Philip Cogan (1750 – 3 February 1833) was an Irish composer, pianist, and conductor.
Biography
Cogan was born in
Cork
Cork or CORK may refer to:
Materials
* Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product
** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container
***Wine cork
Places Ireland
* Cork (city)
** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...
, where he was a choirboy and vicar choral at
St Fin Barre's Cathedral. In 1772, he was appointed a stipendiary at
Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, but left the post a few months later due to ill health. From 1780 to 1806 he was organist at
St Patrick's Cathedral. He also conducted the orchestras of the
Smock Alley and
Crow Street theatres "to the detriment of his church duties".
[Ita Beausang: "Cogan, Philip", in: ''The Encyclopaedia of Music in Ireland'', ed. H. White & B. Boydell (Dublin: UCD Press, 2013), pp. 212–3.] In fact, Cogan's compositions for the stage outnumber those for the church by far. He not only wrote operas himself (''The Rape of Proserpine'', 1776; ''The Ruling Passion'', 1778; etc.), but also collaborated with other Dublin composers, as in ''The Contract'' (1782, with
John Andrew Stevenson
Sir John Andrew Stevenson (November 1761 – 14 September 1833) was an Irish composer. He is best known for his piano arrangements of ''Irish Melodies'' with poet Thomas Moore. He was granted an honorary doctorate by the University of Dublin an ...
,
Tommaso Giordani
Tommaso Giordani (c. 1730 to 1733 – before 24 February 1806) was an Italian composer active in England and particularly in Ireland.
Life
Giordani was born in Naples between 1730 and 1733 and came from a musical family. His father was Giuseppe ...
, and one Laurent).
In 1787, Cogan was a co-founder of the Irish Musical Fund Society. He was an active participant in Dublin's musical life for many years including performances in the annual "Commemoration of Handel" festivals at the Rotunda and at various charity concerts in both Catholic and Protestant churches. Cogan was a much sought-after teacher and counted among his pupils a number of noteworthy names in Irish musical history such as
Michael Kelly,
Thomas Moore
Thomas Moore (28 May 1779 – 25 February 1852) was an Irish writer, poet, and lyricist celebrated for his ''Irish Melodies''. Their setting of English-language verse to old Irish tunes marked the transition in popular Irish culture from Irish ...
,
P.K. Moran,
William Michael Rooke
William Michael Rooke (29 September 1794 – 14 October 1847) was an Irish violinist and composer.
Biography
Born William Michael O'Rourke in South Great George's Street, Dublin, he was the son of a local tradesman. He studied counterpoint with P ...
and, most likely,
Thomas Augustine Geary
Thomas Augustine Geary (Timothy Geary) (1775 – November 1801) was an Irish composer, pianist and organist, with a precocious talent particularly in vocal and piano writing.
Biography
Geary's original first name was Timothy; it is presumed that ...
. In 1817 he conducted a concert, which also marked the first public appearance of the young
Michael William Balfe
Michael William Balfe (15 May 1808 – 20 October 1870) was an Irish composer, best remembered for his operas, especially ''The Bohemian Girl''.
After a short career as a violinist, Balfe pursued an operatic singing career, while he began to co ...
. He was often called "Doctor Cogan", but there is no evidence that he ever studied at Dublin's
Trinity College Trinity College may refer to:
Australia
* Trinity Anglican College, an Anglican coeducational primary and secondary school in , New South Wales
* Trinity Catholic College, Auburn, a coeducational school in the inner-western suburbs of Sydney, New ...
. Cogan enjoyed a long and prosperous life; he died at the home of his son-in-law, Patrick Clinton, at 14 Dominick Street, Dublin, and is buried in Glasnevin cemetery.
Today, Cogan's reputation rests on his keyboard music, which compares well with that of most of his better-known contemporaries. His music falls into the period of the development from the harpsichord to the piano, and, in time, his compositions fully exploit the sonic and technical possibilities of the grand piano. His best music can be found among his piano sonatas and the piano concerto op. 5 (1790).
Works
Stage
*''The Rape of Proserpine'', pantomime (Dublin, 7 February 1776)
*''The Ruling Passion'' (Louis McNally) (Dublin, 24 February 1778)
*''The Contract'' (
Robert Houlton), with
John Andrew Stevenson
Sir John Andrew Stevenson (November 1761 – 14 September 1833) was an Irish composer. He is best known for his piano arrangements of ''Irish Melodies'' with poet Thomas Moore. He was granted an honorary doctorate by the University of Dublin an ...
,
Tommaso Giordani
Tommaso Giordani (c. 1730 to 1733 – before 24 February 1806) was an Italian composer active in England and particularly in Ireland.
Life
Giordani was born in Naples between 1730 and 1733 and came from a musical family. His father was Giuseppe ...
, Laurent (Dublin, 14 May 1782)
*''The Chace
ic!on Our Huntresses'' (London, c.1790)
*''In April when Primroses'' (London, c.1790)
*''The Lady and the Gipsy'' (Dublin, c.1811)
Orchestral
* Concerto for piano and orchestra in C major op. 5 ''in which is introduced the favourite air of "Malbrouk"'' (1790)
Chamber music
*''A Favourite Lesson and Rondo, on the Air of "The Dargle"'' (c.1780)
*Six Sonatas op. 1 (five of them have an accompaniment for violin) (London, 1782); includes ''Cogan's Favourite Rondo'' from op. 1, no. 1, 2nd movement (Dublin, 1783)
*Six Grand Sonatas op. 2, with an acc. for violin (London, 1784)
*Sonata op. 11 for violin and piano (London, 1818)
Piano music
*Three Favourite Sonatas op. 4 (London, 1787)
*Three Sonatas op. 7 (Dublin, c.1794)
*Three Sonatas op. 8 (London, 1800)
Choral
*''To God Our Never Failing Strength'' (81st Psalm) for four voices and piano (published in ''Melodia sacra'', ed. Weyman, Dublin, 1814)
Modern edition
*Evelyn Barry (ed.): ''Complete Works for Piano Solo by Philip Cogan'' (= ''The London Pianoforte School 1766-1860'', vol. 8, series ed. Nicholas Temperley (New York, 1984). .
Recording
Cogan's music is as yet largely undiscovered by the recording industry. One piece only is available:
*Rondo (from Sonata op. 8 no. 3), performed by Una Hunt (piano), on: ''Fallen Leaves from an Irish Album''
RTÉ lyric fm CD 109 (CD, 2006)
Bibliography
*Ita M. Hogan: ''Anglo-Irish Music 1780–1830'' (Cork: Cork University Press, 1966).
*T. J. Walsh: ''Opera in Dublin 1705–1797. The Social Scene'' (Dublin: Allen Figgis, 1973).
*Terry de Valera: "Philip Cogan (1750–1830), Pianist and Composer", in: ''Dublin Historical Record'' 39 (1985), pp. 2–12.
*Martin Fahy: ''Philip Cogan: Piano Concerto in C, op. 5'' (MA thesis, NUI Maynooth, 1995), unpublished.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cogan, Philip
1750 births
1833 deaths
18th-century classical composers
18th-century British male musicians
19th-century classical composers
18th-century Irish people
19th-century Irish people
18th-century keyboardists
19th-century male musicians
Composers for piano
Irish classical composers
Irish classical pianists
Irish male classical composers
Irish opera composers
Irish organists
Male classical pianists
Male opera composers
Male organists
Musicians from Cork (city)