146:
and head of
English. An obituarist wrote in 2011 that Steane influenced many aspects of the school's life, including not only English, but also sport, music and drama, and "the breadth of his intellect and the warmth of his personality made him an inspirational guide for generations of students".
278:
the long-running quarterly feature, "The
Gramophone and the Voice", giving a second opinion on vocal issues reviewed in recent issues of the magazine. An editor of the magazine commented that Steane's views were "beautifully judged, invariably generous and always elegantly crafted". In 1999, the
30:
290:
wrote that singers had found in Steane "their Keats or
Baudelaire, the poet of the sensations they create." The reviewer praised his ability to characterise a singer with phrases of "poetic refinement", though not eschewing humour, quoting his description of
253:, noting that choral music, and particularly the music of the Anglican liturgy, remained one of his greatest loves, observes, "his beautifully observed and straightforwardly expressed views about the art of singing brought him to the attention of the
44:, literary scholar and teacher, with a particular interest in singing and the human voice. His 36-year career as a schoolmaster overlapped with his career as a music critic and author of books on Elizabethan drama, and opera and concert singers.
557:
184:
wrote, "He has turned an acute and sensitive mind upon
Christopher Marlowe and both the author and ourselves should be thankful to him." For the same publisher, Steane edited and introduced
802:
848:
387:. The online combined edition of Grove at May 2011 listed 359 articles by him, mostly about singers, but with some about other subjects such as the conductor
305:
vigorously dissented from some of Steane's opinions, but he too praised his gift for the "apt choice of a word or phrase to sum up a singer's art or voice".
227:
thought Steane's book "brilliant, informative and admirably written", and much the best of the four. In 1969 he edited, and wrote the introduction to, the
584:
249:
Music was a lifelong passion with Steane. During his years at
Merchant Taylor's he regularly played the organ for chapel services. An obituary in
704:
913:
938:
397:
377:
75:
69:
55:, and a series of books on music, concentrating on singing and singers. He contributed to a range of musical journals, including
177:
said of Steane, "He possesses the authority which derives from intimate knowledge … creative criticism of the highest quality."
131:
126:, where he studied English under A. P. Rossiter. Among the other influences on him at Cambridge was the controversial scholar
873:
885:
275:
112:
231:
edition of
Marlowe's plays. In 1972 he published his last contribution to English literary scholarship, an edition of
855:
96:
666:
421:
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Many of his contributions were about famous singers of the past, or reviews of books about them. These included
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changing in the course of one song "from Juliet at the ball to a knees-up-mother-Brown pearly-queen". In
17:
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156:
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237:
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which covered the history of recorded singing. It was enthusiastically received by the critics. The
769:, February 1989, pp. 72–75; March 1990, pp. 138–140; July 1989, pp. 415–416; and April 1990, p. 203
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368:
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123:
341:
108:
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Steane's literary interests were not confined to the
Elizabethans; in 1966 he wrote a volume on
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430:
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263:
103:
choir. When the cathedral was destroyed by bombing in 1940, Steane moved to the neighbouring
57:
424:, on the occasion of his 80th birthday. He died at the age of 82. His final contribution to
928:
908:
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magazine published in book form a collection of these articles from the previous 25 years.
200:
348:
chose to set. Other articles drew on his long and wide experience of opera and song, from
8:
493:
The
Gramophone and the Voice: 25 Years of Quarterly Writings from the Pages of Gramophone
211:
for a new series, "Literature in
Perspective", to which his fellow contributors included
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100:
869:
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135:
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63:
345:
333:
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171:, together with a comprehensive (350-page) study of his works. Reviewing the book,
119:, who became a lifelong friend and later a colleague of Steane in music criticism.
889:
589:
349:
329:
208:
164:
52:
882:
667:"Obituary: John Steane: Musicologist and a leading authority on vocal technique"
471:, Scribner (New York, NY), 1974, reprinted, Amadeus Press (Portland, OR), 1993.
388:
826:
822:
459:, Cambridge University Press (Cambridge, England), 1964, second edition, 1970.
420:
Steane retired from
Merchant Taylor's in 1988. In 2008 he was honoured by the
902:
861:
344:. His literary expertise was employed in a piece about the poets whose music
337:
325:
228:
216:
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magazine that he would be a useful adornment to its panel of contributors."
95:, the son of William John Steane and his wife, Winifred. He was educated at
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435:
292:
258:
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127:
41:
755:"The Grand Tradition: Seventy Years of Singing on Record, by J. B. Steane"
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254:
220:
143:
654:
519:
Christopher Marlowe, The Complete Plays, Penguin (Harmondsworth), 1969.
439:
195:
754:
734:
353:
173:
139:
893:
560:, Gale Literary Database, Contemporary Authors, accessed 3 May 2011
483:(with Alan Sanders and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf), Amadeus Press, 1995.
92:
284:
The Grand Tradition: Seventy Years of Singing on Record, 1900–1970
317:
called Steane's erudition "formidable" and the book "essential".
585:"John Steane – Distinguished literary scholar and music critic "
489:, Amadeus Press, Volume 1, 1996, Volume 2, 1999, Volume 3, 2000.
29:
40:(12 April 1928 – 17 March 2011) was an English music critic,
465:, Evans Brothers (London), 1966, Arco (New York, NY), 1969.
320:
In the 1980s Steane began writing articles and reviews in
469:
The Grand Tradition: Seventy Years of Singing on Record
833:, Oxford University Press, 2004, accessed 5 May 2011
163:, giving a short (23 page) biographical study of the
356:. He also contributed many reviews and articles to
793:, Summer, 1998, p. 73; and Winter, 2000, pp. 73–74
413:(with Alan Sanders) in 1995, and his three-volume
107:. After leaving school and before going up to the
866:The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, vol. 4, p. 529
900:
809:, Oxford University Press, accessed 3 May 2011
757:, Music & Letters, April 1975, pp. 215–216
645:, 9 June 1966, p. 516. Drabble's book was on
47:Among Steane's works are critical studies of
428:, an appreciation of a vintage recording of
375:Steane contributed numerous entries in the
442:, was published posthumously in May 2011.
130:. After graduating he joined the staff of
481:Elisabeth Schwarzkopf: A Career on Record
411:Elisabeth Schwarzkopf: A Career on Record
99:. While there, he became a member of the
311:called it "a book for the connoisseur".
115:, where among those he met was Sergeant
28:
831:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
683:
681:
398:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
378:Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians
76:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
70:Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians
14:
901:
823:"Henderson, Roy Galbraith (1899–2000)"
699:
697:
615:"Celebration for the Other Birthday",
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573:
571:
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553:
551:
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547:
545:
543:
541:
539:
860:
803:List of contributions by J. B. Steane
628:"Literature and Literary Criticism",
194:in an edition published in 1965, and
150:
678:
868:. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
694:
566:
536:
516:, Cambridge University Press, 1967.
509:, Cambridge University Press, 1965.
282:In 1974, Steane published his book
274:in 1972. In 1974 he took over from
24:
914:Alumni of Jesus College, Cambridge
261:, who suggested to the editors of
244:
122:From 1948 to 1952 Steane attended
81:
25:
950:
659:
939:Schoolteachers from Warwickshire
856:Dictionary of National Biography
827:"Melba, Dame Nellie (1861–1931)"
417:appeared between 1996 and 2000.
97:King Henry VIII School, Coventry
815:
796:
784:
772:
760:
747:
727:
714:
526:and Other Works, Penguin, 1972.
445:
422:Worshipful Company of Musicians
395:. He wrote the articles in the
159:published Steane's first book,
635:
622:
609:
596:
86:
13:
1:
722:The Times Literary Supplement
630:The Times Literary Supplement
617:The Times Literary Supplement
384:New Grove Dictionary of Opera
180:The Times Literary Supplement
67:, and wrote articles for the
849:Webber, Christopher (2015).
7:
720:"Analogies for the voice",
475:Voices, Singers and Critics
407:Voices, Singers and Critics
405:and Nellie Melba. Steane's
10:
955:
842:
687:"Obituary – John Steane",
632:, 2 September 1965, p. 762
157:Cambridge University Press
643:Times Literary Supplement
524:The Unfortunate Traveller
499:
457:Marlowe: A Critical Study
450:
270:Steane began writing for
238:The Unfortunate Traveller
161:Marlowe: A Critical Study
593:, 22 April 2011, pp. 8–9
530:
369:Classic Record Collector
124:Jesus College, Cambridge
888:2 November 2012 at the
835:(subscription required)
811:(subscription required)
743:(subscription required)
741:, October 1974, p. 846
619:, 23 April 1964, p. 338
562:(subscription required)
507:The Shoemaker's Holiday
409:was published in 1992,
342:Margaret Burke Sheridan
191:The Shoemaker's Holiday
109:University of Cambridge
724:, 26 July 1974, p. 788
691:, 25 March 2011, p. 30
606:, 16 April 1964, p. 17
602:"Tribute to Marlowe",
487:Singers of the Century
477:, Amadeus Press, 1992.
415:Singers of the Century
34:
924:English music critics
919:English musicologists
705:Obituary, John Steane
431:The Barber of Seville
314:American Record Guide
32:
934:People from Coventry
276:Desmond Shawe-Taylor
142:, where he became a
883:Steane bibliography
733:Rosenthal, Harold.
665:Millington, Barry.
558:"John Barry Steane"
495:, Gramophone, 1999.
308:Music & Letters
169:Christopher Marlowe
111:, he undertook his
105:Holy Trinity Church
91:Steane was born in
49:Christopher Marlowe
807:Grove Music Online
779:The Musical Times,
647:William Wordsworth
583:Shenton, Kenneth.
322:The Musical Times.
151:English literature
101:Coventry Cathedral
35:
875:978-0-19-522186-2
851:John Barry Steane
791:The Musical Times
781:June 1995, p. 309
767:The Musical Times
739:The Musical Times
735:"Vocal Tradition"
366:(from 1989), and
298:The Musical Times
241:and other works.
117:Edward Greenfield
64:The Musical Times
38:John Barry Steane
16:(Redirected from
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653:and Inglis's on
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563:
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391:and the pianist
334:Lauritz Melchior
303:Harold Rosenthal
257:record producer
213:Margaret Drabble
132:Merchant Taylors
113:national service
21:
954:
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949:
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947:
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890:Wayback Machine
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330:Beniamino Gigli
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245:Music criticism
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82:Life and career
53:Alfred Tennyson
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864:, ed. (1992).
862:Sadie, Stanley
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841:
839:
838:
821:Steane, J. B.
814:
795:
783:
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753:Halford, John.
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703:Jolly, James.
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658:
649:, Sherry's on
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33:Steane c. 2005
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514:The Alchemist
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403:Roy Henderson
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362:(from 1981),
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347:
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338:Enrico Caruso
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201:The Alchemist
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186:Thomas Dekker
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155:In 1964, the
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711:, March 2011
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672:The Guardian
670:
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642:
641:"Eng Lit.",
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629:
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588:
523:
513:
512:Ben Jonson,
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446:Bibliography
436:Maria Callas
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233:Thomas Nashe
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167:playwright,
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128:F. R. Leavis
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74:
68:
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42:musicologist
37:
36:
26:
929:2011 deaths
909:1928 births
651:Jane Austen
221:Fred Inglis
204:, in 1967.
165:Elizabethan
144:housemaster
87:Early years
18:J.B. Steane
903:Categories
709:Gramophone
655:John Keats
440:Tito Gobbi
426:Gramophone
272:Gramophone
264:Gramophone
196:Ben Jonson
58:Gramophone
689:The Times
604:The Times
364:Opera Now
354:Hugo Wolf
251:The Times
174:The Times
140:Middlesex
136:Northwood
134:' school
894:WorldCat
886:Archived
463:Tennyson
381:and the
209:Tennyson
93:Coventry
73:and the
843:Sources
350:Puccini
346:Britten
229:Penguin
872:
825:, and
500:Editor
451:Author
340:, and
223:; the
531:Notes
434:with
359:Opera
182:(TLS)
870:ISBN
438:and
235:'s,
219:and
61:and
51:and
892:at
854:in
401:on
352:to
288:TLS
255:EMI
225:TLS
198:'s
188:'s
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829:,
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737:,
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680:^
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538:^
372:.
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20:)
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