THE D'OYLY CARTE OPERA COMPANY

Fritz B. Hart

Fritz B. Hart (1901-02)

[Born Brockley, Kent 11 Feb 1874, died Honolulu, Hawaii 10 Jul 1949]

Fritz Bennicke Hart was a singer in comic opera in the 1890s, appearing in London on two occasions:as Miton in Le Roi l'a Dit (Prince of Wales's, 1894) and Randolph in Falstaff (Lyric, 1896).

In September 1901 he was engaged by D'Oyly Carte Opera Company "D" ("Savoy Touring Company") as musical director for its tour of The Emerald Isle, touring the British Isles until May 1902. It was his only tour of duty with the D'Oyly Carte organization.

Hart later conducted a single matinee performance of the musical comedy The Maid and the Minstrel at London's Lyric Theatre in 1904.

Hart eventually immigrated to Australia where he became director of the Conservatorium of Music, Melbourne. He composed several operas:Malvolio (based on Shakespeare's Twelfth Night), The Land of Heart's Desire, Riders to the Sea, Deidre of the Sorrows, The Fantasticks, The Traveling Man, and Ruth (a biblical opera). He also composed a fantasy-overture (From the West Country), three ballads for chorus and orchestra, and many songs and piano pieces.

At the time of his death in 1949 he was director of the Honolulu Symphony.

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