Bronwen, from The Cauldron of Annwn,

Incomplete autograph manuscript, 1916-1928, by Josef Charles Holbrooke of his three-act opera Bronwen (op. 75), being the third and final part of his operatic trilogy The Cauldron of Annwn; Act I is lacking. The libretto, based on the narratives of The Four Branches of the Mabinogi, was written by Holbrooke's patron, Thomas Evelyn Scott-Ellis, eighth baron Howard de Walden.
Mostly composed at Harlech, the work was completed in parts, the Overture (MS 23863F) (published as a piano arrangement in 1917), here dated July 1916 (p. 17); Act II (MS 23864F) dated 5 August 1918 (p. 183); and Act III (MS 23865F), dated 12 October [19]24 (p. 295); the latter is probably the completion date of the full score (confirmed by the note at the end of the published version of 1929), as opposed to the vocal score of the opera, which was apparently completed at Harlech on 5 February 1920 (see note at end of the published vocal score (1922), and cf. George Lowe, Josef Holbrooke and His Work (London, 1920), p. 273). However, a note added at the end of the Prelude to Act III (MS 23865F, p. 190) suggests that a final revision was made in 1928. The vocal score was first published, with English and German words, as Bronwen: A Music Drama (No. 3) (London, 1922), and the full score in 1929 (see British Library Catalogue of Printed Music); the opera was first performed by the Carl Rosa Opera Company in Huddersfield on 1 February 1929.

Readers consulting modern papers in the National Library of Wales are required to abide by the conditions set out in information provided when applying for their Readers' Tickets, whereby the reader shall become responsible for compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998 in relation to any processing by them of personal data obtained from modern records held at the Library.

Sotheby's; London; Purchased at auction, lot 100; 8 December 2000; B2001/6.

Title based on contents.

Preferred citation: NLW MSS 23863-23865F.

March 2012.

Description compiled by Maredudd ap Huw and revised by Rhys Morgan Jones;

Usual copyright laws apply.

Item: 1.1 Manuscript Volume (NLW MSS 23863-23865F). Action: Condition reviewed. Action identifier: 4398735. Date: 20041027. Authorization: Selected for conservation. Authorizing institution: NLW. Action agent: J. Thomas. Status: Manuscript Volume (NLW MSS 23683-23865F) : Spines require lettering. Institution: WlAbNL.
Item: 1.2 Manuscript Volume (NLW MSS 23863-23865F). Action: Conserved. Action identifier: 4398735. Date: 20041105. Authorizing institution: NLW. Action agent: G. Edwards. Status: Manuscript Volume (NLW MSS 23683-23685F) : Lettered spines with gold foil. Institution: WlAbNL.

'From the M[odern] M[usic] L[ibrary] Library, 55 Alexandra Road, N. W. 8' (stamp on cover of MS 23863F).

The autograph manuscript of Act I is University of Melbourne, Grainger Museum, MG C2/HOL-10-1(Q) [information per Mr John Sands, 9 May 2011]; the manuscripts of the first and second parts of the trilogy, 'The Children of Don' and 'Dylan, Son of the Wave', are London, British Library, BL MSS Mus. 230-231 and Add. MS 54339 respectively.

Published

Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru = The National Library of Wales