“Mr Hawes is Mr Hawes” Opera and Music Publishing in Early Nineteenth-Century London

Abstract

While it would be unfair to describe William Hawes (1785–1846) as a Jack of all trades and master of none, his involvement in a multiplicity of musical activities in early nineteenth-century London was partly responsible for his having remained a shadowy figure, largely forgotten by posterity. Whether as choirmaster, composer, conductor, musical “fixer,” publisher, organist, singer, or teacher, there were few areas of music in the capital that remained untouched by his influence. This essay, which draws on previously unexplored manuscript and printed sources, focuses on two of these interlinked activities: his involvement (from 1818 onwards) in music publishing, initially as a partner in the Regent’s Harmonic Institution (RHI) and subsequently on his own account, and his work as Musical Director of the English Opera House (EOH, 1824–1834?).