User:MinorProphet/Draft subpages/Maud Perceval Allen

To be translated...

Maud Perceval Allen (1880-1955) was an English soprano who sang in operas, oratorios, and in the concert hall. She was professionally known as Perceval Allen.

Early life
She was born at The Elms, Derby Road, Ripley, Derbyshire where her father, Dr. Josiah Allen, M.D., (d. 11 March 1903) had a medical practice at the same address. A photo of Josiah Allen was given to the Butterley Company of Ripley in 1944. Maybe he was the works doctor? Dr Allen again: "Allen & Massingham, Ripley, Derbyshire, surgeons. June 21 1875. Debts by Josiah Allen."

Anyway, Dr. Allen was also a noted organist, and his daughter Maud Allen displayed a musical ability from an early age, passing violin examinations aged seven. She joined the church choir and soon became known as a talented amateur singer at concerts in the town and district.

Aged around fifteen on March 28 1895 she sang the soprano part (as Maud Percival-Allen) in Mendelssohn's Elijah with the Bury St. Edmunds Choral Association along with other local soloists.

1896 - 31 March: St. Paul (as Miss M. P. Allen) in Ripley, Derbs. where she lived. 14 April: Louis Spohr's Last Judgement with the Yarmouth Musical Society.

16 December 1896 - The Felixstowe Choral Society - Howard Orsmond Anderton's setting of Longfellow's poem "The Wreck of the Hesperus". Anderton was Granville Bantock's friend & secretary.

Early career
Her desire to become a full-time professional singer was opposed by her parents, but she went to London in around 1897 and began eight years of study with the tenor, singing teacher and composer William Shakespeare. After five years she made her first [probably solo] engagement. 1903 Crystal Palace [Noncomformist Choir Union festival with the Great Handel Orchestra.

Thursday, 18 February 1897: At the Queen's (small) Hall - concert with Frank Oliver, William Shakespeare and "Miss Maud Percival Allen, who possesses a not very powerful soprano, sang, nevertheless, very prettily "Nymphes et Silvains" (Herman Bemberg), "Shepherd's Cradle song" (Arthur Somervell), and "Spring" (George Henschel).

13 December 1897 - The Creation with James Leyland and Edward Iles with the Beccles Choral Society.

19 December 1898 at 19, Hyde Park Terrace, the home of Sir Thomas Threlfall (1842-1907), in a Brahms memorial concert - Liebeslieder Waltzes (1st set) with Beatrice Wilson, Wm Shakespeare and Edward Iles, with Alice Dessauer and Fanny Davies. Concert also included Brahms' Organ Fugue in A♭ minor WoO 8, played by Sir Walter Parratt on an early electric organ by Robert Hope-Jones, and the G minor piano quartet with Fanny Davies, Enrique Fernández Arbós, Alfred Gibson (violist) and William Whitehouse.

2 January 1899 - Messiah with the Derby Choral Union conducted by Charles Hancock.

24 April 1900 - with Walter Hyde she sang in The Holy Grail by Henry E. Nichol with the Tetbury Phiharmonic Society.

17 June 1901 - Concert of works by Teresa del Riego, Bechstein Hall (now Wigmore Hall) - Two songs,

Adult career
She studied some oratorio roles with Alberto Randegger, who arranged her first major festival engagement, at the Norwich Festival in 1905.

She made her London début in 1905 with the recently-formed London Symphony Orchestra.

In January 1906 she went to Paris

followed by the Leeds Festival in 1907.

1908 marked her debut at the Royal Opera House as Brünnhilde in Gotterdammerung under Hans Richter, and she created there in 1910 the role of Lia in the first staged performance of Debussy’s L'enfant prodigue.

En janvier 1906, elle vient à Paris avec L' London Symphony Orchestra et trois cents membres du Leeds Festival Chorus, qui donnent deux concerts, dirigés par Charles Stanford, au Théâtre du Châtelet. Les solistes qui accompagnent la délégation musicale à Paris sont Marie Brema, John Coates (tenor), Francis Brann et Harry Plunket Greene. Le but de la visite est la présentation de la musique classique de l'école britannique moderne.

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Le critique du Ménestrel écrit : "Miss Perceval Allen possède une voix claire et vibrante, qui s'est unie admirablement à celle de Miss Marie Brema pour interpréter avec aisance les soli pour voix de femmes, si difficiles dans la Symphonie avec chœurs... Des acclamations formidables ont éclaté après les deux chants nationaux; elles ont redoublé quand Miss Perceval Allen, saisissant une immense palme que l'on avait apportée sur la scène, l'a élevée au-dessus de sa tête pour la montrer à toute l'assistance." .

En juin 1906, elle chante au festival Haendel de Londres au The Crystal Palace avec Emma Albani, Agnes Nicholls, Clara Butt, et Ben Davies (tenor), Charles Saunders, Wathin Mills, Kennerlèy Rumford, Robert Radford et Charles Santley.

Pour ses débuts à l'opéra en 1908 in music, elle chante au Royal Opera House à Covent Garden à Londres, Brünnhilde dans Gotterdammerung dirigé par Hans Richter ;

En septembre 1909, elle chante au Three Choirs Festival à Hereford avec les solistes Cicely Gleeson-White, Mme LeMar, Agnes Nicholls et Mme Siviter; contralti : Phyllis Archibald, Clara Butt, Ada Crossbey et Phyllis Lett ; ténors : John Coates (tenor), Gervase Elwes et Walter Hyde ; basses : Frederic Austin, Dalton Baker, Herbert Brown, William Higley et Robert Radford.

En 1910 elle joue le même rôle (Brunhilde above ) dirigé par Sir Thomas Beecham et joue le rôle de Lia dans la première mise en scène à Covent Garden de L'Enfant prodigue de Claude Debussy, également dirigé par Beecham.

En novembre 1910, le New Symphony Orchestra de Londres, dirigé par Landon Ronald, donne six concerts consacrés à Wagner dans lequel, Perceval Allen chante La mort d'Yseult.

Denhof Opera Company, Feb - April 1912
 * Grand Theatre, Hull | Hull 27 Feb,
 * Theatre Royal, Manchester | Manchester 8 Mar
 * Shakespeare Theatre | Liverpool 15 Mar
 * Theatre Royal, Leeds | Leeds 22 Mar
 * Theatre Royal, Glasgow | Glasgow 27 Mar, 29 Mar
 * Royal Lyceum Theatre | Edinburgh 3 April

Manchester, week of 4 March 1912, had the following programme: Mon Mastersingers; Tue Orpheus and Euridice; Wed Tristan and Isolde; Thu Elektra (local premiere); Fri Flying Dutchman; Sat mat Elektra; Sat eve Mastersingers.

Fliegende Holländer 8 March 1912
 * Daland   Frederick Ranalow
 * Steersman   Furness Williams
 * Dutchman   Frederic Austin
 * Senta Daland's daughter    Maud Perceval Allen
 * Conductor Michael Balling, cond. Scottish Orchestra

25 June 1912 - Handel Festival at The Crystal Palace qui dure une semaine. Les chœurs, qui ne comprennent pas moins de 3,500 chanteurs fournis par toutes les grandes sociétés chorales anglaises, se trouvent sous la direction de Henry Coward. L'orchestre, qui se compose de 500 musiciens professionnels et amateurs et qui est renforcé pour les parties de solo par l'London Symphony Orchestra, est conduit par Sir Frederic Cowen. Parmi les interprètes des principales parties de chant figurent Clara Butt, Esta d'Argo, Pauline Donalda, MM. Charles Saunders, Herbert Brown, Kennerley Rumford, Ben Davies (tenor) et Robert Radford.

Quinlan Opera Company en Australia. Brünnhilde in Ring in English.

Toured USA with Quinlan Opera Company: Brünnhilde, Erda, Brangäne Tristan und Isolde principal rôle in Ivanhoe by Arthur Sullivan. She was invited to Chicago, Philadelphia et Boston.

En 1913-14 elle fait une tournée mondiale qui lui apporte beaucoup de succès. Plus tard dans sa carrière, elle revient au concert.

Perceval Allen a laissé une multitude de disques Gramophone Company, à partir de 1901, y compris les premiers enregistrements réalisés par un chanteur dans le rôle-titre de l'opéra Elektra de Richard Strauss.

Repertoire
Frederic Austin - It was a lover and his lass - Sung by Perceval Allen

Discography
1901-2:
 * 7” Berliner 3237 [ ? ]. SPRING IS HERE (E. Dicks).  Piano acc.
 * 7” Blk. London G&T 3305 [4997-w2]. O DRY THOSE TEARS (del Riego).  Piano acc. 72.6 rpm (if in A flat).
 * 7” Blk. London G&T 3306 [4999-w2]. MADCAP MARJORIE (Norton). Piano acc.
 * 7” Blk. London G&T 3312 [5012]. A ROUNDELAY (Lidgey).
 * 7” Blk. London G&T 3346 [6150a]. SING ME TO SLEEP (Greene).

Freischutz Agathe's great scene: `Wie nahte mir der Schlummer' - Percival Allen (03137, in English) provides fresh, forward tone, but makes unacceptable cuts.

1910 - Elektra

Single-sided 78rpm: Gramophone Company ('Dog Monarch' label)
 * 043117 (Ich hab's wie feuer)
 * 043118 (Allein! Ganz allein!) (On the record label, the title is printed as 'Alleluia' instead of 'Allein!')
 * 044112 (Wer bist den du), the question from Orestes to Electra which precedes 043119 (with Austin)
 * 043119 (Orest, Orest) from the Recognition Scene.

1915 - Guy d'Hardelot: 'Because' (Columbia 2641)

HMV C 458 Perceval Allen & Carrie Tubb: I waited for the Lord (Hymn of Praise - Mendelssohn) HMV Catalogue September 1915

Liens externes

 * Perceval Allen dans le costume d'Elisabeth" in Tannhäuser par May and Mina Moore sur le site de la Bibliothèque d'État du Victoria}}
 * Perceval Allen sur isoldes-liebestod.net/
 * Perceval Allen sur le site de la Bibliothèque d'État du Victoria.
 * Perceval Allen sur isoldes-liebestod.net/
 * Perceval Allen sur le site de la Bibliothèque d'État du Victoria.

Category:1880 births Category:1955 deaths Category:English singers Category:British sopranos