Martin Cooper (musicologist) facts for kids

Martin du Pré Cooper (born January 17, 1910 – died March 15, 1986) was an important English expert in music. He was a musicologist, which means he studied music history and theory. He was also a well-known music critic and author.

Early Life and Education

Martin Cooper was born in Winchester, England. He went to Hertford College at Oxford University for his studies. After that, he traveled to Vienna to learn more about music from a teacher named Egon Wellesz.

Cooper was very good at languages. He could speak about six different languages! He used this skill to teach modern languages at Stowe College and Winchester College.

A Career in Music Criticism

While teaching, Martin Cooper also started a career as a music critic. A music critic writes reviews and opinions about music performances and new compositions. He wrote for several newspapers and magazines.

He first wrote for the London Mercury from 1935 to 1939. After World War II, he wrote for the Daily Herald (1946–1950) and The Spectator (1947–1954).

In 1950, Cooper joined The Daily Telegraph, a major newspaper. He worked as an assistant to Richard Capell, who was the chief music critic. Four years later, when Capell passed away, Martin Cooper took over his role as the chief music critic. He held this important position until he retired in 1976. He also served as the editor of The Musical Times, a respected music magazine, from 1953 to 1956.

His Views on Music

Martin Cooper is especially famous for his book called French Music, which was first published in 1951. This book helped many people understand and appreciate French composers.

He was a big fan of the composer Gluck. He also strongly supported composers like Meyerbeer, Gounod, and Massenet, who were sometimes misunderstood by others. Cooper helped people see the value in their music.

However, he was not as fond of what he called the "romantic excesses" of composers like Mahler, Strauss, and Elgar. This meant he felt their music sometimes had too much emotion or drama for his taste.

Cooper's interests were very broad. He didn't just focus on English or French music. He also studied German and Russian music. He had a wide view of philosophy, literature, and history, which made his music criticism very rich and interesting.

Family and Later Years

In 1940, Martin Cooper married an artist named Mary Stewart. They had four children together. Two of their children also became well-known: Dominic Cooper became a novelist, and Imogen Cooper became a famous pianist.

In 1972, Martin Cooper received a special honor called the CBE. This stands for Commander of the Order of the British Empire, which is a recognition from the British monarch for important contributions.

After he retired, Cooper spent a lot of his time translating books. He translated the collected essays of Pierre Boulez, a famous composer, and a new version of Tchaikovsky's opera Queen of Spades.

Martin Cooper passed away in Richmond upon Thames on March 15, 1986.

Books by Martin Cooper

Here are some of the books Martin Cooper wrote or edited:

• Gluck (1935)
• Georges Bizet (1938)
• Opéra comique (1949)
• Profils de musiciens anglais (1950)
• French Music from the Death of Berlioz to the Death of Fauré (1951)
• Russian Opera (1951)
• Ideas and Music (1966)
• Beethoven: the Last Decade, 1817–1827 (1970, revised 1985)
• ed.: The New Oxford History, Vol 10: The Modern Age, 1890–1960 (1974)
• (as translator): Orientations: Collected Writings of Pierre Boulez (1986)
• Judgements of Value (1988) (selected writings, edited by Dominic Cooper)