Thurston Dart facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Thurston Dart
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Dart (1961)
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| Born | 3 September 1921 |
| Died | 6 March 1971 (aged 49) The London Clinic
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| Occupation | Musicologist, Professor |
Robert Thurston Dart (born September 3, 1921 – died March 6, 1971), often called Bob, was a talented English music expert, conductor, and keyboard player. He was one of Britain's most important musicologists after World War II. From 1964 until he passed away, he was a professor of music at the University of London, working at King's College London.
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Early Life and Education
Dart was born on September 3, 1921, in Surbiton, England. His father was Henry Thurston Dart, and his mother was Elisabeth Martha. As a child, he sang in the choir at Hampton Court Palace.
He began studying keyboard instruments at the Royal College of Music in London from 1938 to 1939. After that, he studied mathematics at University College, Exeter, earning his degree in 1942.
Serving in the RAF
During World War II, from 1942 to 1945, Dart worked for the RAF. He was a Junior Scientific Officer and later a researcher. In November 1944, he was hurt in a plane crash in Calais. While recovering, he met Neville Marriner, who would become a famous conductor.
After the war, Dart studied music with a Belgian music expert named Charles Van den Borren for a year. In 1946, he returned to England to work as a research assistant at Cambridge University.
Musical Career and Influence
In 1947, Dart became an assistant lecturer in music at the University of Cambridge. He later became a lecturer in 1952 and a professor in 1962. During his time at Cambridge, he strongly supported the modern movement to bring back "early music". This means playing music from older times (like the Renaissance and Baroque periods) using instruments and styles from those periods. His work influenced many groups, such as the Early Music Consort of London.
In 1964, he became the King Edward Professor of Music at the University of London, based at King's College London.
A Talented Musician and Writer
As a continuo player, Dart often played the harpsichord. He made many recordings on the harpsichord, clavichord, and organ, especially for the L'Oiseau-Lyre company. He was also a conductor.
He was the editor of the Galpin Society Journal from 1947 to 1954. He also served as secretary of Musica Britannica, a project that publishes important British music, from 1950 to 1965. His book, The Interpretation of Music (published in London in 1954), was very important and is still read today. He also wrote many articles about music sources, how music was performed in the past, and how to understand it.
In the 1950s, Dart took part in yearly concerts with three other harpsichord players: George Malcolm, Denis Vaughan, and Eileen Joyce. In 1957, this group recorded Bach's Concerto for Four Harpsichords. They also recorded Malcolm's Variations on a Theme of Mozart.
Inspiring Future Musicians
Many of Dart's students became famous musicians themselves. These include the composer Michael Nyman, harpsichordist Davitt Moroney, conductor Sir John Eliot Gardiner, and conductor/musicologist Christopher Hogwood.
Dart made one of the first recordings of the Brandenburg Concertos that tried to play them exactly as they would have sounded when they were first written. He worked with the Philomusica of London on this project. Later, he worked with Neville Marriner on another recording of the Brandenburg Concerti and the four Orchestral Suites. Sadly, Dart passed away from stomach cancer on March 6, 1971, before this project was finished.
Legacy
To honor his contributions, the Thurston Dart Professorship of Music was created at King's College London in 1996 or 1997.
