Dublin Orchestral Society
| Company type | Cooperative organization |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music, orchestra |
| Founded | 1898 |
| Founder | Michele Esposito |
| Defunct | 1914 (brief comeback in 1927) |
| Headquarters | Dublin , Ireland |
| Products | Orchestral concerts, classical music performances |
The Dublin Orchestral Society was an orchestra based in Dublin, active predominantly between 1898 and 1914, with a short-lived comeback in 1927. It was notable within the British Isles for functioning as a cooperative organization.
History
Established in 1898 by the immigrant musician Michele Esposito, the society was formed in the wake of successful performances by the Hallé Orchestra during 1897–1898 and the financial difficulties that plagued the Dublin Musical Society.[1] Esposito modeled the society on a cooperative framework inspired by Milan’s Società Orchestrale della Scala di Milano, financing its activities through member subscriptions, donations, ticket revenues, patronage, and eventually support from Dublin Corporation.[2] The governing committee consisted of Esposito, W. P. Geoghegan (a Guinness executive and arts advocate), Edward Martyn, and Edith Oldham, convening at the Royal Irish Academy of Music.[3]
The first season in 1899 presented five concerts featuring classical works by Gluck, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Beethoven, Wagner, and Bizet.[4] Notable premieres included Esposito's Poem, Op. 44 for harp and chamber orchestra (1899),[5] along with Hamilton Harty's An Irish Symphony, Op. 7 (1904).[6] The initial seasons were marked by limited audience numbers and financial losses,[7] necessitating private financial backing until increasing attendance enabled the society to eliminate its debts by the 1906–1907 season.[8]
Operations ceased during World War I in 1914; although there was a brief reactivation in 1927, it did not endure. In 1929, the society’s orchestral music collection was entrusted to the Royal Irish Academy of Music.
Bibliography
- Jeremy Dibble: Michele Esposito (Dublin: Field Day Publications, 2010), .
- Harry White, Barra Boydell (eds): The Encyclopaedia of Music in Ireland (Dublin: UCD Press, 2013), .