Raymond Rôze

Raymond Rôze (14 July 1873 – 30 March 1920) was an English composer and conductor. Biography He was born in London and the son of the French soprano Marie Rôze, and the natural son of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh (and therefore the grandson of Queen Victoria). He studied in Brussels with Arthur De Greef before first working in England at the Lyceum Theatre where he was Musical Director. He also established a singing school in London in 1899 and was Musical Director for various theatre companies. His output consisted mainly of incidental music for plays including a number at His Majesty’s Theatre under Sir Herbert Tree, including Trilby in 1895. His music was twice performed in London’s Promenade concerts (in 1901 and 1911). Rôze was Musical Director of the Royal Opera House and his three-act opera Joan of Arc was premiered there on 1 November 1913. A review in The Times was very critical of the opera’s disjointed nature and warned that “a drama with the characters singing and an orchestra to accompany them is not necessarily an opera.” Later in the same month he engaged Frank Bridge to conduct Richard Wagner’s opera Tannhäuser. Joan of Arc received a further performance in Pari