R. A. (Richard Alexander) Streatfeild

Born in 1866, he built his career at the British Museum and became known as an English musicologist and critic. Alongside his museum work, he wrote extensively on opera, Handel, modern music, and the lives of major composers, earning a reputation for explaining serious music in a way ordinary readers could follow.

He also had an important literary connection: he was a friend of Samuel Butler and arranged for the posthumous publication of Butler’s The Way of All Flesh. That role, together with his music writing, shows the range of his interests across both literature and music.

He died in 1919, but his books remained useful introductions for readers who wanted a broad, readable path into classical music and opera.