Raymond Rôze
Raymond Roze (* 1875 in London, † March 30, 1920 ) was an English conductor and composer.
As the son of the French soprano Marie Roze he studied under Arthur de Greef in Brussels before he was music director at the Lyceum Theatre in London. In 1889 he founded a singing school in London and worked as a music director for various theater. He is primarily known for his musical theater works, including pieces for at His Majesty's Theatre under Sir Herbert Tree. His compositions have been performed in two Proms concerts (1901 and 1911 ).
Roze was also music director of the Royal Opera House, where his opera Joan of Arc was premiered on November 1, 1913. A negative review from The Times criticized especially how fragmentarily was the opera and noted that "a drama whose performers sang accompanied by an orchestra, was still far from opera". In the same month dedicated Roze Frank Bridge as a conductor for Richard Wagner's opera Tannhäuser. Joan of Arc in 1917 listed a second time in Paris at a charity concert for the Red Cross, but also without success. Roze had his opera written in English, at a time when very few English operas were part of the repertoire. Roze himself wanted " the English language give the position in the world of opera and for all", they would have earned in his opinion.
In 1913 he conducted Georges Bizet's opera Carmen in English. Another gala performance of his opera Joan of Arc in the presence of the British royal couple, King George and Queen Mary in December 1913 was interrupted by protesters for women's suffrage. 1919 Roze founding conductor of the British Symphony Orchestra, a professional ensemble of former soldiers from the First World War.
Roze was married to a soprano from New York.
Selected Works
- Overture and incidental music to Julius Caesar, Opus 16 (1899 )
- Incidental music for Sweet Nell of Old Drury (1900)
- Extase d' Amour, Op 28 (1904, Schott, London)
- The Lovebirds (1904 )
- Incidental music to The Scarlet Pimpernel (1913 )
- Joan of Arc (1911 ) ( score is in the British Library )
- Antony and Cleopatra (listed at the London Proms 1911)
- Poem of Victory for Violin and Orchestra (1919)