Page 111 - Weiss, Jernej, ur. 2020. Konservatoriji: profesionalizacija in specializacija glasbenega dela ▪︎ The conservatories: professionalisation and specialisation of musical activity. Koper/Ljubljana: Založba Univerze na Primorskem in Festival Ljubljana. Studia musicologica Labacensia, 4
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ir ish conservator ies dur ing the inter-war per iod
a Governor during the crucial meeting – so the catastrophic loss of £150
was avoided.7
During the inter-war period the RIAM was dominated by two larg-
er-than-life personalities: Michele Esposito and John F. Larchet. Espos-
ito was an Italian pianist and composer who taught at the Academy for
45 years, from 1882 to 1927, while Larchet taught composition and theory
for 35 years, from 1920 to 1955. Both are good examples of how deeply the
Academy and its staff were shaping Dublin’s musical life. In 1899 Espos-
ito established and led the Dublin Orchestral Society, while he also was
in charge of the chamber music recitals of the Royal Dublin Society. As a
composer, he was involved in the Celtic revival, writing an Irish Sympho-
ny as well as operas and cantatas on Irish subjects. He was also involved
both as composer and adjudicator in the Feis Ceoil (a competitive mu-
sic festival that had been established in the 1890s). Much of this also ap-
plied to Larchet, whose activities outside the RIAM included being music
director at the Abbey Theatre (Ireland’s national theatre), as well as Pro-
fessor of Music at University College Dublin. In those years the Academy
really dominated the classical music scene in Dublin to a much greater ex-
tent than it does today.
The RIAM Governors’ responsibilities included many details that this
kind of body would not necessarily be encumbered by today, such as the
discussion and rejection of a contract offer by a Mr Pigott to tune the Acad-
emy’s 18 pianos for £93 per year as “exorbitant,”8 the approval of the “rec-
ommendation that Harmonic Minor Scales be added to the curriculum for
the first class,”9 or an assessment of “the burglarious breaking of a wall at the
rear of the R.I.A.M.”10 There are very few references to wars or politics, and
where they occur they are rather “indirect.” For example, at the first meet-
ing after the Easter Rising the Governors express their “deep sympathy”
with the President, Members and Associates of the Royal Hibernian Acade-
my of Arts “in the disaster which has befallen their Society in consequence of
the recent disturbances in Dublin”11 (their building had been completely de-
7 Meetings on 7 and 21 October 1936, Minute Books (1120/1/29), no pagination.
8 Meeting on 5 October 1921, Minute Books (1120/1/25), 383. This turned out to be a
wise decision, as the next year the Governors approved a payment of £42 10s to Pig-
ott for the same service (meeting on 26 April 1922, Minute Books (1120/1/26), 14). Mr
Pigott’s successors are still in business as the McCullough Pigott music shop today.
9 Meeting on 13 January 1932, Minute Books (1120/1/28), no pagination.
10 Meeting on 15 November 1934, Minute Books (1120/1/29), no pagination.
11 Meeting on 10 May 1916, Minute Books (1120/1/24), 80.
109
a Governor during the crucial meeting – so the catastrophic loss of £150
was avoided.7
During the inter-war period the RIAM was dominated by two larg-
er-than-life personalities: Michele Esposito and John F. Larchet. Espos-
ito was an Italian pianist and composer who taught at the Academy for
45 years, from 1882 to 1927, while Larchet taught composition and theory
for 35 years, from 1920 to 1955. Both are good examples of how deeply the
Academy and its staff were shaping Dublin’s musical life. In 1899 Espos-
ito established and led the Dublin Orchestral Society, while he also was
in charge of the chamber music recitals of the Royal Dublin Society. As a
composer, he was involved in the Celtic revival, writing an Irish Sympho-
ny as well as operas and cantatas on Irish subjects. He was also involved
both as composer and adjudicator in the Feis Ceoil (a competitive mu-
sic festival that had been established in the 1890s). Much of this also ap-
plied to Larchet, whose activities outside the RIAM included being music
director at the Abbey Theatre (Ireland’s national theatre), as well as Pro-
fessor of Music at University College Dublin. In those years the Academy
really dominated the classical music scene in Dublin to a much greater ex-
tent than it does today.
The RIAM Governors’ responsibilities included many details that this
kind of body would not necessarily be encumbered by today, such as the
discussion and rejection of a contract offer by a Mr Pigott to tune the Acad-
emy’s 18 pianos for £93 per year as “exorbitant,”8 the approval of the “rec-
ommendation that Harmonic Minor Scales be added to the curriculum for
the first class,”9 or an assessment of “the burglarious breaking of a wall at the
rear of the R.I.A.M.”10 There are very few references to wars or politics, and
where they occur they are rather “indirect.” For example, at the first meet-
ing after the Easter Rising the Governors express their “deep sympathy”
with the President, Members and Associates of the Royal Hibernian Acade-
my of Arts “in the disaster which has befallen their Society in consequence of
the recent disturbances in Dublin”11 (their building had been completely de-
7 Meetings on 7 and 21 October 1936, Minute Books (1120/1/29), no pagination.
8 Meeting on 5 October 1921, Minute Books (1120/1/25), 383. This turned out to be a
wise decision, as the next year the Governors approved a payment of £42 10s to Pig-
ott for the same service (meeting on 26 April 1922, Minute Books (1120/1/26), 14). Mr
Pigott’s successors are still in business as the McCullough Pigott music shop today.
9 Meeting on 13 January 1932, Minute Books (1120/1/28), no pagination.
10 Meeting on 15 November 1934, Minute Books (1120/1/29), no pagination.
11 Meeting on 10 May 1916, Minute Books (1120/1/24), 80.
109
