The book describes the careers and the music of four generations of Irish musicians in 19th and early 20th-century France. It is a fascinating story of hopes and disappointments, successes and failures, musical talent and tastes, as this family integrated more and more into French society.
Joseph Kelly (1804-1854), a Dublin-born piano teacher, emigrated to Boulogne-sur-Mer, where his five sons were born, three of whom became musicians. They lived in Paris since c.1835 but close links to Boulogne remained.
Joseph O'Kelly (1828-1885) became the best-known member of the family. He is the author of nine operas, four cantatas and numerous songs and piano pieces, with some excellent music to be rediscovered.
Auguste O'Kelly (1829-1900) was a music publisher in Paris between 1872 and 1888.
George O'Kelly (1831-1914) was a pianist, composer and teacher in Boulogne and Paris.
Henri O'Kelly sr. (1859-1938) was a pianist, organist, conductor and composer in Paris for many years.
Gustave O'Kelly (1872-1937) was a piano maker in Paris between 1898 and 1917.
Henri O'Kelly jr. (1881-1922) was a double bass player and composer in Paris.
The book collects documentary evidence about all members of the family with numerous music examples and other illustrations. It is not only a study of the prototype minor composer in one of Europe's musical capitals, but also discusses issues of identity, change, aesthetics and Irishness in exile. It is a contribution to both French and Irish musical history.
Axel Klein studied at Hildesheim and Dublin (TCD), graduated in 1990 and received a Dr. phil. at Hildesheim in 1995. He is the author of 'Die Musik Irlands im 20. Jahrhundert' (Hildesheim, 1996) and 'Irish Classical Recordings. A Discography of Irish Art Music' (Westport, CT, 2001). He also co-edited 'Irish Music in the Twentieth Century' (= Irish Musical Studies vol. 7; Dublin, 2003) and 'The Life and Music of Brian Boydell' (Dublin, 2004). He has been the subject advisor on Ireland for the German encyclopedia 'Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart' (MGG), 1996-2008, and an Advisory Editor for the 'Encyclopaedia of Music in Ireland' (Dublin, 2013). For further publications and other information see www.axelklein.de.
Musicologists working in Paris archives always raise their eyebrows when stumbling across the exotic name O'Kelly, as inevitably they do. Here Axel Klein gets the family story properly told. (...)
Les O'Kelly, une dynastie musicale française venue d'Irlande
Gazette musicale
November 2014
Malgré d'importants témoins d'archives, dont de nombreuses partitions conservées à la Bibliothèque nationale de France, les musiciens et compositeurs, sur quatre générations, de la famille O'Kelly ne sont pas entrés sinon dans l'histoire de la musique, du moins dans les notices lexicales de nos dictionnaires. Ils ont maintenant, grâce à Axel Klein, chercheur allemand spécialiste de la vie musicale irlandaise, un beau monument d'environ cinq cents pages. (...)
All by myself
Musicology NowSeptember 2014
Musicologists working in Paris archives always raise their eyebrows when stumbling across the exotic name O'Kelly, as inevitably they do. Here Axel Klein gets the family story properly told. (...)
Les O'Kelly, une dynastie musicale française venue d'Irlande
Gazette musicaleNovember 2014
Malgré d'importants témoins d'archives, dont de nombreuses partitions conservées à la Bibliothèque nationale de France, les musiciens et compositeurs, sur quatre générations, de la famille O'Kelly ne sont pas entrés sinon dans l'histoire de la musique, du moins dans les notices lexicales de nos dictionnaires. Ils ont maintenant, grâce à Axel Klein, chercheur allemand spécialiste de la vie musicale irlandaise, un beau monument d'environ cinq cents pages. (...)