Chef d'orchestre

1864 · 96471 — August 1st 1864. 1864. Good. - A two-and-a-half page letter consisting of over 80 words penned on three sides of 8 inch high by 5-1/8 inch wide "The Opera Company" stationery. Hatton has crossed out the letterhead and penned his home address below. In his letter addressed to James Couper sp Hatton seeks to correct the assumption made in an article about the title of his forthcoming opera: "My dear Sir" he writes "There is an article in Saturday's Orchestra signed 'J.C." -- J.C. it is yours -- what put it in yr head that my opera is called 'Blue Beard' The story of my work is as unlike the career of that courageous individual as it well can be." He goes on to write that he's not yet decided on a name for his work "but I think it is likely to be 'Rose de mai-" and requests that J.C. correct the mistake. Signed "J.L. Hatton". The recipient has penciled "yes JC" in the left margin of the first page affirming that he was indeed the author of the article. Folded several times for mailing with a couple of short tears along the edges of the folds. The bottom third of the integral second leaf has been clipped without loss to the text. Apparently once mounted into an album with paper remnants along the top and inner edges of the verso of the second leaf. Good. <p>The English composer conductor pianist and singer John Liptrot Hatton 1809-1886 was a pupil of Michael Maybrick and also studied in the academy of Mr. Molyneux. An organist by the age of 16 he acted on the Liverpool stage and later performed in London in Macready's Drury Lane production of "Othello". A man of many talents he was making a name for himself as a musician and composer at the same time directing the choruses in the English Opera series at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane and composing his own works. His fist operetta "Queen of the Thames or The Anglers" was followed by a more ambitious work "Pascal Bruno". He composed numerous songs in the style of the German classics and performed as a pianist. Hatton toured in the U.S. from 1848 to 1850 performing several public and private concerts in New York City which included some of his own works. As a composer Hatton set to music various songs to poems by Robert Herrick perhaps the most famous of which was "To Anthea". Engaged as Director of Music at the Princess's Theatre in London he composed music for "Macbeth" "Sardanapalus King of Assyria" "Henry VIII" "Faust and Marguerite" and several of Shakespeare's plays. In 1864 his third opera "Rose or Love's Ransom" likely the work to which he refers in his letter was performed at the Royal English Opera Covent Garden. August 1st, 1864. unknown