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Mogu And The Unicorn: Frederick May's Music For The Gate Theatre, Mark Fitzgerald

Books/Book Chapters

This chapter addresses the contributions that Frederick May (1911-85) made to the Gate's productions of Padraic Colum's Mogu of the Desert (1931) and Denis Johnston's A Bride for the Unicorn (1933). As a young gay Irishman, May had to navigate a cultural infrastructure in which opportunities for composers were scarce, but at the Gate he was given the chance to develop his talents in a new field, as well as to experiment with musical forms in a high-profile setting.