ROSENTHAL, HAROLD

ROSENTHAL, HAROLD (David; 1917–1987), English writer, music editor, critic, and historian. Born in London, Rosenthal began to teach after finishing his army service. While still a university student, he had written articles as an opera enthusiast and took the opportunity offered him of collaborating with the Earl of Harewood on the magazine Ballet and Opera (1948–49). With Lord Harewood, he launched the magazine Opera in 1950; he was the editor from 1953 to 1986 and under his guidance the journal became the most influential publication in the operatic world. Rosenthal was also an archivist at the Royal Opera House, London (1950–56), historian (Two Centuries of Opera at Covent Garden, 1958), lecturer, broadcaster, and the author of books such as: Sopranos of Today (1956), A Concise Oxford History of Opera (with John Warrack, 1964), Great Singers of Today (1956), Covent Garden: A Short History (1967), and The Mapleson Memoirs (annotated ed., 1966). He edited The Opera Bedside Book (London, 1965). -BIBLIOGRAPHY: Grove Music Online. (Max Loppert / Israela Stein (2nd ed.)