Background
He was the son of Irish composer, writer and song collector Herbert Hughes and great grandson of the sculptor Samuel Peploe Wood.
(For the opera-goer and armchair listener alike, here is a...)
For the opera-goer and armchair listener alike, here is an analytic guide to MADAM BUTTERFLY, LA BOHEME, TOSCA, MANON LESCAUT, THE GIRL OF THE GOLDEN WEST, TURANDOT, along with Puccini's triptych of shorter operas--written by a British music critic, conductor, and composer, who focuses on the music, yet is not overly technical. 245 musical illustrations.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0486228576/?tag=2022091-20
(The Toscanini Legacy 346 pp. First edition. A critical st...)
The Toscanini Legacy 346 pp. First edition. A critical study of Arturo Toscanini's performances of Beethoven, Verdi, and other composers. Includes 192 musical illustrations.Keywords: FIRST EDITION MUSIC COMPOSERS BEETHOVEN ARTURO TOSCANINI
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001KWIPP4/?tag=2022091-20
composer journalist music critic jazz musician
He was the son of Irish composer, writer and song collector Herbert Hughes and great grandson of the sculptor Samuel Peploe Wood.
Hughes was a multi-dimensional musician, playing the double bass, composing operatic scores, arranging jazz recordings and writing books on topics ranging from gardening to Toscanini"s music Hughes" small recording group was one of the earliest artists signed to Decca Records in England, spanning the period from 1930 to 1933, including over 30 sessions. Originally billed as Spike Hughes and his Decca-Dents, he reportedly did not like the name and after three sessions was changed either "his Dance Orchestra" or "his Three Blind Mice" for smaller sessions.
These fourteen sides were mostly Hughes" own compositions.
Though most were not released in the United States. at the time, they have become known as classic jazz masterworks, and are still available on Civil Defense. After the New York recordings, he was a writer, regular British Broadcasting Corporation broadcaster and a critic for the rest of his life. His subjects included music (especially opera), food, and traveling
In between his more serious works, he produced his series of "The Art of Coarse.." studies which opened with The Art of Coarse Cricket in 1954 and was followed over the years by..Coarse Travel..Gardening..Bridge..Cookery and.Entertaining. The series was named as a play on coarse fishing.
Other later Coarse books were written by Michael Green.
He had been one of the first music critics to visit the early performances at Glyndebourne Festival Opera in 1934, and made many contributions to Glyndebourne, including writing programme notes, providing subtitles for television performances, and publishing the first history of the Opera.
(For the opera-goer and armchair listener alike, here is a...)
(Philadelphia: Chilton Book Company, 1968. 1st American Ed...)
(The Toscanini Legacy 346 pp. First edition. A critical st...)
(Shows signs of wear.)
His recording career culminated in his visit to New York City where he arranged three historic recording sessions involving members of Benny Carter"s and Luis Russell"s orchestras with Coleman Hawkins and Henry "Red" Allen from Fletcher Henderson"s band.