GB 1249 MS 5972-5973 - DOLMETSCH, Rudolph Arnold (1906-1942)

Identity area

Reference code

GB 1249 MS 5972-5973

Title

DOLMETSCH, Rudolph Arnold (1906-1942)

Date(s)

  • 1929-1980 (Creation)

Level of description

Extent and medium

2 boxes

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Born Cambridge, Massachussetts, 8 Nov 1906, the eldest son of (Eugène) Arnold Dolmetsch (1858-1940) a pioneer in the revival of the performance of early music and the building of renaissance and baroque instruments. The family moved to France and then settled in Haslemere, Surrey, in 1914. He was an early and talented player of the harpsichord and viol, and assisted his father in arranging music for the annual festivals of early music in Haslemere. He also formed an orchestra while a teenager of local residents. In 1929 he married Millicent Wheaton, a local school teacher, and also his viola da gamba pupil. The couple gave numerous recitals and recordings of early music during the 1930s. He was the first of the family to show an interest in modern music, both as composer and conductor and broke the family tradition of early music by studying conducting at the Royal College of Music under Constant Lambert and Sir Adrian Boult. He joined the Royal Artillery as a gunner in 1940, and his career was cut short tragically when he was lost at sea on board the liner Ceramic, torpedoed on 7 Dec 1942. His works include the Symphony in D minor (1932); Sinfonietta (1933); Ground and Caprice for orchestra (1934); Concerto for Clarinet, Harp and Orchestra (1939); Concertino for Viola da Gamba and Small Orchestra (1941); Violin Concerto (1942).

Archival history

GB 1249 MS 5972-5973 1929-1980 Collection (fonds) 2 boxes Dolmetsch , Rudolph Arnold , 1906-1942 , composer, conductor and musician
Born Cambridge, Massachussetts, 8 Nov 1906, the eldest son of (Eugène) Arnold Dolmetsch (1858-1940) a pioneer in the revival of the performance of early music and the building of renaissance and baroque instruments. The family moved to France and then settled in Haslemere, Surrey, in 1914. He was an early and talented player of the harpsichord and viol, and assisted his father in arranging music for the annual festivals of early music in Haslemere. He also formed an orchestra while a teenager of local residents. In 1929 he married Millicent Wheaton, a local school teacher, and also his viola da gamba pupil. The couple gave numerous recitals and recordings of early music during the 1930s. He was the first of the family to show an interest in modern music, both as composer and conductor and broke the family tradition of early music by studying conducting at the Royal College of Music under Constant Lambert and Sir Adrian Boult. He joined the Royal Artillery as a gunner in 1940, and his career was cut short tragically when he was lost at sea on board the liner Ceramic, torpedoed on 7 Dec 1942. His works include the Symphony in D minor (1932); Sinfonietta (1933); Ground and Caprice for orchestra (1934); Concerto for Clarinet, Harp and Orchestra (1939); Concertino for Viola da Gamba and Small Orchestra (1941); Violin Concerto (1942).

Bequeathed to the Royal College of Music by his widow Millicent Dolmetsch, Nov 1988.

Papers of Dolmetsch, including press cuttings of reviews and programmes of concerts by Dolmetsch and the Dolmetsch family, the death of Dolmetsch in 1942, and later performances of his works with related correspondence, 1929-1980; draft of a talk on conducting; his The art of orchestral conducting (Bosworth and Co, London, 1942), with newspaper cuttings of reviews; notebooks containing catalogue of his music library, lists of works and performances of his works, compiled by Dolmetsch and his wife Millicent Dolmetsch, 1930s-1960s.

MS 5972) notebooks of library and works; 5973) cuttings and correspondence arranged by file into annual bundles for 1929-1943, post 1943, and biographical information; art of conducting papers.

Usual conditions of the Library of the Royal College of Music apply. See the RCM website or contact the RCM Library for details.

Photocopying is permitted at the discretion of the Archivist for research purposes only.
English.

A detailed catalogue of all Dolmetsch papers is available in volume 3 of the Manuscripts catalogue in the library of the Royal College of Music.

These papers form part of a larger deposit of Dolmetsch's compositions and arrangements at the Royal College of Music (Ref: MS 5953-5973).

Compiled by Robert Baxter as part of the RSLP AIM25 Project. Source: Grove Dictionary of Music. Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997. Jul 2001 Artists Classical music Dolmetsch , family , instrument makers, scholars and performers of early music Dolmetsch , Rudolph Arnold , 1906-1942 , composer, conductor and musician Music Musical performances Musical styles Musicians Performers Performing arts

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Bequeathed to the Royal College of Music by his widow Millicent Dolmetsch, Nov 1988.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Papers of Dolmetsch, including press cuttings of reviews and programmes of concerts by Dolmetsch and the Dolmetsch family, the death of Dolmetsch in 1942, and later performances of his works with related correspondence, 1929-1980; draft of a talk on conducting; his The art of orchestral conducting (Bosworth and Co, London, 1942), with newspaper cuttings of reviews; notebooks containing catalogue of his music library, lists of works and performances of his works, compiled by Dolmetsch and his wife Millicent Dolmetsch, 1930s-1960s.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

MS 5972) notebooks of library and works; 5973) cuttings and correspondence arranged by file into annual bundles for 1929-1943, post 1943, and biographical information; art of conducting papers.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Usual conditions of the Library of the Royal College of Music apply. See the RCM website or contact the RCM Library for details.

Conditions governing reproduction

Photocopying is permitted at the discretion of the Archivist for research purposes only.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English.

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

These papers form part of a larger deposit of Dolmetsch's compositions and arrangements at the Royal College of Music (Ref: MS 5953-5973).

Finding aids

A detailed catalogue of all Dolmetsch papers is available in volume 3 of the Manuscripts catalogue in the library of the Royal College of Music.

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Publication note

Notes area

Note

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Royal College of Music

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area