Smyth, Dame Ethel

Smyth, Dame Ethel (Mary)

(born April 22, 1858, London, Eng.—died May 9, 1944, Woking, Surrey) British composer. Born into a military family, she studied at the Leipzig Conservatory and was encouraged by Johannes Brahms and Antonín Dvorák. She first gained notice with her sweeping Mass in D (1893). Her best-known work is The Wreckers (1906), the most admired English opera of its time. Her March of the Women (1911) reflected her strong involvement in the woman suffrage movement. Her comic opera The Boatswain's Mate (1916) enjoyed considerable success. Her work is notably eclectic, ranging from conventional to experimental. She wrote a multivolume autobiography, Impressions That Remained (1919–40).