor in England. From 1826 to Italian Opera House, Haymarket. The conductor and band did not agree well together and he therefore resigned.
Costa’s first appointment at the Italian Opera House, Haymarket, was in 1831. He was engaged as maestro al piano, but the next season, on opening night, Tuesday, January 24th, 1832, the Italian opera was placed under his sole direction. Mr Monk Mason was then director. Mason retired in 1832. and was succeeded by Pierre Francois Laporte. The latter was formerly manager of that opera house from 1828 to 1831, and afterwards from 1833 to 1841. The Opera House was then only opened to subscribers two nights in the week, viz., Tuesday and Saturday. Cosat superseded Spagnoletti, the first violin ; that violinist conducted with his bow, whereas Costa held the baton for the first time it was used in that orchestra. The members of the orchestra for the season, 1832, were the following :- Director of the orchestra, Signor Costa ; leader of the orchestra, Signor Spagnoletti : violini, Messrs Mori, Dando, Watts, Murray Nadaud, Piggott, Ella, Kearns, Wallis, Baker, Reeves, Bohrer, Tolbecque, Griesbach, Zerbini, Litolff, Anderson, Watktins, Thomas. &c. viole, Moralt, Warre, Alsept, Daniels, Chubb, Nicks, &c. ; vilincelli, Lindley, Rouselet, Hatton, Crouch. sen., Crouch, jun., Brooks, &c.; contrabassi, Dragonetti, Wilson, Howell, Anfossi, Flower, Taylor, &c.; flauti, Nicholson, Card ; oboe, Cook, Barret ; clarini, Willman, Powell ; fagotti, Mackintosh, Tully ; corni, Platt, Rav, Calcott, Tully ; trombi, Harper, Irvin ; tromboni, Mariotti, Smithers, sen., Smithers, jun. ; timpani, Chipp.
From 1832 to the season 1845 Costa retained his position as musical commander-in-chief, and those were the palmy days of the great singers Sontag, Cinti-Damoreau , Pasta, Carodori-Allan, Giulia Grisi, Rubini, Gardoni, Mario, Donzelli, De Begnis, Tamburini , Lablache, F. Lablache, Galli, Ivanoff, Zaebelli, Pisaroni, Persiani, Moltini, Brambella, Albertazzi, Costelli, Bellini, Favanti, and other stars. In May, 1837, Costa’s three-act tragic opera Malek Adel, the libretto by Count Pepoli, was performed at the King's Theatre, Haymarket, and afterwards appeared in Paris, February, 1838. The King’s Teatre, Haymarket, was called Her Majesty’s in July, 1837, on the accession of Her Majesty, June 20th, 1837. In May, 1842 Benjamin Lumley became the lessee.
On August 3d, 1843, Costa had a benefit at Her Majesty's Theatre. The operatic selections were the first act of Mozart's Cosi fan Tutti, the second act of Rossini's Guglielmo Tell, the second act of Donizetti's Don Pasquale, and a ballet divertisement. The evening concluded with the ballet Alma. Perrot, Cerito, Desplaces, Guy Stephan, and others appeared in the ballet, for which Costa had composed the music. On June 20th, 1844, Costa's opera Don Carlos, a lyric tragedy in three acts, the libretto written by Leopoldo Tarantini, was produced at Her Majesty's Theatre, supported by Lablache, Mario, Fornasari, Giubelei, Grisi, and Bellini. This opera was taken from Frederick Schiller's opera of that name. In 1846 Costa’s secession from Her Majesty's Theatre took place owing to an art dispute with the then impresario, the late Benjamin Lumley, who in 1842 was the successor of Laporte, but the separation arose mainly because Costa was not sufficiently tractable in cutting down operas to afford time for the long Thursday ballet attractions, which were Lumley's chief consideration. In 1846 Costa was appointed conductor of the Philharmonic Society. That society was first established in 1813 by Cramer and Co. Their first concert was held March 8th, 1813, in the Argyll Rooms, Regent-street, These rooms were burnt down in 1830. The society then removed to the concert room, Italian Opera House, Haymarket ; afterwards, in 1833, to Hanover-square rooms. (The last concert given in Hanover-square rooms was December 19th, 1874, under the direction of water. Macfarren, for the Royal Academy of Music). The Philharmonic Society left the above rooms in 1874, and settled in St. James’s Hall, Piccadilly. Costa retained his conductorship of the Philharmonic Society until 1854, during which period he produced the “Messe Solennelle” in D and the ninth Symphony of Beethoven, which established his name and astonished some of the artists and amateurs by the way in which he conducted orchestral and choral works of classical form.
It was in 1846 that the scheme was formed of establishing a second Italian Opera House. The day after the fall of the curtain of Her Majesty's Theatre, Haymarket, at the close of the season 1846, Lumley read in the newspapers an announcement of the opening of Covent-garden Theatre, which was to be called the Royal Italian Opera. That house was remodelled by B. Albano, C.E., the cost being about £23,000 ; the alterations commenced on December 1st, 1846. The new Opera House, Covent-garden, was opened with Rossini's opera Semiramide, April 6th 1847. Costa became musical director and conductor, and M. Sainton principal violin. The following artists appeared that evening Persiani, Tamburini, Ronconi, and Alboni ; Grisi, Mario and Salvi Tagliaficio were also engaged at the new theatre. F. Beale and Robertson became acting-managers. The directors were Persiani and Galetti. Delafield, of the firm, Combe, Delafield, and Co., brewers, left that firm and undertook the direction of the Royal Italian Opera. Frederick Gye, who was connected with the management under Delafield, became in 1851 sole lessee, the year of the first Exhibition. Gye’s first step was to abandon the ballet. The principal members of the band, chorus, and opera stars of Her Majesty’s Theatre joined Costa at the Royal Italian Opera House. Previous to the opening of Her Majesty's Theatre, Haymarket, for the season 1847, Lumley spent on that theatre £10,000 in redecoration and repairs. At the beginning of the season, September, 1847, a conductor was advertised for by the committee of the Sacred Harmonic Society. A great many applications were sent in, but chiefly owing to the exertions of the late Robert Kanzow Bowley, the treasurer of the Sacred Harmonic Society (who afterwards became general manager of the Crystal Palace, April 8th, 1858), Costa was offered the post of conductor, which he accepted September 22d, 1848, on condition that he should have the sole authority over that orchestra. The band and chorus were increased to nearly 700 performers. His first step was to remodel the old orchestra, designed in 1834 by Stephen Geary, architect, of Hamilton-place, King's-cross, and built by J. Hoile, of Poland-street, Oxford-street. It was a most ingenious piece of carpentry, for in its construction neither nail nor screw was employed. Hoile also designed the ornamental fronts for the music stands. Costa introduced professional choristers, the band was enlarged by having the principal instrumental performers of the opera orchestra - viz., Mr Cooper, first violin or chef d'attaque ; Lindley, Howell, Phillips, Tolbecque, Anderson, G. Cooke, Jarrett, Bauman, R. Hatton, Pratten, Rowland, Lazarus, Irvin, Wagstaff, Card, the two Harpers, Smithers, Prospere, Severn, Hill, R. Blagrove, Thirlwall, Hancock, &c. ; organist, J. L. Brownsmith. The instructions given by the committee of the Sacred Harmonic Society to the amateur members of that orchestra were that unless they could attend punctually the rehearsals and concerts they would not be allowed to remain.
In October, 1848, Costa was appointed conductor of the Birmingham Musical Festivals. Costa conducted Mendelssohn's oratorio Elijah Nov. 1st, 1848. This was his first public appearance in the orchestra of the Sacred Harmonic Society, Exeter Hall. The band and chorus included nearly 700 performers. The principal solo performers that evening were Miss Birch, Miss Duval, Mr Lockey, Mr Novelle, and Mr H. Phillips, Mr Brownsmith, organist. This oratorio was repeated on the 17th November, when Mr Bodda appeared ; and now a new era began of the Sacred Harmonic Society's performances, the fame of which soon spread over the musical world. On Tuesday morning, September 4th, 1819, Mendelssohn's oratorio Elijah was performed at the Town Hall, Birmingham, the festival continued to the 5th, 6th, and 7th September. Band, 130 ; chorus, 317 ; total, 447 ; conductor, Mr Costa. The principal solo performers in Elijah were Miss Catherine Hayes, Miss A. Williams, Miss M. Williams, Miss Stephens, Mr Sims Reeves, Mr T. Williams, and Mr Machin. The profits of the above festival amounted to nearly £2,448, which sum was given to the Birmingham General Hospital.
St. George's Hall, Bradford, Yorkshire, was built from the design of Lockwood and Mawson, at the cost of £31,000, and opened August 31st, 1853, with a musical festival, which lasted the following days, September 1st and 2d. The organ was built by Hill and Sons. Band, 100; chorus, 250; total, 350. Organist, Mr J. L. Brownsmith ; chorus master, Mr William Jackson ; conductor, Mr Costa. On Saturday, June 10th, 1854, the Crystal Palace, Sydenham, was opened by her Majesty the Queen and his Royal Highness the Prince Consort. An orchestra was erected in the centre transept, and contained - band, 402 ; chorus, 1,248 ; total, 1,650, including the military bands of 150 performers, which were placed at the back of that orchestra. Miss Clara Novello was the principal solo per-former. In the front seats of the chorus in the orchestra were to be seen the faces of Madame Grisi, Signor Mario, Signor Lablache, Signor Ronconi, Signor Tamberlik, and Herr Formes. Mr Costa conducted. The committee of the Sacred Harmonic Society had the musical arrangements, and a brilliant success was the result. Lord Palmerston, who was then Home Secretary, stated that it was pronounced the finest musical effect that her Majesty the Queen had ever heard. On August 29th, 1855, Costa's oratorio Eli, words by W. Bartholomew, was first performed at the Town Hall, Birmingham. The principal solo performers were Madame Viardot Garcia, Madame Rudersdorf, Miss Dolby, Madame Castellan, Mr Sims Reeves, Herr Reichart, Mr Weiss, and Herr Formes. The composer conducted. Band, 140; chorus, 340; total, 480. Organist, Mr Stimpson.
Costa's Eli was first performed in London by the Sacred Har-monic Society, Exeter Hall, Friday, February 15th, 1856. Her Majesty the Queen, his Royal Highness the Prince Consort, the Royal Princes, Princesses, and a numerous cortege were present. The principal solo performers that evening were Madame Rudersdorff, Miss Dolby, Mr Sims Reeves, Mr Montem Smith, Mr W. H. Weiss, and Mr Lewis Thomas. Eli was repeated on April 25th at both concerts. The composer conducted.
The Royal Italian Opera House, Covent-garden, was totally destroyed by fire, during a bal masque, early on Wednesday morning, March 5th, 1856. The entertainment was called a carnival complimentary and dramatic gala for the benefit of a conjurer calling himself "The Wizard of the North," whose name was John Henry Anderson. The value of the scenery and properties destroyed wag nearly £40,000. The theatre was rebuilt from the design of E. M. Barry, R.A., and reopened by Frederick Gye, May 15th, 1858, with Meyerbeer's opera Les Huguenots. Mr Costa conducted. After the fire of March 5th, 1856, the Royal Italian opera company for a short season removed to the Lyceum Theatre, and appeared again at that theatre the following season, which they opened April 14th, 1857, for forty nights. Mr Costa conducted for both seasons. F. Gye was director of the Lyceum during the time of rebuilding the Royal Italian Opera House.
A testimonial to Mr Costa was presented to him in the committee-room of the Town Hall, Birmingham, May 12th, 1856, Lord Willoughby de Broke in the chair. This testimonial was made of silver by Elkington, Mason, and Co. The subject was "The presentation of Samuel in the Temple," a dinner was given to Mr Costa in the evening at the Hen and Chickens Hotel, and selections from Eli were performed that evening in the Town Hall. The inscription on the testimonial was as follows :—" To Michael Costa in commemoration of the first performance on the 29th August, 1855 of Eli, an oratorio generously composed by him for the Birmingham Musical Festival, in aid of the funds of the General Hospital; as a tribute to his genius, and as a record of his disinterested liberality this testimonial is presented by the noblemen and gentlemen of the committee of management, MDCCCLV."
The first preliminary Great Handel Festival was held at the Crystal Palace, in 1557, to commemorate the centenary of Handel's death (April 13th, 1759, aged seventy-four). This festival was projected by the late R. K. Bewley, who was assisted by the committee of the Sacred Harmonic Society. An orchestra was erected in the centre transept. The weight of the timber used was 251 tons, the total cost building was £7,000, designed by Mr James Ferguson, F.R.A.S., who, at the time of the preliminary festival, was general manager of the Crystal Palace. His plans, and their subsequent extension in 1859, were ably carried out by Mr Earee, the company's clerk of the work. The organ was built in 1857 by Messrs Gray and Davison. Mr Costa conducted all the Handel Festivals at the Crystal Palace, viz., June. 1857, 1859, 1862, 1865, 1868, 1871, 1874, 1877, and 1880, his last ; and the rehearsals which were held in the large hall, Exeter Ball.
On Thursday, May 1st, 1862, the Exhibition building was opened at South Kensington by his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge. The Commissioners received three original compositions from the following composers, viz., one from Daniel Francois Esprit Auber, France ; Giacomo Meyerbeer, Germany ; William Sterndale Bennett, England. Costa con-ducted Auber and Meyerbeer's overtures, and the rest of the music. M. Sainton conducted Bennett's ode. An orchestra was erected for the occasion ; band 398 ; chorus 2,000 ; total, 2,398. The musical arrangements were under the superintendence of the committee of the Sacred Harmonic Society. Costa's second oratorio Naaman was first performed at Birmingham Musical Festival, held in the Town Hall, Wednesday, September 7th, 1864 ; the words by William Bartholomew ; conducted by the composer ; organist, Mr Stimpson ; band, 110; chorus, 350 ; total, 490. Naaman was first performed in London by the Sacred Harmonic Society, Exeter Hall, May 12th, 1865 ; conductor, the composer. On Friday night, December 6th, 1867, occurred the destruction of Her Majesty's Theatre, Haymarket, by fire. This theatre was opened to the public September 22d, 1791 ; Michael Novosiellski, architect.
In March, 1868, Costa resigned and left the Royal Italian Opera, Covent-garden, for the same reason that he had left Lumley. He would have the entire control over that orchestra. The late Frederick Gye's notion was to be sole captain of the ship without even a pilot. This opera house reopened March 31st, 1868, when Gye appointed two conductors, Signor Arditi and Signor Li Calsi. The success of the Royal Italian Opera performances during the period that Costa was conductor and musical director caused him to be offered engagements at St. Petersburgh, Madrid, Milan, Naples, and Paris, but he remained in the country of his adoption. On Tuesday evening, November 3d, 1868, Costa conducted his oratorio Eli at Stuttgart, Wurtemburg, Germany. Their Majesties the King and Queen of Wurtemburg were present.
On Wednesday, April 14th, 1869, her Majesty the Queen Knighted Sir Michael Costa at Windsor Castle. On March 29th, 1871, the Royal Albert Hall, South Kensington, was opened by Her Majesty the Queen, when a grand concert was given. The band and choir included 1,100 performers. The following music was performed : - A Biblical Cantata, words by John Oxenford, music by Sir Michael Costa ; “L’Invocazione all’ Armonia” music composed by his Royal Highness the Prince Consort; conductor, Sir Michael Costa. Musical arrangements by the committee of the Sacred Harmonic Society. It was a grand sight not easily forgotten ; nearly 8,000 audience were present. The foundation stone of Albert Hall was laid by her Majesty the Queen, May 20th, 1867. On Monday, May 1st, 1871, Inauguration of the opening of the International Exhibition at the Royal Albert Hall. His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, Princess Helena, and the Court were present. A concert was given ; conductor, Sir Michael Costa '; band and chorus, 1,000 performers ; musical arrangements by the committee of the Sacred Harmonic Society.
Her Majesty's Opera, Haymarket, opened for the season, 1872, composer, director of the music, and conductor, Sir Michael Costa. On Saturday afternoon, May 24th, 1873, the Alexandra Palace, Muswell-hill, was opened with a grand concert in the large hall ; band and chorus about 1,000 per-formers ; conductor, Sir Michael Costa. This place was accidentally destroyed by fire Monday, June 9th, 1873. The Leeds Musical Festival was held in the Town Hall, October 14th, 15th, 16th, and 17th, 1874 ; band, 96 ; chorus, 275 ; total, 371; conductor, Sir Michael Costa. The first stone of the above hall was laid August 17th, 1853; opened by her Majesty the Queen, September 7th, 1858 ; cost £130,000 ; Cuthbert Broderick, of Leeds, architect ; organ built by Gray and Davison. The Alexandra Palace was rebuilt and opened May 1st, 1875. A grand concert was given in the central hall ; conductor, Sir Michael Costa.
On Thursday, December 16th, 1875, the first stone was laid of the New National Opera House, on the Thames Embankment, Westminster, by his Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh. Sir Michael Costa was present, and caught a severe chill. M. Sainton conducted for him during his absence from the concerts of the Sacred Harmonic Society till his recovery. This Opera House was partly built, but is not finished. On Friday, April 30th, 1880, the last oratorio was performed by the Sacred Harmonic Society at Exeter Hall, being Handel's Israel in Egypt. At the close of the performance the National Anthem was sung, and this glorious old musical society then bade farewell to Exeter Hall. Conductor that evening Sir Michael Costa. The Sacred Harmonic Society had been located in Exeter Hall forty-six years, and had given 544 concerts. In 1880 (December 3d) the Sacred Society removed to St. James's Hall, Piccadilly, it being their forty-ninth season. The choir was reduced to 200 performers, on account of the smallness of that orchestra. The opening concert was Beethoven's Mass in E, Mendelssohn's Lauda Sion and Christus. Conductor, Sir Michael Costa. On January 6th, 1882, Sir Michael Costa conducted Mendelssohn's Elijah, at the Sacred Harmonic Society concert, St. James's Hall.
Sir Michael Costa was taken suddenly ill at his residence, No. 59, Eccleston-square, Pimlico, on Sunday, January 29th, 1882. The rest of the Sacred Harmonic Society's concerts during his absence were conducted by M. Sainton. On February 23d, 1882, at a special meeting of the committee and members of the Sacred Harmonic Society, they resolved to disband. On Friday, April 28th, 1882, took place the final and farewell concert of the Old Sacred Harmonic Society at St. James's Hall. Handel's Solomon was performed. Sir Michael Costa, having recovered from his severe illness, conducted that evening. At the close of the oratorio the National Anthem was performed. Sir Michael Costa was for thirty-four years conductor of the Sacred Harmonic Society. A bust of Sir Michael Costa was placed February, 1883, in the hall of the Royal Academy of Music, Tenterden-street, Hanover-square. Sir Michael Costa never kept the public or his army of players and singers waiting a minute in his life, and at the hour appointed this Wellington of the musical forces was always received with applause from his orchestra and the audience assembled. The opinion of the late Giacomo Meyerbeer, musical composer, is right. Sir Michael Costa was the greatest chef d'orchestre in Europe.
It will be of interest to Freemasons to remark that Sir Michael was Past Grand Organist of that body. In considering the career of this eminent conductor we can hardly speak too highly of the services he has rendered in raising orchestral and choral performances from the deplorable condition in which he found them. His great decision and perfect knowledge of what was required to be done gave him an influence with huge bodies of vocalists and instrumentalists such as no other conductor succeeded in obtaining. Many were disposed to grumble at what they considered his severe discipline, but when he had taken a task in hand his one idea was to carry it out as perfectly as he could, and he refused to listen to excuses of any kind. We have ourselves seen and heard many amusing instances of his rigidity in this respect. Yet no conductor ever hid a more willing stall to follow out his directions. We remember a splendid instrumentalist who could not agree with the conductor as to some technical, item in a performance, remarking, with a smile, "Sir Michael has said it must he so, and so it will be," and eventually the brilliant solo player was compelled to admit that the conductor was in the right. This decision and firmness of character in no way interfered with personal friendships and personal kindness. Some of the greatest vocal and instrumental performers gained from him most valuable advice and suggestions ; none more than Madame Patti. Costa superintended her rehearsals when she first appeared at the Royal Italian Opera. No conductor had ever a better judgment of what was first-rate in singing, and he set his face most resolutely against some of the modern vices of style into which some recent artistes have fallen. In closing our remarks upon this distinguished musician we may add, as a "flower on his grave," the consolation for his friends that he lived without fear and died without reproach. He will ever be remembered with esteem and admiration, and the virtues of his private life serve to heighten the brilliancy of his public career.
The funeral is arranged to take place, in the Catacombs at Kensal green Cemetery, at one o'clock p.m. on Tuesday next. The remains will be removed on Monday morning from Brighton to the London residence of the deceased, 59, Eccleston-square, where they will remain till noon on the following day.
Sources
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The Era 3 May 1884:
DEATH OF SIR MICHAEL COSTA
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