Oggie : the memoirs of Olga Lynn.
| Author/creator | Lynn, Olga |
| Format | Book |
| Publication Info | London : Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1955. |
| Description | xvi, 160 pages, 6 leaves of plates : illustrations, portraits ; 21 cm |
| Subjects |
| Contents | Chapter 1. A happy life ; My father and mother ; A romantic proposal ; Adventures in Paris ; The missing notecase ; My mother's hats ; Mishap at the Great Exhibition ; School in Switzerland ; First concerts ; Musical ambition -- Chapter 2. I set off to learn singing under Jean de Reszke ; Paris at the turn of the century ; My first meeting with Jean de Reszke ; Lina Cavalieri ; Maggie Teyte ; Student days ; Arthur Rubinstein introduces us to the music of Strauss ; Deauville with M. and Mme de Reszke -- Chapter 3. Debussy the egocentric ; Faure the charmer ; Reynaldo Hahn ; Marie de Reszke ; Amherst Webber ; A Lohengrin disaster ; Discomfort of Frau Wagner at Bayreuth ; Adelina Patti ; A disagreeable encounter with Melba ; The quality of her voice ; Jean de Reszke's career -- Chapter 4. Edwardian London ; Lady Ripon ; First encounter with Ivor Novello ; My musical debut ; Raimond von zur Muhlen ; Paolo Tosti ; Visit to Bayreuth ; Cruise round the Mediterranean with Lord and Lady Howard de Walden ; Pleasant weekends, and one disastrous one with Arthur Rubinstein and Igor Stravinsky -- Chapter 5. My pupils ; The Cornwallis-West girls ; Musical comedy artists ; Gertrude Lawrence ; Lady Cunard ; Amateur musical performances ; La Damoiselle Elue ; Disgust of Sir Thomas Beecham ; Tallulah Bankhead as an angel ; The Russian operas and the Russian ballet ; Ambrose McEvoy ; My Eccleston Street home -- Chapter 6. Outbreak of the war ; The old life comes to an end ; The Olga Lynn day nursery ; Patriotic concerts ; Chirk Castle ; Supper parties at Eccleston Street with Lady Diana manners, Duff Cooper and others ; Musical evenings ; Lady Randolph Churchill saves the situation ; Don Antonio de Gandarillas ; Debussy memorial concert -- Chapter 7. After the war ; Melba singing on the Grand Canal at Venice with an unexpected effect ; Melba's courage in the United States ; Her first appearance at Covent Garden ; My visit to America ; I attend the first night of The Miracle ; Impressions of Lady Diana Cooper in The Miracle ; My own quality as a singer ; Arrival of The Charlot Revue ; Visit to Salzburg ; Max Reinhardt ; Lotte Lehmann ; Down a salt mine ; Lord Berners ; An unfortunate house party -- Chapter 8. My greatest musical achievement ; The AEolus concerts ; Brook House lent by the Mountbattens ; Lady Cunard a musical patroness ; No. 7 Grosvenor Square ; The Duke of Marlborough and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra ; Povla Frisch and Horowitz at the house of Sir Philip Sassoon ; Madeleine Grey ; Madame Suggia ; Wimborne House -- Chapter 9. Charity Matinees ; Does the public really prefer film premieres? ; A Hyde Park pageant ; A Carol party ; Sir James Barrie is not amused ; The fancy dress ball given by the Austrian ambassador ; Mysterious non-arrival of the Vienna Choir boys ; Weekends with Lord Lathom ; Crichel and Napier Alington ; Elinor Glyn ; A visit to Spain to perform in the Royal Palace at the suggestion of Lord and Lady Carisbrooke ; I receive a decoration ; The death of Faure ; A memorial concert -- Chapter 10. The fruits of my musical experience ; Different musical climate of French and German songs ; Consequences of translation ; Technique in study of a song ; Importance of accompaniment ; Tribute to Glyndebourne ; Irmgard Seefried ; Sena Jurinac ; Dearth of Lieder singers ; Kathleen Ferrier ; Revival of early music on the harpsichord and clavichord in England ; Violet Woodhouse and Thomas Goff ; Rising stars -- Chapter 11. England at war again ; Cecil Beaton's pantomime ; We make a handsome sum ; Wartime concerts ; Poets' reading at the AEolian Hall ; Triumph of the Sitwells ; Lady Colefax ; Sir Duff and Lady Diana Cooper at the British embassy in Paris ; Centre of life in Paris ; The nightly cocktail party ; My seventieth birthday party ; Conclusions to be drawn from a happy life. |
| Abstract | Olga Lynn's reminiscences are written with the warmth and sparkling sense of humour that have sustained her throughout her full and varied life. As a singer and teacher of singing she has known all the great musical and social characters of her day since she first became a pupil of the great Jean de Reszke. Here are stories of life in Paris under the tutelage of the master; and vivid glimpses of Edwardian London in its heyday--the great hostesses, the house parties, the opera at Covent Garden, the amateur pageants and concerts, and Olga Lynn's remarkable medley collection of pupils who have ranged from Lady Cunard to Gertrude Lawrence. The European scene between the wars naturally inspires such a talented raconteuse to many entertaining anecdotes--Melba singing at the Grand Hotel in Venice with unexpected results; the disastrous weekend party with Rubinstein and Stravinsky when both were turned out of the house by an unmusical host; Lady Diana Cooper--a close friend--appearing in 'The Miracle' in America; and a wartime pantomime in Wiltshire with Cecil Beaton. Olga Lynn relates it all with wit and delightful joie de vivre. |
| General note | Foreword by Lady Diana Cooper. |
| LCCN | 56096428 |
Availability
| Library | Location | Call Number | Status | Item Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Music | Closed Stacks - Ask at Circulation Desk | ML420.L95 A3 | ✔ Available | Place Hold |