Winton Basil Dean (18 March 1916 – 19 December 2013) was an English musicologist of the 20th century, most famous for his research on the life and works—in particular the operas and oratorios—of George Frideric Handel, as detailed in his book Handel's Dramatic Oratorios and Masques (1959).
After World War II, he became notable as a writer on music, particularly when he published several articles about the compositions of Bizet, starting with La Coupe du roi de Thulé in Music & Letters in 1947. He considerably rewrote his 1948 book on Bizet in 1965 due to new material and music of the composer which had since emerged.[2] From 1965 he wrote articles criticizing the Oeser edition of Carmen, listing many mistakes, describing it as "a musicological disaster of the first magnitude", and continued to point out its errors in reviews of subsequent performances and recordings.[3] In the 1954 Grove he contributed an extended essay on 'criticism', ending with a long list of the necessary qualifications for a critic.[2]
However, Handel became his main focus; and apart from the book already mentioned, he also published Handel and the Opera Seria (Berkeley, 1969), and a more general Essays on Opera (Oxford, 1990, 2/1993). His definitive two-volume work on Handel operas was published in 1987 and 2006, and set new standards in Handel scholarship and did much to help the revival of stagings of Handel's operas.[1]
Dean contributed heavily to a number of musicological publications, including The Musical Times and Opera, as well as to The Listener and record sleeve notes.[2] His writings include studies of French Opera,[4] and also Italian Opera before the dominance of Verdi. His reputation rests principally upon his analyses of Handel's output, and Handel’s Dramatic Oratorios and Masques is widely acknowledged as a seminal work not only in Handel scholarship but also in musicology as a whole, thanks to its detailed discussion of original documents and thorough approach to the topic. He died in Hambledon, Surrey in December 2013 at the age of 97.
Major publications
Dean, Winton (1959), Handel's Dramatic Oratorios and Masques, Oxford University Press
^Dean, Winton. The True 'Carmen'? The Musical Times, Vol. 106, No. 1473 (Nov 1965), p846-855. Reprinted as chapter 28 of Essays on Opera (1990).
^Including chapter II on French Opera in The New Oxford History of Music – The Age of Beethoven 1790-1820, OUP, 1982.
References
Stanley Sadie: "Dean, Winton", Grove Music Online ed L. Macy (Accessed 11 December 2006), grovemusic.com, subscription access.
Winton Dean's obituary
January 07, 2023
winton, dean, winton, basil, dean, march, 1916, december, 2013, english, musicologist, 20th, century, most, famous, research, life, works, particular, operas, oratorios, george, frideric, handel, detailed, book, handel, dramatic, oratorios, masques, 1959, dean. Winton Basil Dean 18 March 1916 19 December 2013 was an English musicologist of the 20th century most famous for his research on the life and works in particular the operas and oratorios of George Frideric Handel as detailed in his book Handel s Dramatic Oratorios and Masques 1959 Dean was born in Birkenhead in March 1916 the son of the film and theatre producer Basil Dean 1 He was educated at Harrow and King s College Cambridge where he took part in stagings of Handel oratorios in the 1930s 1 After World War II he became notable as a writer on music particularly when he published several articles about the compositions of Bizet starting with La Coupe du roi de Thule in Music amp Letters in 1947 He considerably rewrote his 1948 book on Bizet in 1965 due to new material and music of the composer which had since emerged 2 From 1965 he wrote articles criticizing the Oeser edition of Carmen listing many mistakes describing it as a musicological disaster of the first magnitude and continued to point out its errors in reviews of subsequent performances and recordings 3 In the 1954 Grove he contributed an extended essay on criticism ending with a long list of the necessary qualifications for a critic 2 However Handel became his main focus and apart from the book already mentioned he also published Handel and the Opera Seria Berkeley 1969 and a more general Essays on Opera Oxford 1990 2 1993 His definitive two volume work on Handel operas was published in 1987 and 2006 and set new standards in Handel scholarship and did much to help the revival of stagings of Handel s operas 1 Dean contributed heavily to a number of musicological publications including The Musical Times and Opera as well as to The Listener and record sleeve notes 2 His writings include studies of French Opera 4 and also Italian Opera before the dominance of Verdi His reputation rests principally upon his analyses of Handel s output and Handel s Dramatic Oratorios and Masques is widely acknowledged as a seminal work not only in Handel scholarship but also in musicology as a whole thanks to its detailed discussion of original documents and thorough approach to the topic He died in Hambledon Surrey in December 2013 at the age of 97 Major publications EditDean Winton 1959 Handel s Dramatic Oratorios and Masques Oxford University Press Dean Winton 1975 Bizet J M Dent amp Sons ISBN 9780460031639 Dean Winton Knapp J Merrill 1987 Handel s operas 1704 1726 Oxford University Press ISBN 978 0 19 315219 9 Dean Winton 1990 Essays on Opera Oxford University Press ISBN 9780193152656 Dean Winton 2006 Handel s Operas 1726 1741 Boydell Press ISBN 1843832682Notes Edit a b c Sadie Stanley Winton Basil Dean In The New Grove Dictionary of Opera Macmillan London amp New York 1997 a b c Porter Andrew Obituary Winton Dean Opera May 2014 Vol 65 No 5 p578 9 Dean Winton The True Carmen The Musical Times Vol 106 No 1473 Nov 1965 p846 855 Reprinted as chapter 28 of Essays on Opera 1990 Including chapter II on French Opera in The New Oxford History of Music The Age of Beethoven 1790 1820 OUP 1982 References EditStanley Sadie Dean Winton Grove Music Online ed L Macy Accessed 11 December 2006 grovemusic com subscription access Winton Dean s obituary Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Winton Dean amp oldid 1121724612, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
