Frederick Corder studied at the Royal Academy of Music for a year-and-a-half, where his talent for composition earned him the Mendelsohn Scholarship and four years of study at Cologne. Upon his return to England he became conductor at the Brighton Aquarium.
Corder later became professor of composition at the Royal Academy of Music, becoming the Academy's curator in 1889.His compositions included a romantic opera Nordisa (produced by the Carl Rosa Company in 1887), two dramatic cantatas (The Bride of Triermain, Wolverhampton Festival, 1886, and The Sword of Argantyr, Leeds Festival, 1889), and other orchestral pieces were performed at the Crystal Palace, Philharmonic concerts, and elsewhere.
His writings included the books "The Orchestra and how to write for it" (1895) and "Modern Composition" (1909)
Several works by Corder were published but the large majority of his autograph scores have not survived. Following the death of his son Paul Corder in 1942, Frederick's daughter Dolly destroyed those of her father's and brother's music manuscripts that were in her possession.
Nordisa - 1886
Corder's grand opera in three acts with a libretto by Corder himself. A romance, the work was commissioned by Carl Rosa for his own touring Carl Rosa Opera Company and was first performed at the Royal Court Theatre in Liverpool on 26 January 1887. It was one of a number of new works commissioned by Carl Rosa from several promising British composers. It was taken to Drury Lane for its London premiere on 4 May 1887, before being toured to Scotland. After Rosa's death it was dropped from the repertoire, and has never been revived.
It seems to have been something of a hybrid in style. It is certainly not a grand opera, since it contains spoken dialogue. The climax of the second act is a spectacular scene including an avalanche - a device not even the scenic designers of the Paris Opéra attempted to depict.
In fact it was at this moment when stage carpenter Robert Crowther died in 1887 as a result of an accident during a performance at the Tyne Theatre, Newcastle. A cannonball used for to provide the sound of the avalanche fell on his head. It is said his ghost haunts the theatre since.
The overture to Nordisa is short but it provides an insight into Corder's orchestral writing. It begins slowly and sparsley with the violins alone swapping notes.
The ending brings back the main theme and after a development section we hear a completely new melody announced by the strings and then taken up by the brass triumphantly.
