Norman Houston O'Neill (14 March 1875 – 3 March 1934) was an English composer and conductor of Irish background who specialised largely in works for the theatre.

Life

O'Neill was born at 16 Young Street in

Kensington Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in the West End of London, West of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up b ...

, London, the youngest son of the Irish painter

George Bernard O'Neill George Bernard O'Neill (17 July 1828 – 23 September 1917), was a prolific Irish genre painter, from 1859 a member of the Cranbrook Colony of artists. Life and work O'Neill was born in Dublin in Ireland, the ninth of fifteen children of a Du ...

and Emma Stuart Callcott. He studied in London with

Arthur Somervell Sir Arthur Somervell (5 June 18632 May 1937) was an English composer and art song writer. After Hubert Parry, he was one of the most successful and influential writers of art song in the English music renaissance of the 1890s–1900s. One of his ...

and with

Iwan Knorr Iwan Otto Armand Knorr (3 January 1853 – 22 January 1916) was a German composer and music teacher. Life A native of Gniew, he attended the Leipzig Conservatory where he studied with Ignaz Moscheles, Ernst Friedrich Richter and Carl Reinecke. I ...

at the

Hoch Conservatory Dr. Hoch's Konservatorium – Musikakademie was founded in Frankfurt am Main on 22 September 1878. Through the generosity of Frankfurter Joseph Hoch, who bequeathed the Conservatory one million German gold marks in his testament, a school for ...

Frankfurt Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...

from 1893 to 1897. His studies there were facilitated by

Eric Stenbock Count Eric Stanislaus (or Stanislaus Eric) Stenbock ( at Thirlestaine Hall ( Cheltenham) – at Withdeane Hall in Brighton) was a Baltic Swedish poet and writer of macabre fantastic fiction. Life Stenbock was the count of Bogesund and the h ...

. He belonged to the Frankfurt Group, a circle of composers who studied at Hoch's Conservatory in the late 1890s.Dibble, Jeremy, "O'Neill, Norman (Houstoun)", in ''Grove Music Online'', 2001
He married Adine Berthe Maria Ruckert (29 July 1875 – 17 February 1947) on 2 July 1899 in Paris. Adine was a celebrated pianist (a pupil of

Clara Schumann Clara Josephine Schumann (; née Wieck; 13 September 1819 – 20 May 1896) was a German pianist, composer, and piano teacher. Regarded as one of the most distinguished pianists of the Romantic era, she exerted her influence over the course of a ...

)Irving, Ernest. ''Cue For Music'' (1959), p 73 and music teacher in her own right - she later became head music mistress at St Paul's Girls’ School in Hammersmith. O'Neill began to have some success with concert music, including a 1901 performance of his overture ''In Autumn'' given at the Henry Wood Proms. In 1904 he composed the incidental music to

John Martin-Harvey Sir John Martin-Harvey (22 June 1863 – 14 May 1944), known before his knighthood in 1921 as John Martin Harvey, was an English stage actor-manager. Born in Bath Street, Wivenhoe, Essex, he was the son of John Harvey, a yacht-designer an ...

’s production of ''Hamlet'' at the Lyric Theatre, London. In 1909 he began his long association with the

Haymarket Theatre The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre on Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use. Samuel Foote ...

when he was appointed Music Director. O'Neill was treasurer of the

Royal Philharmonic Society The Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) is a British music society, formed in 1813. Its original purpose was to promote performances of instrumental music in London. Many composers and performers have taken part in its concerts. It is now a memb ...

from 1918 until his death and taught

harmony In music, harmony is the process by which individual sounds are joined together or composed into whole units or compositions. Often, the term harmony refers to simultaneously occurring frequencies, pitches ( tones, notes), or chords. However ...

and composition at the

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the first Duke of ...

. A very sociable man, he was a member of the

Savage Club The Savage Club, founded in 1857, is a gentlemen's club in London, named after the poet, Richard Savage. Members are drawn from the fields of art, drama, law, literature, music or science. History The founding meeting of the Savage Club took ...

, where he liked to meet musical colleagues. He and Adine frequently hosted fellow composers and musicians at their house, 4 Pembroke Villas in Kensington, including

Frederick Delius Delius, photographed in 1907 Frederick Theodore Albert Delius ( 29 January 1862 – 10 June 1934), originally Fritz Delius, was an English composer. Born in Bradford in the north of England to a prosperous mercantile family, he resisted atte ...

Theodore Holland Theodore Samuel Holland, OBE (25 April 1878 – 29 October 1947), was a British composer and academic. Born in Wimbledon, Holland attended Westminster School and then the Royal College of Music, where his composition teacher was Frederick Corder. ...

Gustav Holst Gustav Theodore Holst (born Gustavus Theodore von Holst; 21 September 1874 – 25 May 1934) was an English composer, arranger and teacher. Best known for his orchestral suite ''The Planets'', he composed many other works across a range ...

Ernest Irving Kelville Ernest Irving (6 November 1878 – 24 October 1953) was an English music director, conductor and composer, primarily remembered as a theatre musician in London between the wars, and for his key contributions to British film music as m ...

Percy Grainger Percy Aldridge Grainger (born George Percy Grainger; 8 July 188220 February 1961) was an Australian-born composer, arranger and pianist who lived in the United States from 1914 and became an American citizen in 1918. In the course of a long an ...

and

Cyril Scott Cyril Meir Scott (27 September 1879 – 31 December 1970) was an English composer, writer, poet, and occultist. He created around four hundred musical compositions including piano, violin, cello concertos, symphonies, and operas. He also wrot ...

. On 12 February 1934 O'Neill was walking East on

Oxford Street Oxford Street is a major road in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, running from Tottenham Court Road to Marble Arch via Oxford Circus. It is Europe's busiest shopping street, with around half a million daily visitors, and as ...

on his way to

Broadcasting House Broadcasting House is the headquarters of the BBC, in Portland Place and Langham Place, London. The first radio broadcast from the building was made on 15 March 1932, and the building was officially opened two months later, on 15 May. The main ...

for a recording session. As a crossed Holles Street he was struck by a carrier tricycle. As a result he developed blood poisoning and died on 3 March. He was cremated at

Golders Green Crematorium Golders Green Crematorium and Mausoleum was the first crematorium to be opened in London, and one of the oldest crematoria in Britain. The land for the crematorium was purchased in 1900, costing £6,000 (the equivalent of £135,987 in 2021), ...

, London, as was his wife in 1947. There is a plaque there in memory to both of them.

Music

O'Neill's works for the stage include over fifty sets of

incidental music Incidental music is music in a play, television program, radio program, video game, or some other presentation form that is not primarily musical. The term is less frequently applied to film music, with such music being referred to instead as t ...

for plays, including many by

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

(''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

King Lear ''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane an ...

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...

Macbeth ''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...

The Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock. Although classified as ...

Henry V Henry V may refer to: People * Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026) * Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125) * Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161) * Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (c. 1173–1227) * Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (121 ...

'' and ''

Measure for Measure ''Measure for Measure'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1603 or 1604 and first performed in 1604, according to available records. It was published in the ''First Folio'' of 1623. The play's plot features its ...

''),

J. M. Barrie Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, (; 9 May 1860 19 June 1937) was a Scottish novelist and playwright, best remembered as the creator of Peter Pan. He was born and educated in Scotland and then moved to London, where he wrote several succe ...

(''

A Kiss for Cinderella ''A Kiss for Cinderella'' is a play by J. M. Barrie. It was first produced in London at Wyndham's Theatre on March 16, 1916, starring Gerald du Maurier and Hilda Trevelyan, enjoying great success over 156 performances, and with several annual Ch ...

'' and ''Mary Rose''), and

Maurice Maeterlinck Maurice Polydore Marie Bernard Maeterlinck (29 August 1862 – 6 May 1949), also known as Count (or Comte) Maeterlinck from 1932, was a Belgian playwright, poet, and essayist who was Flemish but wrote in French. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in ...

('' The Blue Bird''). ''Mary Rose'', perhaps his best received theatre score, first opened in London at the Haymarket on 22 April 1920, continuing until 26 February 1921, with

Fay Compton Virginia Lilian Emmeline Compton-Mackenzie, (; 18 September 1894 – 12 December 1978), known professionally as Fay Compton, was an English actress. She appeared in several films, and made many broadcasts, but was best known for her stage per ...

as Mary Rose, a role which was written for her by Barrie.

, who deputised as conductor for O'Neill on many occasions, compared a performance of ''Mary Rose'' without his music to "a dance by a fairy with a wooden leg." The play was revived (with many of the same cast still in place) in 1926. In 1910, O'Neill became the first British composer to conduct his own orchestral music on record, directing the

Columbia Graphophone Company Columbia Graphophone Co. Ltd. was one of the earliest phonograph, gramophone companies in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1917 as an offshoot of the American Columbia Records, Columbia Phonograph Company, it became an independent British-owned ...

's house ensemble, the "Court Symphony Orchestra", in a suite taken from his ''Blue Bird'' music on two double-sided gramophone discs. He received personal congratulations from Sir

Edward Elgar Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet, (; 2 June 1857 – 23 February 1934) was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestr ...

on his music for the innovative central ballet sequence of the 1924 revue ''The Punch Bowl'', which ran for over a year with O'Neill's contribution being widely singled out for praise in press coverage. His concert works include a number of symphonic suites, chamber and instrumental music, most of it written pre-war, before his theatre music career took off. There are two piano trios, Op. 9 (1900) and the single movement Op. 32 (1909), and the Piano Quintet in E minor, Op. 10.''Norman O'Neill: Chamber works for strings and piano''
EMR CD 005 (2012). Adine O'Neill, who frequently gave first performances of her husband's piano compositions, performed the Quintet for the first time at the

Steinway Hall Steinway Hall (German: ) is the name of buildings housing concert halls, showrooms and sales departments for Steinway & Sons pianos. The first Steinway Hall was opened in 1866 in New York City. Today, Steinway Halls and are located in cities such ...

on 16 February 1903. The String Quartet in C, which has been recorded, was derived from manuscripts of various movements held at the Royal College of Music. Solo piano works such as the ''Four Songs without Words'' and the four-movement suite ''In the Branches'' are still occasionally heard. The ''Deux Petites pièces'', Op. 27 were recorded in 2019 by Richard Masters.''Percy & Friends: The Music of Grainger and his Circle''
Heritage HTGCD179 (2019).

Selected works

Concert works * 1895 - ''Variations on Pretty Polly Oliver'' op 1, for piano, violin and cello * 1898 - Four Compositions for piano, op 4. ''A Norse Lullaby'' (song) * 1899 - Romance in A for piano. Variations and Fugue on a Theme by A.R (Adine Rückert) for piano * 1900 - Trio in A minor, op 7 * 1901 - ''In Autumn'', orchestral overture, op 8 * 1903 - Piano Quintet in E minor, op 10 * 1904 - ''Hamlet'' overture. ''Death on the Hills'', ballade for contralto and orchestra op 12 * 1905 - ''Variations and Fugue on an Irish Air'' for two pianos op 17. ''Waldemar'', fantasy for solo voices, chorus and orchestra, op 19 * 1906 - ''In Spring-time'', orchestral overture. Six Miniatures for small orchestra. Three pieces for piano, op 20 * 1907 - ''Five Rondels'' for medium voice, op 18. ''Two French Songs'', op 26 * 1908 - ''La Belle Dame sans Merci'', baritone and full orchestra, op 31. ''Deux Petites pièces'' for piano, op 27 * 1909 - String Quartet in C Major. Piano Trio in one movement, op 32. Four Dances from ''The Blue Bird'' * 1911 - ''A Scotch Rhapsody'' for full orchestra, op 30 * 1913 - ''Introduction, Mazurka and Finale'' op 43 (from ''A Forest Idyll'') * 1914 - ''Overture Humoresque'' for full orchestra op 47 * 1916 - ''Hornpipe'', for orchestra, op 48 (also piano version) * 1918 - ''Four Songs without Words'' for piano * 1919 - ''Carillon'' for piano, op 50. ''In the Branches'', piano suite * 1920 - ''Prelude and Call'' for orchestra * 1921 - ''Celtic Legend and Nocturne'' for violin and piano. Eight 18th Century dance arrangements for piano * 1924 - ''Blossom Songs'' (from the Japanese) with piano quartet * 1926 - ''Echoes of Erin: Twelve Irish songs'' * 1927 - ''Festal Prelude'' for orchestra (also piano version) * 1928 - ''Two Shakespearean Sketches: Nocturne and Masquerade'' for orchestra * 1930 ''The Farmer and the Fairies'' (Asquith), recitation. Music for the stage * 1901 - ''After All'' ( Lytton). * 1903 - ''The Exile'' (

Lloyd Osbourne Samuel Lloyd Osbourne (April 7, 1868 – May 22, 1947) was an American author and the stepson of the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, with whom he co-authored three books, including '' The Wrecker'', and provided input and ideas on oth ...

and Austin Strong,

Royalty Theatre The Royalty Theatre was a small London theatre situated at 73 Dean Street, Soho. Established by the actress Frances Maria Kelly in 1840, it opened as Miss Kelly's Theatre and Dramatic School and finally closed to the public in 1938.

) * 1904 - ''Hamlet'' (Lyric Theatre). * 1906 - ''A Lonely Queen'' (Carr) * 1908 - ''The Bride of Lammermoor'' ( Scott) * 1909 - ''King Lear''. ''The Blue Bird'' (Maeterlinck) * 1911 - ''The Gods of the Mountain'' (Lord Dunsany) * 1912 - ''The Golden Doom'' (Lord Dunsany) * 1913 - ''The Pretenders'' (Ibsen). ''Lord Haaken’s Lullaby'' (Elkin) * 1916 - ''Hiawatha'' (Kegan). ''Paddly Pools'' (Malleson) * 1917 - ''Before Dawn'', ballet (Lyric Theatre) * 1918 - ''Through the Green Door'' (Vernon) * 1919 - ''Reparation'' (Tolstoy). ''Julius Caesar'' * 1920 - ''Mary Rose'' (Barrie). ''Macbeth'' (Aldwych Theatre) * 1921 - ''The Knave of Diamonds'' (Dell). ''The Love Thief'' (Fernald). ''Quality Street'' (Barrie). ''The Snow Queen'' (ballet) * 1922 - ''The Merchant of Venice'' (

David Belasco David Belasco (July 25, 1853 – May 14, 1931) was an American theatrical producer, impresario, director, and playwright. He was the first writer to adapt the short story ''Madame Butterfly'' for the stage. He launched the theatrical career of m ...

’s production, Lyceum Theatre, New York) * 1924 - ''Punch and Judy'' ballet for The Punch Bowl Revue. ''A Kiss for Cinderella'' (Barrie) * 1925 - ''Kismet'' (Knoblock, New Oxford Theatre). ''The Man with a Load of Mischief'' (Ashley Dukes) * 1926 - ''Alice in Wonderland'', ballet * 1929 - ''Measure for Measure'' (Haymarket Theatre) * 1930 - ''Jewels'' (Rodgers) * 1933 - ''Julius Caesar''. ''The Merchant of Venice''. ''Henry V''. (all Manchester Hippodrome)

References

External links

Norman O'Neill website
*
Hudson, Derek. ''Norman O'Neill: A Life of Music''
(2nd edition, 2015), EM Publishing {{DEFAULTSORT:Oneill, Norman 1875 births 1934 deaths 19th-century classical composers 19th-century conductors (music) 20th-century British male musicians 20th-century classical composers 20th-century conductors (music) Academics of the Royal Academy of Music English people of Irish descent Hoch Conservatory alumni Male classical composers Musicians from London People from Kensington Pupils of Iwan Knorr English musical theatre composers