[Carolan, Turlough] O’Sullivan, Donal [and Arthyur O’Neill].

CAROLAN – The Life, Times and Music of an Irish Harper. In Two Volumes. Volume I: The Life and Times and The Music / Volume II: The Notes to the Tunes and The Memoirs of Arthur O’Neill.

First Edition. Two Volumes (Complete Set). London, Routledge and Kegan Paul Limited, 1958. Quarto (18.7 cm wide x 24.7 cm high). Volume I: Frontispiece-Portrait of Carolan, XV, 285 pages plus the often missing Fold-Out-Map of Ireland bound to the rear / Volume II: Frontispiece-Illustration of Carolan entertaining a small crowd (From the Painting by J.C.Timbrell in 1844), XIII, 200 pages. Volume Two also includes a Portrait of Carolan’s Biographer, Belfast Harpist Arthur O’Neill (this Portrait is cleanly detached and loosely inserted). Original Softcover. Very good condition with only minor signs of wear. Portrait of Arthur O’Neill cleanly detached but loosely inserted.

Turlough O’Carolana (Irish: Toirdhealbhach Ó Cearbhalláin (1670 – 25 March 1738) was a blind Celtic harper, composer and singer in Ireland whose great fame is due to his gift for melodic composition.

Although not a composer in the classical sense, Carolan is considered by some to be Ireland’s national composer. Harpers in the old Irish tradition were still living as late as 1792, and ten, including Arthur O’Neill, Patrick Quin and Donnchadh Ó hÁmsaigh, attended the Belfast Harp Festival. Ó hÁmsaigh played some of Carolan’s music, but disliked it for being too modern. Some of Carolan’s own compositions show influences of the style of continental classical music, whereas others such as Farewell to Music reflect a much older style of “Gaelic Harping”. (Wikipedia)

Arthur O’Neill (1726 or 1734 – October 1816) was an Irish harper, a virtuoso player of the Irish harp or cláirseach: he was active during the final decades of its unbroken instrumental tradition in the later 18th and very early 19th century. He was closely associated with Edward Bunting, and the Belfast Harp Society’s ultimately unsuccessful attempt to preserve the instrument, attending the Belfast Harper’s Assembly and serving as the Society’s harp tutor until 1813. He is best known for his lively and humorous memoir, collected by Bunting, which contained many reminiscences of famous harpers (such as Carolan) and of the environment in which they played. (Wikipedia)

• Keywords: Catalogue Eleven – Music · Catalogue Irish History – Art and Architecture · Catalogue Irish History Three – From Famine to Free State · Catalogue Irish History Two – Origins of Irish Identity · Harp · Harps · Irish Ballads · Irish Harp · Irish History – Rare · Irish History in the 17th century · Irish History in the 18th century · Irish History of Music · Irish Music · Music · Music – Rare
• Language: English
• Inventory Number: 32324AB

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