Arthur Goring Thomas

This English composer studied music seriously only after 1873. He traveled to Paris as a pupil of Durand. Between 1877 and 1880 Thomas was able to study at the Royal Academy of Music with Sullivan and Prout. Shortly thereafter he had orchestration lessons under Max Bruch. "The Light of the Harem" (1879) was given a partial performance at the Royal Academy for which he received a commission from Carl Rosa. Thomas composed "Esmeralda" but the libretto lacked any virility and was set with a happy ending -- this, an opera based on "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." The happy ending and weakened story fit Thomas' gentle style, the only quality which may be considered Thomas'. The opera, nevertheless was praised and later received performances at Cologne, Hamburg and Berlin. A French version was produced at Covent Garden with a tragic ending. This opera demonstrates Thomas' lack of theatrical excitement; but, the Rosa company commissioned another work which resulted in "Nadeshda." In this opera the music of Thomas comes across as merely an accompaniment to the story line. Though Thomas had a flare for the recitative, no unique or singular style was ever developed by him. Most of his serious compositions seem derived though his lighter music contains an air of freshness. ~ Keith Johnson