G. Estabrook is the pen name used by composer and singer Caroline Augusta "Gussie" Clowry (October 23, 1845 – April 18, 1897), whose opera ''The Joust'' was the first opera by an American woman to be published. With musical talent from an early age, "Gussie" had many songs published throughout her life, one of which "reached the extraordinary sale of over one million copies."''Philadelphia Inquirer'', April 19, 1897

Biography

Born on October 23, 1845, in Geneva, Wisconsin, she was the only daughter of General

Experience Estabrook Experience Estabrook (April 30, 1813 March 26, 1894) was an American attorney and legal administrator. He was the 3rd attorney general of Wisconsin and the 1st United States Attorney for the Nebraska Territory. Biography Born in Lebanon, New ...

and Caroline Augusta Maxwell. She had one brother, Henry Dodge, who was nine years younger. In January 1855, General Experience Estabrook moved with his family to

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...

after being appointed United States Attorney by

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

Franklin Pierce Franklin Pierce (November 23, 1804October 8, 1869) was the 14th president of the United States, serving from 1853 to 1857. A northern Democratic Party (United States), Democrat who believed that the Abolitionism in the United States, abolitio ...

. In 1860, at the age of 15, she met Colonel Robert Charles Clowry of

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, the superintendent of the Missouri and Western Union Telegraph Company; and later, president and general manager of the

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. They were wed five years later, on August 29, 1865, in

. By 1879, the couple had moved to

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before settling in Chicago. In 1882, the first production of "The Joust" was performed in her home town of Omaha, with her mother and brother both performing major roles. In 1885, the Chicago Music Company published the complete opera, making it the first opera by an American woman to be published. The opera, however, was written five years earlier when "Gussie" held a local contest for a story she could base an opera upon. Her younger brother, Henry, submitted the story of ''The Joust'' and won. For the 1882 production, Henry reworked the plot and largely changed the

libretto A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to th ...

. The work is, therefore, a joint effort between the two siblings. By 1896, her health was fading, and so she spent a summer abroad in Europe with her mother and friends in the hopes that her health would recover.''World-Herald; Omaha'', Feb. 28, 1896 It did not, and she died in

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, from apoplectic paralysis on April 18, 1897. She was survived by her husband, brother, and both parents.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Estabrook, G. 1845 births 1897 deaths Musicians from Omaha, Nebraska People from Geneva, Wisconsin American opera composers 19th-century American classical composers American women opera composers Classical musicians from Wisconsin 19th-century Austrian women composers 19th-century American women musicians