Henry Hugo Pierson

Henry Hugh Pierson (12 April 1815 – 28 January 1873) was an English composer resident from 1845 in Germany. He was born Henry Hugh Pearson and his middle name is sometimes given as Hugo.Nicholas Temperley, "Henry Pierson", in ''New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'', London: Macmillan, 1980, vol. 14, p. 739. His original name was Henry Hugh Pearson, in Germany he used Heinrich Hugo Pierson.''Collins Encyclopedia of Music'', 1984, p.422, He had success in his adopted country with his operas and songs but little in his own, and his music is now rarely performed.

Life

Pierson was the son of a clergyman, Rev. Dr. Hugh Nicholas Pearson. He was educated at Harrow School and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied counterpoint with Thomas Attwood Walmisley. From 1839 to 1844 he studied music in Germany under C. H. Rink, Tomaschek and Reissiger. He also studied in Prague with Václav Tomášek. His amorous adventures included an apparent liaison with Mary Shelley, before he married in 1844. Although elected Reid Professor of Music at Edinburgh University in 1844 he was made to resign when he did not take up his duties and subsequently based himself in Germany. Hubert Parry took lessons with him in 1867.

Compositions (selective list)

Many of Pierson's manuscript full and vocal scores, including those of his oratorios and operas, appear not to have survived. The funeral march ''Hamlet'', ''Macbeth'', ''Romeo and Juliet'' and ''The Maid of Orleans'' were his only orchestral compositions to be published in full score (copies of which are held by the Library of Congress amongst other locations), whilst ''Jerusalem'' and ''Faust'' were only published in vocal score, with no orchestral material seeming to be extant. His operas remained unpublished, excepting the libretti. Manuscript material for several works does, however, survive including the ''Romantische Ouverture'' (orchestral parts, University Of Pennsylvania Library Ms Coll 217), (full score, Royal College of Music, London, RCM MS 502), the funeral march ''Hamlet'' (full score, Landesbibliothek Coburg, Ms Mus 364), the first version of the overture to the opera ''Leila'' (full score, Landesbibliothek, Coburg, Ms Mus 369) and the opera ''Leila'' (57 orchestral and choral parts, University Library arl von Ossietzky Music Department Hamburg, D-Hs/ ND VII 310).

Orchestral works

* c.1847 – ''Leila'', overture irst version* c.1848 – ''Romantische Ouverture'' in D
* c.1848 – ''Hamlet'', funeral march
* 1859 – ''Macbeth'', symphonic poem, Op.54 (fp. Crystal Palace, London, 23 October 1875)
* 1860 – ''Grisetten-Polka''
* c.1865 – ''Romeo and Juliet'', overture, Op.86 (fp. Crystal Palace, London, 7 November 1874)
* 1867 – ''The Maid of Orleans'', overture, Op.101
* c.1870 – ''As You Like It'', overture (fp. Crystal Palace, London, 17 January 1874)
* ''Julius Caesar'', overture

Choral works

* 1850 – , a Roman dirge for soprano, bass, chorus and orchestra, Op.30 2 on MS* 1852 – ''Jerusalem'', oratorio (fp. Norwich Festival, 23 September 1852)
* 1853 – ''Paradise'', oratorio nfinished* 1869 – ''Hezekiah'', oratorio (fp. Norwich Festival, 1 September 1869) nfinished, a 'selection' performed

Dramatic works

* 1844–45 – ''Der Elfensieg'', opera (fp. Brno, 7 May 1845)
* 1847–48 – ''Leila'', opera (fp. Stadt-Theater, Hamburg 22 February 1848)
* 1854 – ''Faust (Part II)'', incidental music (fp. Stadt-Theater, Hamburg, 25 March 1854)
* 1853–72 – ''Contarini, oder Die Verschwörung zu Padua'', opera (fp. Stadt-Theater, Hamburg, 16 April 1872)

Vocal works

* c.1862 – ''Mein Herz ist schwer'', concert aria for voice and orchestra, Op.66
* c.1862 – ''Zu Ross, zu Ross (Sturmritt)'', for voice and orchestra, Op.69
* c.1859 – '' O Deutschland hoch in Ehren''

References

External links

*
* Wikisource:Pierson, Henry Hugo (DNB00) (''Dictionary of National Biography, 1885–1900, Vol. 45'')
* :de:Henry Hugo Pierson (''German Wikipedia article'') (''can someone translate for this site?'')
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Pierson, Henry Hugh
1815 births
1873 deaths
People educated at Harrow School
Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge
English Romantic composers
19th-century English classical composers
English male classical composers
English expatriates in Germany
19th-century English musicians
19th-century English male musicians