William H. Oakes
Encyclopedia
W. H. Oakes was a music publisher in 19th-century Boston
, Massachusetts
. He published compositions by Daniel Auber
, Henry Russell
and others.
In 1840 Oakes and Samuel Swan formed a publishing company, Oakes & Swan. The short-lived firm published musical works such as The Lament of the Irish Emigrant by William R. Dempster, and The Land of the Blest by J.P. Knight. Swan left the partnership by January, 1841.
For several years Oakes maintained an office on Tremont Street
. Oakes served in 1841 as a trustee of the Music Institute. In 1844, the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association
selected three examples of Oakes' music engravings to exhibit at Quincy Hall.
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. He published compositions by Daniel Auber
Daniel Auber
Daniel François Esprit Auber was a French composer.-Biography:The son of a Paris print-seller, Auber was born in Caen in Normandy. Though his father expected him to continue in the print-selling business, he also allowed his son to learn how to play several musical instruments...
, Henry Russell
Henry Russell (musician)
Henry Russell was an English pianist, baritone singer and composer, born into a distinguished Jewish family.-Biography:...
and others.
History
Although details of his life remain scarce, ample evidence exists to show that William Oakes engraved and published many works of music throughout the 1840s. He usually employed outside printers, and distributed his publications through other vendors. Oakes seems to have borne responsibility for selecting the musical work, securing copyright permissions, hiring artists to create cover images, and arranging other logistics. Oakes himself engraved the musical notations.In 1840 Oakes and Samuel Swan formed a publishing company, Oakes & Swan. The short-lived firm published musical works such as The Lament of the Irish Emigrant by William R. Dempster, and The Land of the Blest by J.P. Knight. Swan left the partnership by January, 1841.
For several years Oakes maintained an office on Tremont Street
Tremont Street
Tremont Street is a major thoroughfare in Boston, Massachusetts.-Etymology:The name is a variation of one of the original appellations of the city, "Trimountaine," a reference to a hill that formerly had three peaks. Beacon Hill, with its single peak, is all that remains of the Trimountain...
. Oakes served in 1841 as a trustee of the Music Institute. In 1844, the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association
Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association
The Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association of Boston, Massachusetts, was "formed for the sole purposes of promoting the mechanic arts and extending the practice of benevolence." Founding members included Paul Revere, Benjamin Russell, and others...
selected three examples of Oakes' music engravings to exhibit at Quincy Hall.
Selected publications
- L. Schumann, composer. The Flora Waltzes. 1843.
- James G. Maeder, composer. Teddy O'Neale. 1843.
- Francis H. Brown, composer. Soldier's Dream Polka. 1849.
- Francis H. Brown, composer. Song My Mother Sings. 1849.
Further reading
- Catalogue of vocal and instrumental music, for sale by William H. Oakes, music engraver & publisher, no. 13 Tremont Row, Boston. Boston: Samuel N. Dickinson, printer, 52 Washington Street, 1840.
External links
- http://www.worldcat.org/wcidentities/lccn-nr00-9175
- http://www.lib.unc.edu/music/eam/search.html?linked=true&ID=1927 Henry Russell's Old Arm Chair, 1840.
- http://contentdm.baylor.edu/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/01amp&CISOPTR=6692&REC=11 William Dempster's Lament of the Irish emigrant, 1840.
- http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/h?ammem/mussm:@field(NUMBER+@band(sm1841+020930)) Davis' quick step, 1841.
- http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.natlib.ihas.100009906/default.html E.L. White's Oh! that I had wings, 1843.
- http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/h?ammem/mussm:@field(NUMBER+@band(sm1845+041570)) Edward L. White's The Aeolian, 1845.
- http://www.americanantiquarian.org/Exhibitions/Food/plough.htm H.K. Sweetland's The Ploughboy, A Rural Song, 1848.
- http://www.brown.edu/Facilities/University_Library/exhibits/SMC/fleurs.html Cover of Fleurs d'ete, 1849.
- http://www.concordlibrary.org/scollect/Fin_Aids/Thoreau_fam_coll.htm Friedrich Muller's Tyrolese Melodies, in papers of S.E. Thoreau.