Eugene Goossens two draft manuscripts of autobiography "Overture and Beginners", ca.1942-ca.1951

MLMSS 6020

fonds

ca. 1942 - ca. 1951

99092

0.13 metres of textual material (1 box) - typescript, with manuscript annotations

Sir Eugene Goossens (1893-1962) was director of the N.S.W. State Conservatorium of Music and resident conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra from 1947 to 1956. He was also involved in the early planning of the Sydney Opera House and was knighted for his services to music in Australia in 1955.
Goossens' autobiography "Overture and Beginners", published by Methuen in London in 1951, describes his family history and the earlier part of his life up to 1931, before he came to Australia. His intended second instalment was never written.
Goossens was born in London to a musical family. He studied music in Bruges, Belgium, and continued his musical education in England at the Liverpool College of Music and the Royal College of Music in London. In 1912-15 he was a violinist in the Queen's Hall Orchestra. With the encouragement of Sir Thomas Beecham, he turned his attention to conducting and presented his first opera performance in 1916. In 1921 he conducted the first concert performance in England of Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring". His distinguished conducting career took him to the U.S.A. where he conducted the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra for several years, before taking up his Australian appointment.
Goossens was also a composer of many works, including two operas and an oratorio "The Apocalypse". He was married three times and had five daughters.

Overture and beginners : a musical autobiography. London : Methuen, 1951 is located at A927.8/G in the Mitchell Library Printed Books Collection.