William Michael Rooke facts for kids

William Michael Rooke (born September 29, 1794 – died October 14, 1847) was a talented Irish musician. He was known as a violinist and a composer, meaning he wrote music.

Early Life and Musical Start

William Michael Rooke was born in Dublin, Ireland. His birth name was William Michael O'Rourke. His father was a tradesman in the city.

Young William learned music from a teacher named Philip Cogan, who taught him "counterpoint." This is a way of writing music where different melodies play at the same time and sound good together. He likely taught himself how to play the violin.

In 1813, William decided to become a professional musician. Around this time, he changed his last name from O'Rourke to Rooke. This was a common practice to make names sound more English.

Teaching and First Opera

From 1815 to 1817, William Michael Rooke taught violin to a young student named Michael William Balfe. Balfe later became a very famous composer himself!

Between 1817 and 1823, Rooke worked at the Crow Street Theatre in Dublin. He was the chorus master, which meant he trained the singers for the choir. He was also the deputy leader of the orchestra. During this time, he wrote his first opera, called Amilie, or the Love Test. An opera is a play where most of the words are sung, usually with an orchestra. Even though he wrote it early, this opera wasn't performed until 1837 in London. Later, in 1838, his former student, Michael William Balfe, even sang in a performance of Amilie in Dublin.

Moving to England and Later Works

In 1821, William Michael Rooke moved to England. His musical play, The Pirate, was performed in London in 1822. A musical play is similar to an opera but often has more spoken parts.

Rooke continued his musical career in England. He performed in Birmingham in 1826. In London, he worked as a chorus master at the Drury Lane Theatre starting in 1826. He also led the orchestra for concerts at the Vauxhall Gardens from 1830 to 1833.

He wrote another opera called Henrique in 1839. People liked it, but it was taken off the stage. Rooke also wrote two more operas, Cagliostro and The Valkyrie, but these were never performed during his lifetime. Besides operas, he composed many songs.

William Michael Rooke passed away in Fulham, England, on October 14, 1847. He was buried in Brompton Cemetery.

Selected Musical Works

William Michael Rooke wrote different kinds of music, including operas, musical plays, and songs.

Stage Works

• Amilie, or The Love Test (1818): An opera first performed in London in 1837.
• The Pirate (1822): A musical play performed in London.
• Henrique, or The Love Pilgrim (1839): An opera performed in London.
• Cagliostro: An opera that was written but never performed.
• The Valkyrie: Another opera that was written but never performed.

Other Music

• Instrumental Music: He wrote a "Polonaise" for violin and some music for the piano.
• Songs: He composed many songs for a singer and piano, including:
  • The Moment of Victory (around 1823)
  • Let Us Teach the Heart to Love (around 1825)
  • Under the Tree (around 1840)
  • Fair One, Take This Rose
  • Little Cupid Once Tapped at a Maiden's Heart
  • Hark! the Echo
  • Oh! Never Shall These Lips Impart