The Reminiscences and Selected Criticism of Herbert Thompson

This book is a critical edition of the autobiography and selected musical criticism of Herbert Thompson (1856-1945) who was chief music critic at The Yorkshire Post from 1886 until 1936, as well as being the Yorkshire correspondent for the Musical Times. Thompson’s memoirs and criticism offer a fascinating commentary on the nature of music criticism and the value of programme notes, along with his views on a plethora of composers (including J.S. Bach, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Meyerbeer, Stanford, Sullivan and Wagner), performers (Leonard Borwick, Joachim, Clara Schumann, Sivori, plus a range of operatic vocalists) and conductors (Buths, Costa, Nikisch, Richter, von Bülow). In addition to charting his concert-going in London (with reference to institutions such as the Philharmonic Society, the Bach Choir and the Crystal Palace concerts, the text also discusses programming at provincial festivals (including Bridlington, Gloucester and Hovingham, but especially Leeds), with a particular focus on the variety of music-making in Yorkshire. Not only does Thompson highlight the rich detail of British musical life, but his description of his musical tour of Europe in 1889 represents a significant contribution to nineteenth-century travel writing and the nature of music-making abroad.