G. Estabrook

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G._Estabrook

G. Estabrook is the pen name used by composer and singer Caroline Augusta "Gussie" Clowry (b. October 23, 1845; d. April 18, 1897), whose opera The Joust was the first opera by an American woman to be published. With musical talent from an early age, "Gussie" had many songs published throughout her life, one of which "reached the extraordinary sale of over one million copies." Biography

Born on October 23, 1845 in Geneva, Wisconsin, she was the only daughter of General Experience Estabrook and Caroline Augusta Maxwell. She had one brother, Henry Dodge, who was nine years younger. In January 1855, General Experience Estabrook moved with his family to Omaha, Nebraska after being appointed United States Attorney by President Franklin Pierce. In 1860, at the age of 15, she met Colonel Robert Charles Clowry (b. Sept. 8, 1838; d. Feb. 26, 1925) of Chicago, the superintendent of the Missouri and Western Union Telegraph Company. They were wed five years later, on August 29, 1865 in Omaha, Nebraska. By 1879, the couple had moved to St. Louis before settling in Chicago. In 1882, the first production of "The Joust" was performed in her home town of Omaha, with her mother and brother both performing major roles. In 1885, the Chicago Music Company published the complete opera, making it the first opera by an American woman to be published. The opera, however, was written 5 years earlier when "Gussie" held a local contest for a story she could base an opera upon. Her younger brother, Henry, submitted the story of The Joust and won. For the 1882 production, Henry reworked the plot and largely changed the libretto. The work is, therefore, a joint effort between the two siblings.

By 1896, her health was fading, and so she spent a summer abroad in Europe with her mother and friends in the hopes that her health would recover.[12] Unfortunately, it did not and she died in Lincoln, Nebraska from apoplectic paralysis on April 18, 1897. She was survived by her husband, brother, and both parents.

Source: “The Joust” was the first opera by an American woman to be published, yet little is known about the composer who wrote under the pen name “G. Estabrook.” Taken mostly from historical newspaper articles and census records, this is a brief summary of the life of this almost-forgotten woman composer.

Caroline Augusta “Gussie” Estabrook(b. Oct. 23, 1845; d. April 18, 1897) was a composer and singer from the midwest. Her operaThe Joustwas first published in its entirety by the Chicago Music Company in 1885,making it the first opera by an American woman to be published. Life

“Gussie” Estabrook was the daughter of General Experience Estabrook and Caroline Augusta Maxwell. Born on October 23, 1845 in Genoa, Wisconsin, [2] she was the eldest of two children, with one brother nine years her junior named Henry. [3] By 1860, she and her family had settled in Omaha, Nebraska. It was there where, at the age of 15, Gussie met Colonel Robert Charles Clowry (b. Sept. 8, 1838; d. Feb. 26, 1925) ,[4] the superintendent of the Missouri and Western Telegraph Company who had installed the first telegraph line from the Mississippi river to Omaha. Five years later in 1865, Col. Clowry and Gussie Estabrook were married. [5] In the late 1870′s the couple moved to St. Louis and eventually settled in Chicago in 1879. [6] By 1896 her health began to fade, and so she spent a summer abroad with her mother and friends in the hopes of recovering her health. [7] Unfortunately, her health never improved and she died of apoplectic paralysis in Lincoln, Nebraska on April 18, 1897. [8] She was 51 years old. Musical Career

Gussie showed musical talent early in life, reportedly giving her first public performance on the guitar with great local success just two weeks after her first music lesson. She had two instrumental pieces published before her 20th birthday, and she continued to publish songs throughout her life. One of the most famous of these songs is “Nobody’s Child” which was transcribed for several instruments. [9]According to her obituary in the

Philadelphia Inquirer, sales of one her compositions reached over a million copies.[8]

In 1877, she composed her opera

The Joustafter holding a competition for the best story on which she could write an opera. Her brother Henry, then in high school, submitted the story ofThe Joustand won. The opera was first produced in Omaha in 1882 with Gussie’s mother and brother both performing major roles. Henry had changed the original story and significantly changed the libretto for the production, and therefore, the final opera is a joint effort between the two siblings.[9]The opera was published in its entirety by the Chicago Music Company in 1885.[1] Further Information

Today, two libraries own a copy of

The Joust:[10]the Newberry Library in Chicago and the Eastman School of Music. Selections from the opera can be viewed online at the Library of Congress’American Memorywebsite. http://lydiawelhan.wordpress.com/article/g-estabrook-2f4mjtkbzif77-1/

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