AustLit

'Spanning two decades of the cultural life of Melbourne, from 1891 until the start of World War I, this collection of the letters of the composer, conductor and critic G.W.L. Marshall-Hall samples the scandal, disappointments, achievements and camaraderie of those years, when he established a renowned orchestra, was controversially sacked and later reappointed as professor at the university and when his opera Stella was butchered at its London premiere. Correspondents include the artists Arthur Streeton and Tom Roberts, the composers Alfred Hill and Fritz Hart, and an array of musicians, colleagues, friends and supporters. Sometimes caustic and often opinionated, the letters expose their author’s infectious enthusiasm for Art as well as his tendency to rile his enemies. His tragic death in 1915 led a few years later to a campaign to collect what memorabilia remained. Gathered here from public and private archives in Australia and Britain are 249 of the extant letters, each of which offers a vivid portrait of a man many described as a musical genius.' (Publication summary)