These intimate memoirs of one of the greatest composers of classical music, Ethel Smyth, are first-hand accounts of the remarkable woman’s life in music and in the suffragette movement. Ethel Smyth (1858–1944) was an English composer and the first woman in her field to be granted a damehood. First published in 1919, this autobiography highlights her wit and humour, while giving personal and reflective insights into her childhood and working life. Detailing her career journey, exploring her relationships with some of history’s biggest names, and disclosing information regarding her activism for women’s suffrage, Ethel Smyth’s memoirs are a fascinating and insightful read. This volume is divided into three parts: - The Smyth Family Robinson - Germany and Two Winters in Italy - In the Desert
IMPRESSIONS THAT REMAINED emoirs By ETHEL SMYTH Introduction by ERNEST NEWMAN NEW YORK ALFKED A. EDSTOPF 1 946 FIRST PUBLISHED 1919 by Longmans, Green Co., Ltd RESET AND REPRINTED September 1946 INTRODUCTION COPYRIGHT 1946 by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages or reproduce not more than three illustrations in a review to be printed in a magazine or newspaper. Manufactured in the United States of America. Published simul taneously in Canada by The Ryerson Press. This is a Borzoi Book, published by Alfred A, Knopf, Inc. The Author, agd afam jfk e IN MEMORY OF M E P THE HON. LADY PONSONBY AND OF OUR LONG FRIENDSHIP 1890 1916 1 find Lady Ponsonby, the wise judge the firm Liberal, more and more de lightful at last one feels she is getting old she is eighty-two. She is like a fine flame kindled by sea-logs and sandlewood good to watch and good to warm the mind at, and the heart too. EDITH SICHELL 1914 INTRODUCTION Ethel Smyths Impressions That Remained when it was first published in England I expressed the opinion that this was one of the half-dozen best autobiographies in the English language. This estimate has been confirmed by a recent re-reading of it for the present American edition. But there are several other books by the same author equally worth reading, for Ethel Smyth was one of the most remarkable women of her epoch and I am glad that a request from Mr. Alfred Knopf to furnish an Introduction to this new edition affords me an opportunity of telling the American musi cal public more about her than is contained in her firstbook. The autobiography may be trusted to tell its own story so far as it goes. But it was issued in 1919, and a great deal happened be tween then and the authors death in 1944. The memoirs, apart from a brief reference in the Epilogue to friends or incidents of the years immediately following, carry us only as far as 1892. Writing as she did in 1918 her scope was necessarily restricted here and there by the fact that several people who had played a considerable part in her life-story were still alive. One of these was the Ex-Empress Eug6-nie of France, with whom she was on terms of close friendship for more than a quarter of a century from 1890 onwards, the Empresss English estate at Farnborough Hill being close to the Smyth house at Frimley and to later residences of Ethel. It would obviously have been impossible for the author to write about the Empress at any length or with any freedom while she was still alive. She died, at the age of ninety-five in July 1920 a year or so after the publication of the Impressions and in her second book, Streaks of Life 1921, Ethel Smyth painted a portrait of her that is not only fascinating in itself but of value to students and historians of the Second Empire. The passing of the Empress from the scene also placed the author Introduction at liberty to indulge in some amusing reminiscences of the old Queen Victoria, with whom she had come into contact through Eug6nie they include the rich story, told with rich humour, of the dreadful breach of etiquette of which Ethel was innocently guilty at an after-dinner reception at Balmoral. At one end of the large room was a fireplace, and in front of this a hearthrug on which, in remote dignity, the Queen wasstanding with the Empress. Lead ing up to the two august ladies, says Ethel, was an avenue composed of royal personages ranged, as I afterwards found out, in order of precedence, the highest in rank being closest to the hearthrug which avenue, broadening towards its base, gradually became mere ladies and gentlemen of the Court, and finally petered out in a group of Maids of Honour huddled ingloriously in the bay-window...
Yet I have often been forced into the reflection that even the acquaintances who are as forgetful of my biography and tenets as they would be if I were a dead philosopher are probably aware of certain points in me which may not be included in my most active suspicion.
Henry James criticized the impressionism which was revolutionizing French painting and French fiction, and satirized the British aesthetic movement, which championed impressionist criticism. Yet time and again he used the word 'impression' to represent the most intense moments of consciousness of his characters, as well as the work of the literary artist. Henry James and the Art of Impressions argues that the literary art of the impression, as James practised it, places his work within the wider cultural history of impressionism. Henry James and the Art of Impressions offers an unprecedentedly detailed cultural and intellectual history of the impression. It draws on philosophy, psychology, literature, critical theory, intellectual influences and aesthetics to study James's early art criticism, literary criticism, travel writing, prefaces, and the three great novels of his major phase, The Ambassadors, The Wings of the Dove, and The Golden Bowl. It argues that the coherent philosophical meanings of the Jamesian impression emerge when they are comprehended as a family of related ideas about perception, imagination, and aesthetics - bound together by James's attempt to reconcile the novel's value as a mimetic form and its value as a transformative creative activity. Henry James and the Art of Impressions traces the development of the impression across a range of disciplines to show how James's use of the word owes them cultural and intellectual debt. It offers a more philosophical account of James to complement the more historicist work of recent decades.
The study of the yehud stamp impressions, which appear on the handles or bodies of store jars, has persisted for over a century, beginning with the discovery of the first of these impressions at Gezer in 1904. Nevertheless, until the pioneering work of Stern in 1973, who cataloged, classified, and discussed the stamp impressions known up to 1970, discovery and publication of new stamp impressions were scattered, and analysis was cursory at best. Furthermore, a gap in research has persisted since then. Now, Oded Lipschits and David Vanderhooft are pleased to present a comprehensive catalog (through the winter of 2008–9) of published and unpublished yehud stamp impressions, with digital photographs and complete archaeological and publication data for each impression. This long-overdue resource provides a secure foundation for general reflection on the whole corpus and illuminates more-narrow fields such as stratigraphy, paleography, administration, historical geography, and Persian-period economic developments within Yehud. The catalog clarifies what is nebulous apart from a complete corpus, matters such as distribution, petrographic analysis of the clay, new readings of the seal legends, use of the toponym yehud, and significance of the title phwa. The scope of this catalog renders it a worthwhile tool for all future study of these invaluable artifacts and the period of history that produced them.
Whilst much recent scholarly work has sought to place early modern British and Irish history within a broader continental context, most of this has focused on western or northern Europe. In order to redress the balance, this new study by David Worthington explores the connections linking writers and expatriates from the later Tudor and Stuart kingdoms with the two major dynastic conglomerates east of the Rhine, the Austrian Habsburg lands and Poland-Lithuania. Drawing on a variety of sources, including journals, diaries, letters and travel accounts, the book not only shows the high level of scholarly interest evidenced within contemporary English language works about the region, but how many more British and Irish people ventured there than is generally recognised. As well as the soldiers, merchants and diplomats one might expect, we discover more unexpected and colourful characters, including a polymath Irish moral theologian in Vienna, an orphaned English poetess in Prague, a Welsh humanist in Cracow, and a Scottish physician and botanist at the Vasa court in Warsaw. This examination of the diverse range of Irish, Scottish, Welsh and English religious, intellectual, political, military and commercial contacts with central Europe provides not only a more balanced view of British and Irish history, but also continues the process of reintegrating the histories of the European regions. Furthermore, by extending the focus of research beyond widely studied areas, towards other more illuminating, international aspects, the book challenges scholars to analyse these networks within less parochial, and more transnational settings.
In his book 'South America: Observations and Impressions', Viscount Bryce provides a comprehensive and insightful account of his travels through South America. Through his meticulous observations and detailed impressions, Bryce explores the diverse cultures, landscapes, and histories of the various countries in South America. His literary style is characterized by vivid descriptions, engaging narratives, and a keen eye for detail, making the book both informative and captivating for readers interested in the region. Written in the late 19th century, the book offers a valuable historical perspective on South America, shedding light on a time of rapid change and exploration in the continent. Viscount Bryce's firsthand experiences and keen observations contribute to a rich tapestry of knowledge and understanding of South America. His background as a prominent British statesman and historian provides valuable insights into the political and social contexts of the region. I highly recommend 'South America: Observations and Impressions' to anyone interested in a captivating and informative exploration of the diverse landscapes and cultures of South America.
Selections from Romaine Brooks’s unpublished memoir No Pleasant Memories expose the psyche and practice of this underrecognized queer, female artist. Most known for her bold and darkly painted portraits, Brooks was revolutionary in her feminist renderings of women in resistance. Openly queer, she challenged conceptions of gender and sexuality in her art, which also served as her refuge. While many of her male counterparts were disfiguring and cubing their subjects—often women—Brooks gave personhood and power to the figures she painted. Her frank approach to her complicated relationship with her mother, faith, wealth, sexuality, and gender is complemented by a keen wit that echoes the gray tones of her work. Though her paintings are held in major collections, Brooks’s influence in modernist circles of the early twentieth century is largely underexplored. This new publication, guided by Brooks’s own impressionistic musings, bridges an important gap between the art and the artist. An introduction by Lauren O’Neill-Butler explores Brooks’s role as an artist in the early twentieth century through the lens of gender and sexuality.
