Richard Sydney Divall (9 September 1945 – 15 January 2017) was an Australian conductor and
musicologist
Musicology (from Greek μουσική ''mousikē'' 'music' and -λογια ''-logia'', 'domain of study') is the scholarly analysis and research-based study of music. Musicology departments traditionally belong to the humanities, although some m ...
.
After nine years as a music producer at the
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...
, from 1972 on the invitation of Dame
Joan Hammond
Dame Joan Hilda Hood Hammond, (24 May 191226 November 1996) was an Australian operatic soprano, singing coach and champion golfer.
Early life
Joan Hilda Hood Hammond was born and baptised in Christchurch, New Zealand. Her father, Samuel Hood, w ...
he became the music director of the
Victoria State Opera
The Victoria State Opera (VSO), based in Melbourne, Australia, was founded in Melbourne in 1962. The company, founded by Leonard Spira, was a move into grand opera by the then amateur Gilbert and Sullivan-oriented Victorian Light Opera Co. The n ...
in Melbourne, where he remained for 25 years. A further five years were spent as Principal Resident Conductor of
Opera Australia
Opera Australia is the principal opera company in Australia. Based in Sydney, its performance season at the Sydney Opera House accompanied by the Opera Australia Orchestra runs for approximately eight months of the year, with the remainder ...
. His teachers included
Joseph Post,
Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Sir
Charles Mackerras
Mackerras in 2005
Sir Alan Charles MacLaurin Mackerras (; 1925 2010) was an Australian conductor. He was an authority on the operas of Janáček and Mozart, and the comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan. He was long associated with the Engli ...
, Sir
Reginald Goodall
Sir Reginald Goodall (13 July 1901 – 5 May 1990) was an English conductor and singing coach noted for his performances of the operas of Richard Wagner and for conducting the premieres of several operas by Benjamin Britten.
Early life
Goodall ...
and
Wolfgang Wagner
Wolfgang Wagner (30 August 191921 March 2010) was a German opera director. He is best known as the director (Festspielleiter) of the Bayreuth Festival, a position he initially assumed alongside his brother Wieland in 1951 until the latter's ...
. He was born in
Sydney.
Repertoire
Divall conducted many concerts, ballets and 151 operas, particularly works of the late baroque,
Mozart,
Handel,
Gounod
Charles-François Gounod (; ; 17 June 181818 October 1893), usually known as Charles Gounod, was a French composer. He wrote twelve operas, of which the most popular has always been ''Faust (opera), Faust'' (1859); his ''Roméo et Juliette'' (18 ...
,
Berlioz and
Verdi
Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto to a provincial family of moderate means, receiving a musical education with the h ...
. These included the complete operas of
Claudio Monteverdi, Berlioz's ''
Les Troyens'' and
Richard Strauss' ''
Elektra''. He conducted Verdi's ''
Don Carlos
''Don Carlos'' is a five-act grand opera composed by Giuseppe Verdi to a French-language libretto by Joseph Méry and Camille du Locle, based on the dramatic play '' Don Carlos, Infant von Spanien'' (''Don Carlos, Infante of Spain'') by Fried ...
'', the first opera to be staged in the
State Theatre of the
Victorian Arts Centre
Arts Centre Melbourne, originally known as the Victorian Arts Centre and briefly called the Arts Centre, is a performing arts centre consisting of a complex of theatres and concert halls in the Melbourne Arts Precinct, located in the central ...
in 1984.
His repertoire included ''
Lohengrin
Lohengrin () is a character in German Arthurian literature. The son of Parzival (Percival), he is a knight of the Holy Grail sent in a boat pulled by swans to rescue a maiden who can never ask his identity. His story, which first appears in Wolf ...
'' and ''
Tannhäuser
Tannhäuser (; gmh, Tanhûser), often stylized, "The Tannhäuser," was a German Minnesinger and traveling poet. Historically, his biography, including the dates he lived, is obscure beyond the poetry, which suggests he lived between 1245 and ...
'' by
Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...
. The most recent operas he directed were Donizetti's Maria Stuarda,
Hasse's ''
Antonio e Cleopatra'',
Bizet
Georges Bizet (; 25 October 18383 June 1875) was a French composer of the Romantic era. Best known for his operas in a career cut short by his early death, Bizet achieved few successes before his final work, '' Carmen'', which has become o ...
's ''
Les pêcheurs de perles'', and
Puccini's final opera ''
Turandot
''Turandot'' (; see below) is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini, posthumously completed by Franco Alfano in 1926, and set to a libretto in Italian by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni. ''Turandot'' best-known aria is " Nessun dorma", ...
'' at
Monash University
Monash University () is a public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Named for prominent World War I general Sir John Monash, it was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. The university h ...
.
Academic career
Divall was a Vice-Chancellor's Professorial Fellow at
Monash University
Monash University () is a public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Named for prominent World War I general Sir John Monash, it was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. The university h ...
and an Honorary Principal Fellow in Music at the
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb no ...
, and the
University of Malta
The University of Malta (, UM, formerly UOM) is a higher education institution in Malta. It offers undergraduate bachelor's degrees, postgraduate master's degrees and postgraduate doctorates. It is a member of the European University Association ...
.
As a
musicologist
Musicology (from Greek μουσική ''mousikē'' 'music' and -λογια ''-logia'', 'domain of study') is the scholarly analysis and research-based study of music. Musicology departments traditionally belong to the humanities, although some m ...
he edited over 150 works of early Maltese composers especially from the period of the knights, including the complete sacred music and operas by
Nicolas Isouard
Nicolas Isouard (also known as ''Nicolò'', ''Nicolò Isoiar'' or ''Nicolò de Malte''; 18 May 1773 – 23 March 1818) was a Maltese-born French composer.
Biography
Born in Porto Salvo, Valletta, Malta, Isouard studied in Rabat or Mdina with Fra ...
(1773–1818). He was editing the sacred music and operas of
Girolamo Abos
Girolamo Abos, last name also given Avos or d'Avossa and baptized Geronimo Abos (16 November 1715 – May 1760), was a Maltese-Italian composer of both operas and church music.
Born in Valletta, Malta, son of Gian Tommaso Abos, whose father was ...
(1715–1760).
Four volumes in his editions of 24 works of
Michel' Angelo Vella have been published by Lyrebird Press
aris/Melbourne Divall was associated with several
residential colleges
A residential college is a division of a university that places academic activity in a community setting of students and faculty, usually at a residence and with shared meals, the college having a degree of autonomy and a federated relationship w ...
of the
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb no ...
, first
Queen's College (of which he was a fellow) and later
Newman College (where he was a member of the SCR). In 2014, he was appointed an Honorary Research Fellow at the
University of Divinity
The University of Divinity is an Australian collegiate university of specialisation in divinity. It is constituted by eleven theological colleges from eight denominations. The University of Divinity is the direct successor of the second oldest ...
, Melbourne, and in September 2014 a Visiting Professor of Music at
King's College, London
King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public university, public research university located in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of George IV of the United Kingdom, King G ...
.
For 45 years, Divall pioneered the study of, edited and published many volumes of early Australian music. He was the Chairman of the Marshall-Hall Trust, and was completing an edition of the complete works of the English baroque composer
Michael Christian Festing, and the Complete Sacred Music of Girolamo Abos (1715–1760).
Divall worked in several fields at Monash, was a member of the committee for the construction of the new
Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music, as well as assisting the staff and students at that school. In 2015 he was the co-producer of the ANZAC Commemorative CD ''Gallipoli – A Tribute'', which was sponsored by the Ian Potter Foundation and
Monash University
Monash University () is a public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Named for prominent World War I general Sir John Monash, it was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. The university h ...
.
Publications
*Complete works of Linger, 1971
*Symphonies, Cipriani Potter, Samuel Wesley, 1980
* Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 29 by C E Horsley (Melbourne: Lyrebird Press, 2008)
*Edited works by Gluck, Rameau, George Frideric Handel, Wesley, Bellini, Verdi, the Complete Sacred Music of Nicolo Isouard (1773–1818), and the Complete Works of Michael Christian Festing (1705–1752).
Recordings
Audio
''
Lohengrin
Lohengrin () is a character in German Arthurian literature. The son of Parzival (Percival), he is a knight of the Holy Grail sent in a boat pulled by swans to rescue a maiden who can never ask his identity. His story, which first appears in Wolf ...
'' –
Richard Wagner sung in English
* Lohengrin –
Alberto Remedios, Elsa – Karen Bureau, Ortrud –
Nance Grant, Telramund –
Geoffrey Chard
Geoffrey William Chard AM (born 9 August 1930 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia) is an Australian opera singer. He was a foundation member of the National Opera of New South Wales."''The Dictionary of Performing Arts in Australia — Oper ...
, King Henry –
Noel Mangin, Herald – David Brennan;
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) is an Australian orchestra based in Melbourne. The MSO is resident at Hamer Hall. The MSO has its own choir, the MSO Chorus, following integration with the Melbourne Chorale in 2008.
The MSO relies on f ...
Conductor Richard Divall.
Victoria State Opera
The Victoria State Opera (VSO), based in Melbourne, Australia, was founded in Melbourne in 1962. The company, founded by Leonard Spira, was a move into grand opera by the then amateur Gilbert and Sullivan-oriented Victorian Light Opera Co. The n ...
. Australian Radio Broadcast November 1985. CD91241
''
Les Troyens'' –
Hector Berlioz sung in English
*
Margreta Elkins (Cassandre),
Robert Allman
Robert Edward Joseph Allman (8 June 19274 December 2013) was an Australian operatic bass-baritone.
Biography
Robert Allman was born in Melbourne in 1927. He studied in Paris and sang at the Royal Opera, Covent Garden for three seasons from 1 ...
(Chorèbe),
Alberto Remedios (Enée),
Suzanne Johnston (Ascagne),
Lauris Elms (Didon),
Heather Begg (Anna),
Richard Greager (Iopas/Helenus), Noel Mangin (Priam/Narbal), John Wood (Panthée);
Victoria State Opera
The Victoria State Opera (VSO), based in Melbourne, Australia, was founded in Melbourne in 1962. The company, founded by Leonard Spira, was a move into grand opera by the then amateur Gilbert and Sullivan-oriented Victorian Light Opera Co. The n ...
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) is an Australian orchestra based in Melbourne. The MSO is resident at Hamer Hall. The MSO has its own choir, the MSO Chorus, following integration with the Melbourne Chorale in 2008.
The MSO relies on f ...
, Melbourne Chorale & Victoria State Opera Chorus, Richard Divall
''
Maria Stuarda
''Maria Stuarda'' (Mary Stuart) is a tragic opera (''tragedia lirica''), in two acts, by Gaetano Donizetti, to a libretto by Giuseppe Bardari, based on Andrea Maffei's translation of Friedrich Schiller's 1800 play '' Maria Stuart''.
The ope ...
'' –
Gaetano Donizetti sung in English.
* Elizabeth I – Nance Grant, Mary Stuart –
June Bronhill
June Mary Bronhill (26 June 192924 January 2005), also known as June Gough, was an Australian coloratura soprano opera singer, performer and actress,
She was well known for light opera, operetta and musical theatre in London West End theatr ...
, Earl of Leicester –
David Parker, Lord Talbot – John Bolton-Wood, Lord Cecil – Barry Clark, Ann Kennedy – Janet Dawson,
Victorian State Opera
Victorian Opera is an opera company based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The company was founded in 2005 by the Victorian Government as a replacement for the Victoria State Opera. It commenced operations in January 2006 with Richard Gill as ...
, Victorian State Opera Orchestra and Chorus. Melbourne 24 July 1976 Conductor::Richard Divall
''
Roméo et Juliette'' –
Charles Gounod
Charles-François Gounod (; ; 17 June 181818 October 1893), usually known as Charles Gounod, was a French composer. He wrote twelve operas, of which the most popular has always been ''Faust (opera), Faust'' (1859); his ''Roméo et Juliette'' (18 ...
* Leanne Kennealy –
Julian Gavin
Julian Gavin (born 1965) is an Australian-born British operatic tenor who has sung leading roles both in the United Kingdom and internationally. His full-length opera recordings include Don José in ''Carmen'' and the title roles in ''Ernani'' an ...
; Conducted by Richard Divall – Sydney 1999
DVD
''
Alcina
''Alcina'' (Händel-Werke-Verzeichnis, HWV 34) is a 1735 opera seria by George Frideric Handel. Handel used the libretto of ''L'isola di Alcina'', an opera that was set in 1728 in Rome by Riccardo Broschi, which he acquired the year after during ...
'' –
George Frideric Handel
*
Joan Sutherland – Sally-Anne Russell – Wendy Dixon – Elizabeth Campbell – Glen Winslade – Stephen Bennett; Conducted by Richard Divall.
Australian Opera, Australian Opera Chorus. Sydney 1987
Honours
Divall was awarded honorary degrees from Monash and
Australian Catholic University and a PhD in Theology by the University of Divinity
atholic Theological Collegein church history and 18th century Maltese sacred music. He was an Officer of the
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gov ...
(2009), an Officer of the
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
(1981) and was awarded a Spanish knighthood in 2008.
He was a Fellow of Queen's College, and was on the SCR of Newman College at the University of Melbourne. He was a Knight of Malta in solemn religious profession and was active in hospitaller and charitable works in that order.
*Frà Professor Richard Divall AO, OBE
*Officer of the Order of the British Empire, OBE (1981)
*Officer of The Order of Australia, AO (2009).
*Officer of the Most Venerable Order of St John, OStJ (2012).
*Fellow, Royal Numismatic Society (1985).
*Fellow, Royal Asiatic Society (1985).
*Fellow, Queen's College, University of Melbourne in 1987.
*D. Lett (Hon Causa) Monash (1992)
*Doc. Univ. (ACU) 2005)
*PhD. UD. (2014)
*Dame Joan Hammond Award in 1988
*Bayreuth Prize in 1990
*Cavaliere di Giustizia (Order of Malta), Cavaliere di San Giorgio (Spain)
*Commendatore al Merito Melitense, DLett (Hon Mon) in 1989, for historical research
*FRAS, FRNS.
*Frà Professor Richard Divall AO OBE D Lett (Hon Mon) Doc Univ (ACU) PhD (UD) FRNS FRAS
Bernard Heinze Memorial Award
The
Sir Bernard Heinze Memorial Award is given to a person who has made an outstanding contribution to music in Australia.
!
, -
, 2004 , , Richard Divall , , Sir Bernard Heinze Memorial Award , , , ,
Bach Cantatas
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, -
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Divall, Richard
1945 births
2017 deaths
Australian conductors (music)
Australian musicologists
Officers of the Order of Australia
Australian Officers of the Order of the British Empire
University of Divinity alumni
Knights of the Order of St John