Introduction - Ireland’s Magnificent Seven
From around 1770 to 1870, seven (7) Irish born classical musicians and performers competed on the major concert stages, salons and in the principal opera houses of Europe and elsewhere with great success. 
They truly “set the stage” and goals for the great Irish singers and musicians who would follow over the next two-hundred years.
What differentiates these seven individuals from other Irish born musicians of the period is the fact that each one was recognized internationally. Their success was not only in Britain but also in foreign countries where they were the sole Irish representative among musical groups that were generally dominated by Italian and French artists along with Germans and other nationalities.
They were the first Irish born professionals to emerge on the international classical music scene. Six were men, and one was an attractive young female singer of the first rank. Their legacies live on today! Four of these artists were born in Dublin, two in Limerick and one in Waterford.
This blog is all about these remarkable individuals, their lives, their music and performances and the recognition they received as they emerged in Ireland and various countries in Europe, America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South America, Russia and other places.
Their music was not “Irish music” in the “traditional folk music” sense, with one possible exception. Their compositions and the music they performed was primarily based on the classical Italian and French models and to a lesser extent the German/Austrian musical genre of the time.
People who became friends or associates of these seven Irish artists included such musical luminaries as, Beethoven, Weber, Rossini, Bellini, Mozart, Clementi, Liszt, Thalberg, Strauss, Berlioz, Chopin, Auber, Meyerbeer and Verdi.
London Bound
Like so many other great Irish born artists and writers of the 19th century and beyond, they were initially drawn to London where the opportunities were more rewarding both financially and artistically. Some of these Irish artists traveled far and wide in the pursuit of their careers. Some never returned to Ireland once they left. Others returned to great acclaim and success in the land of their birth.
Recordings
All of these gifted Irish musicians were active long before the recording industry as we know it today emerged in London, Paris, Milan and New York from the 1890s on. So their personal performances, or their voices never had the benefit of being recorded. However, their importance to musical history was such that their music and reputations as performers is still recognized internationally today.
Some of the works of the composers in the group, by reason of their art can be heard on modern day CD recordings. The legacy of our young Irish soprano is cast in time and place in the reviews of her performances. We will never really know how she sounded except for the thoughts expressed by reviewers in newspapers and musical periodicals of the period, in the cities where she performed around the Globe.
However, we can get a brief glimpse of our Irish prima donna’s signature song, “Kathleen Mavourneen” and the style in which it would have been sung during the 19th Century from a very early recording by the leading soprano (Adelina Patti), of the latter half of the 19th century… more on this later, and on the available recordings.
The Growth of Classical Music in Ireland - Brief Background
For almost 800 years Ireland had been under British rule, until 1921. Over the centuries Dublin had become a major port and center for British commerce and a strong military base. It was considered by some to be the “second” city of the British Empire. By about the early 1700’s, musicians and singing-actors (many of whom were continental born) who had performed in London started to make the journey across the Irish sea to Dublin… a total distance of about 300 miles between the two capital cities, to perform at one of the many theatres then functioning in Dublin.
These multi-national travelling musicians and singers, introduced new songs, orchestral and vocal pieces, cantatas and concertos and also performed early works by various Italian composers and the German born, composer, George Frideric Handel. On occasions, later in the 19th century some of these musicians even extended their tour of Ireland to give concerts in places such as, Cork, Limerick, Kilkenny and Belfast. So classical music and opera started to make a real foothold on Irish soil around this time.
Dublin was quite an affluent city with its large British military base and wealthy Anglo-Irish residents with their Georgian homes and townhouses. The city was continually in a rapid expan
sion mode. This included a “wide streets” planning improvement program and the erections of many new beautifully designed large building. A number of these buildings still exist in Dublin today. The city around this time had a population of about 200,000 or so, residents. Its lifestyle was reflective of London in terms of musical taste.
Music flourished because of the City’s many theatres and the associated lifestyle of its residents. The Irish themselves embraced classical music early on, to the point where traditional Irish folk music was eventually replaced, at least in Dublin. Indeed, perhaps the last great traditional music festival in Ireland of that period was the Belfast Harp Festival of 1792.
Music and Charitable Events
Classical music in Dublin was very much a mirror image of London’s taste, which had regular Italian opera seasons and symphonic concerts throughout the year. London music publishing houses also had opened branches in Dublin to cater to the affluent Anglo-Irish Ascendancy who controlled much of the musical activity in Ireland. The Ascendancy tied musical performances in many instances to charitable events, such as fundraising for hospitals, orphanages, prisons etc. There were around twenty such organizations that had been chartered in Ireland for this express purpose by the 1790s.
Ireland’s Landmark Musical Event - the “Messiah”
Towards the end of the year 1741, the most famous musician in Europe of the period, George Frideric Handel (who was London based) decided to visit Dublin. Handel was somewhat discontented with recent London newspaper reviews of some of his works. Handel’s visit to Ireland was immortalized in April 1842 when he directed the world premiere of his latest work, the “Messiah” at the Great Music Hall in Fisha
mble Street in Dublin. A London born musician, Matthew Dubourg who was Master of the State Music of Ireland led the orchestra for the premiere performance which was in aid of both Mercer’s Hospital and several prisons in the city. Apparently around 700 people crowded into the Music Hall for the event, which was highly successful.
Handel gave several other performances at various venues. His visit to Ireland lasted several months and it had the effect of really putting Dublin on the map for European musical artists of all types. It also set the tone for musical life in Dublin for the next 100 years or more.
Music at Christ Church Cathedral and St. Patrick’s Cathedral
Both of these Anglican (Church of Ireland) Cathedrals in Dublin provided musical training, had large choirs and important musicians on staff for more than 150 years. Their members worked closely with local orchestras and with Handel when he was performing his various works in Ireland.
Rotunda Concert Rooms, Dublin
The Rotunda Hospital with its adjacent Concert Rooms and Garden was formally opened in central Dublin in 1757. The very special Rotunda Concert Rooms, with its beautiful main room curvature, recesses and chandeliers was reportedly able to accommodate up to 2,000 people because it had no central support columns, which left the entire floor space free for its patrons. The building was originally designed for fund raising concerts in aid of the hospital. For the next two-hundred years the Rotunda Concert Rooms would play an important part in the musical life of Dublin. At least five of our seven unique Irish musicians performed there during the first half of the 19th century.
The Rotunda Concert Rooms buildings still exist today. Sadly, despite the incredible musical history associated with the venue it is virtually derelict. Some of the greatest musical performers in history have given concerts there. It should be declared a historic Dublin landmark.
Mozart Operas
In 1811 Dublin saw it’s first Mozart opera, Cosi fan tutte. Excerpts from other Mozart operas were also performed around this time. Later in 1819 Mozart’s, Don Giovanni, was also performed.
In 1821 the new 3,800 seat Theatre Royal opened in Hawkins Street, Dublin. 
King George IV on a visit to Ireland attended a Sheridan play at the theatre the year it opened. In 1827 an English language version of of Weber’s opera Der Freischutz was performed there, with considerable success. In a short period of years the Theatre Royal would become the main venure for opera, concerts and other entertainment in Dublin until it burned down in 1880. Some of our unique musicians performed in the orchestra and on the stage of the Theatre Royal during the 19th century.
In 180
7 Angelica Catalani, one of Italy’s most renowned and highest paid singers first arrived in Dublin to give a concert. She returned several times after that making her final visit in 1823. Another great Italian soprano, Giuditta Pasta visited Dublin towards the end of 1827 as a guest of Lady Morgan in Kildare Street, Dublin. Within a few years, Pasta was to create the title roles in Vincenzo Bellini’s La Sonnambula and Norma in Milan. She would also become a close associate of one of our unique Irish musicians. 
cheduled after London. It wasn’t long before Italian operatic troupes and other musicians regularly began traveling to Cork, Limerick, Kilkenny, Belfast and other places throughout Ireland after their initial performances in Dublin. The legendary Italian violinist, Nicola Pagannini performed in Dublin in 1831. In 1836, perhaps the most prominent singer in Europe, Maria Malibran, was scheduled to visit Dublin for a concert, however fate took a hand and she died tragically in England from an accident shortly before she was due to travel to Dublin. In 1838 the renowned pianist, Sigismond Thalberg gave a concert.In 18
41, the renowned pianist and composer, Franz Liszt gave a concert in the Rotunda. Liszt also performed in Kilkenny, Cork and Limerick.From around 1830 onward Dublin saw regular performance of Italian Opera at the Theatre Royal, with international artists such as, Giuseppi de Benis, Antonio Sapio, Signora Kintherland and others. Over the next many years some of the greatest singers in Europe, appeared in opera including, Luigi Lablache, Giulia Grisi, Giovanni Mario, Fanny Persiani, Giovanni Battista Rubini and Jenny Lind. They performed in works by, Rossini, Donnizetti, Bellini, and later Verdi at the Theatre Royal. A number of our special Irish musicians became life-long friends with these artists.
In 1834 the Antient Concert Rooms opened in Dublin as a new venue for large vocal and instrumental concerts. This was followed in 1848 by the Royal Irish Academy of Music which still functions today.There were also functioning theatres in Wexford, Waterford, Cork, Limerick, Kilkenny, Belfast and other places in Ireland by the early decades of the 19th century.
It was in this overall environment that our seven Irish musicians emerged for their early training and first professional engagements. Some of them were destined to become closly associated and to perform with a number of the above distinguished continental artists during the early to middle of the 19th century.
Our Seven Irish Musicians
We will present our seven unique Irish born musicions shortly. You will be probably be amazed by some of their achievements, and the scope and influence of their work.
Basil Walsh, Editor
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