52-528: The German Reed Entertainments were founded in 1855 and operated by Thomas German Reed (1817–1888) together with his wife, Priscilla German Reed (née Horton) (1818–1895). At a time when the theatre in London was seen as a disreputable place, the German Reed family provided family-friendly entertainments for forty years, showing that respectable theatre could be popular. The entertainments were held at
104-629: A clever, refined, and humorous society entertainer (a great friend and rival of Grossmith's), appeared in his first Gallery entertainment, Our Island Home , soon performing his own sketches, taking over where Parry had left off. He also remained with the German Reeds until 1895 Other German Reed entertainments included Our Quiet Chateau (1868) by Reece with music by Virginia Gabriel; Inquire Within (1868, Parry's last entertainment); Beggar My Neighbour (1870) and Number 204 , by Burnand; Near Relations (1871) by Arthur Sketchley; King Christmas (1871,
156-444: A curtain-raiser for the annual pantomime , had a libretto by T. W. Robertson . Like Court and Cottage , it was favourably reviewed in the press, but did not remain in the theatrical repertoire. In the mid-1860s, Clay and his close friend and fellow musician Arthur Sullivan were frequent guests at the home of John Scott Russell . By about 1865 Clay became engaged to Scott Russell's youngest daughter, Alice May, and Sullivan wooed
208-844: A harp. At first, the entertainments utilized a cast of three; but by the mid-1860s, they had expanded to pieces with a cast of four. Often the pieces' plots involved mistaken identities and disguises. From 1860 to 1868, the German Reeds were assisted by John Orlando Parry , a pianist, mimic, parodist and humorous singer (one of George Grossmith 's inspirations). He created a new type of musical and dramatic monologue that became popular. The earliest entertainments included Holly Lodge and The Enraged Musicians (1855); William Brough's A Month from Home and My Unfinished Opera (1857); The Pyramid by Shirley Brooks (1864); The Peculiar Family by Brough (1865); The Yachting Cruise by F. C. Burnand (1866); Our Quiet Chateau by Robert Reece (1867); and Inquire Within by Burnand (1868). As time went on,
260-562: A long period of Conservative government after the party's election victory in February 1874, Clay resigned from the Treasury. A legacy from his father, who died in September 1873, left him financially independent and able to devote his energies to full-time composition. Green Old Age , a "musical improbability", with a libretto by Robert Reece (1874) to which Clay contributed some of the music,
312-577: A minimal number of characters and performed with either the piano and harmonium or a small ensemble of musicians. They eventually became "Mr. and Mrs. German Reed's Entertainments", presented at the Royal Gallery of Illustration in Regent Street , beginning in 1856, and later at St. George's Hall . At a time when the respectable middle classes regarded the theatre in general as sinful and even dangerous places of naughty humour, alcohol and prostitution,
364-533: A month. A New York production fared still worse. When it was revived in London in 1881 The Times commented that the piece had not appealed to audiences in 1876, "accustomed to a more broadly humorous style of extravaganza" and hoped that by 1881 public taste had become more cultivated under the influence of Gilbert's other comic operas. Nonetheless, the revival ran for only 65 performances. Clay's cantata Lalla Rookh (containing his best-known song, "I'll sing thee songs of Araby" and also "Still this golden lull"),
416-544: A post in HM Treasury , and was for a time private secretary to Benjamin Disraeli , who presented him at a court levee in 1859. Under a later administration Clay undertook confidential missions on behalf of W. E. Gladstone . At the age of 20 Clay experienced what he called the "opening up" of his musical senses: hearing Verdi 's Il trovatore at Covent Garden and Auber 's Les diamants de la couronne at
468-540: A short comic opera with a libretto by W. S. Gilbert , for the small Gallery of Illustration ; it ran well and was repeatedly revived. Clay, a great friend of his fellow composer Arthur Sullivan , introduced the latter to Gilbert, leading to the Gilbert and Sullivan partnership. In addition to Gilbert, Clay's librettists during his 24-year career included B. C. Stephenson , Tom Taylor , T. W. Robertson , Robert Reece and G. R. Sims . The last of his four pieces with Gilbert
520-678: A third cantata, Sardanapalus , commissioned for the Leeds Festival. After conducting the second performance of The Golden Ring in December 1883 he suffered a stroke that paralysed him and cut short his productive life. In 1889 at the age of 51, he was found drowned in his bath at the home of his sisters in Great Marlow . The coroner 's verdict was suicide while of unsound mind. Clay was buried in Brompton cemetery on 29 November 1889. Sullivan wrote
572-715: The Opéra-Comique in Paris, he was enthused by "the strength of vocal declamation in the one work and the delight of musical comedy in the other". In his free time he studied music with Moritz Hauptmann in Leipzig , and composed what his biographer Christopher Knowles calls "songs and light operas for the drawing rooms of high society". With his fellow Treasury clerk B. C. Stephenson as librettist he wrote three one-act operettas for amateurs: The Pirate's Isle (1859), Out of Sight (1860) and The Bold Recruit (1868). The Era commented on
SECTION 10
#1732845471336624-580: The Royalty Theatre , starring Santley, and The Golden Ring starring Marion Hood (1883). The latter was written for the reopening of the Alhambra Theatre , which had been burned to the ground the year before. These shows were both successful and, in Gänzl's view, showed an artistic advance on Clay's earlier work. Clay had been in precarious health during the year, and had been obliged to abandon work on
676-522: The Savoy Operas in the 1880s) joined the German Reeds. Fanny Holland's husband Arthur Law also joined the company and wrote, as well as acted in, many of the entertainments. Some of Law's pieces for the Gallery included Enchantment , A Night Surprise , A Happy Bungalow (1877), Cherry Tree Farm (1881) and Nobody’s Fault (1882), both with music by Hamilton Clarke , All at Sea (1881) and The Head of
728-488: The West End it attracted mixed notices, both for the libretto and the score. The Times ' s later comment that the piece was "probably surpassed by no modern English work of the kind for gaiety and melodious charm" was not generally shared: a recurring theme in reviews was that Clay's music was musicianly and pleasing but not strikingly original or memorable. At its first London production Princess Toto ran for less than
780-480: The topsy-turvey ideas the librettist was to develop in his later collaborations with Sullivan and others. The premiere was enthusiastically received – in a favourable review The Morning Post noted that almost every number was encored – but the piece ran for only 26 performances. The next three, In Possession (1871, for German Reed), Happy Arcadia (1872, with Gilbert), and Oriana (1873, with James Albery ) all had short London runs. Clay contributed some of
832-399: The 1830s and 1840s, Reed tried his hand at producing opera. He married Priscilla Horton , a noted singer, actress and dancer, in 1844. By 1851, he was managing opera productions at various theatres in London and on tour. In 1855, Reed and his wife began to present and perform in "Mr. and Mrs. German Reed's Entertainments", consisting of brief, small-scale, family-friendly comic operas . In
884-511: The 1830s. The Reeds' entertainments consisted, at first, of character sketches and songs by the Reeds. In 1856, the entertainments moved to the more intimate Gallery of Illustration. These eventually became "Mr. and Mrs. German Reeds Entertainments". They called the establishment, euphemistically, the "Gallery of Illustration," rather than a theatre, the actors were "entertainers", and the pieces were called "entertainments" or "illustrations", eschewing
936-573: The German Reeds' role in both Gilbert's and Sullivan's first operatic successes, one wag commented that the Gilbert and Sullivan operas were "cradled among the Reeds." Arthur Cecil joined the German Reeds in No Cards in 1869, remaining for five years. Fanny Holland first performed at the Gallery in 1869 in Ages Ago and appeared in scores of the entertainments continuously until 1895, except for two years at other theatres. In 1870, Richard Corney Grain ,
988-562: The Haymarket Theatre, where he continued to work until 1851 with the exception of a temporary closure in 1843, during which he produced Pacini 's opera Sappho at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane . During these years, he met Priscilla Horton, a successful and popular contralto and actress who had been performing on the stage in London since the age of ten. They married in 1844. By that year he had dropped his first name. In 1851, Reed
1040-460: The Poll (1882), composed by Eaton Faning , which received good reviews. Mrs. German Reed retired in 1879. The deaths of Alfred German Reed and Grain, both in 1895, effectively ended the entertainments, although the name continued to be used by others for some years thereafter. Thomas German Reed Thomas German Reed (27 June 1817 – 21 March 1888), known after 1844 as simply German Reed
1092-408: The Reeds added a dramatic pieces and brief comic operas designed for a small number of characters. Reed experimented with what he called opera di camera - small chamber operas by young composers. The German Reeds were able to attract fine young composers such as Molloy, Frederic Clay , Arthur Sullivan , Charles King Hall . and Alfred Cellier , the best scenic designers for their tiny stage, and
SECTION 20
#17328454713361144-401: The Reeds called their establishment the "Gallery" of Illustration, rather than a "theatre", and their productions "entertainments" or "illustrative gatherings", rather than plays, extravaganzas , or burlesques . The Times characterised the works as "extravaganza of the more refined order." Reed and his wife almost always appeared in these pieces, and on the few occasions when they did not,
1196-523: The Savoy Operas. Ages Ago , for instance, had a gallery of portraits that come to life, an idea re-used in Ruddigore . Mrs. German Reed 's performances inspired Gilbert to create some of his famous contralto roles. German Reed also mounted the first professional production of Arthur Sullivan and F. C. Burnand 's Cox and Box and commissioned a second opera from the pair, The Contrabandista . Given
1248-418: The article about his friend in the early editions of Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians . He said of Clay's music: In the article in the 2001 edition of Grove , Christopher Knowles sums up Clay's music: His melodies are always fresh and graceful; his harmonic treatment, though sometimes strikingly original, owes much to Rossini and Auber . Successful though he was, he never really broke away from
1300-437: The best young writers from Punch and Fun magazines. The dramatist W. S. Gilbert wrote the librettos for six entertainments presented by the German Reeds from 1869 to 1875, some of them with music by Reed himself, including No Cards , Ages Ago , Our Island Home , A Sensation Novel , Happy Arcadia , and Eyes and No Eyes . Several of these pieces had ideas in embryonic form that would later re-appear in
1352-648: The box-office receipts suffered. Reed became the lessee of St. George's Hall in 1867, and there he initially produced and conducted The Contrabandista by Arthur Sullivan and F. C. Burnand , The Beggar's Opera and other English operas in small-scale productions, as well as non-musical plays. Around the same time, at the Gallery of Illustration, he presented works with libretti by, among others, W. S. Gilbert , William Brough , Gilbert à Beckett , Robert Reece and Arthur Law . His composers included Frederic Clay , George Macfarren , Alfred Cellier and Hamilton Clarke as well as Sullivan and Reed himself. He wrote
1404-469: The drawing-room ballad and, lacking Sullivan’s sense of fun and powers of invention, remained largely in his shadow. Although even his most successful stage works were soon eclipsed by those of Gilbert and Sullivan , and his music was widely regarded as musicianly and pleasing but not particularly original or memorable, in Gänzl's view he was "the first significant composer of the modern era of British musical theatre". Numerous, including "She Wandered Down
1456-661: The early and mid-Victorian era, the respectable middle classes regarded the theatre in general as sinful. Therefore, the Reeds shrewdly called their establishment the "Gallery of Illustration" and their productions "entertainments" to emphasize their refined propriety. In addition to comic classics like The Beggar's Opera , the Reeds usually presented new works by English writers such as F. C. Burnand , W. S. Gilbert , William Brough and Gilbert à Beckett . His composers included Frederic Clay , Arthur Sullivan , George Macfarren and Alfred Cellier , as well as himself. Reed retired in 1871 after an injury, and his son Alfred took over
1508-581: The entertainments with his mother. Reed was born in Bristol , the son of Thomas Reed (1795–1871), a musician, and his wife, Frances, née German (1796–1839). He studied music with his father and made his debut at the age of ten as a pianist and singer at the Bath Theatre. The family moved to London where Thomas Reed was appointed conductor at the Haymarket Theatre . The young Reed played, sang and acted at
1560-483: The first appearance by the German Reeds' son, Alfred); Charity Begins at Home (1872), with music by Alfred Cellier and words by B. C. Stephenson ; My Aunt's Secret (1872); Very Catching (1872); Milord's Well (1873); Dora's Dream , with music by Alfred Cellier and words by Arthur Cecil (1873); Once in a Century by Gilbert à Beckett ; In Possession ; Babel and Bijouand ; Back from India by Henry Pottinger Stephens ; Our New Doll’s House by W. Wye. After
1612-442: The intimate Royal Gallery of Illustration , Lower Regent Street, and later at St. George's Hall , Langham Place, in London. Thomas and Priscilla German Reed usually appeared in them, together with a small group of players. They engaged talented newcomers, such as Frederic Clay , W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Law , as well as established writers such as F. C. Burnand , to create many of the entertainments. Thomas German Reed composed
German Reed Entertainments - Misplaced Pages Continue
1664-412: The lease on the Gallery of Illustration ended in 1873, the German Reed entertainments moved to St. George's Hall. After falling from his horse when hunting, Reed had retired in 1871; his son Alfred (1847–1895) took over the entertainments with his mother, continuing with the entertainments after her retirement in 1879, until 1895. Reed died at St. Croix, Upper East Sheen , Surrey at the age of 70. He
1716-449: The middle daughter, Rachel. The Scott Russells welcomed the engagement of Alice and Clay, but it was broken off, for unknown reasons. Alice married another suitor in 1869; Clay remained single all his life. In 1866 Clay's first cantata, The Knights of the Cross was performed in London, conducted by Sullivan. It was politely received, but the composer's "talent and good taste" did not, in
1768-484: The modern era of British musical theatre", but even his most successful stage works were soon eclipsed by those of Gilbert and Sullivan. During his lifetime he was best known for his parlour songs , which were familiar throughout Britain. Clay's music was widely regarded as not particularly original or memorable, but musicianly and pleasing. Clay was born in Paris, the fourth of six children of James Clay (1804–1873) and his wife, Eliza Camilla, née Woolrych. James Clay
1820-440: The music for many of the entertainments himself. This form of entertainment consisted of musical plays "of a refined nature". During the early Victorian era , visiting the theatre was considered distasteful to the respectable public. Shakespeare and classic British plays were presented, but the London stage became dominated by risque farces, burlesques and bad adaptations of French operettas . Jessie Bond wrote, The stage
1872-555: The music for other London shows in these years, including the extravaganzas Ali Baba à la Mode (1872) and Don Giovanni in Venice (1873), the "grand opéra-bouffe féerie" The Black Crook (1872) and the "fantastic music drama" Babil and Bijou, or The Lost Regalia (1872). The last of these, given at Covent Garden was a spectacular production that ran for some eight months and attracted highly favourable notices for Clay and his fellow composer, Jules Rivière. Foreseeing, and not relishing,
1924-464: The opinion of one reviewer, result in "much originality of character". In 1869 came Clay's first substantial theatrical success, the "operatic entertainment" Ages Ago , written for the German Reeds at the Royal Gallery of Illustration , with a libretto by W. S. Gilbert . The piece, described by the historian Kurt Gänzl as "an enormous success", ran for 350 performances during its first run, and
1976-470: The public could safely bring their children, presenting gentle, intelligent, comic musical entertainment. Their example showed that respectable theatre could be popular and encouraged successors such as Gilbert and Sullivan . In 1855, the first performance of "Miss P. Horton's Illustrative Gatherings," took place at St. Martin's Hall , with Thomas playing the piano. Mrs. Reed had been a popular performer of operetta, Shakespeare and other theatre pieces since
2028-445: The retirement of Thomas, in 1871 his son Alfred German Reed (1846-1895), also an actor, carried on the business in partnership with his mother and then with Grain. In 1874 they moved the entertainments to the St. George's Hall , Regent Street , and the German Reeds also took the entertainments on provincial tours. In 1874, Leonora Braham (who created several of the soprano heroine roles in
2080-527: The scores for more than a dozen of the entertainments, and is described by the museum curator Fredric Woodbridge Wilson as "an imaginative and effective writer of music for the stage". Little of Reed's music survives. A few individual songs were published, but the scores of the entertainments were not. The autograph of the music for Our Island Home is preserved in The Morgan Library & Museum , New York, but no other scores are known to be extant. When
2132-459: The second of these: "The composer is an amateur, but he has shown a dramatic power and a skill in instrumentation that would justify him in entering the lists with professional musicians". Clay had a modest operatic success with a one-act operetta, Court and Cottage , to a libretto by Tom Taylor , produced at Covent Garden in 1862 as an after-piece to Meyerbeer's Dinorah . A second one-act piece for Covent Garden followed in 1865: Constance ,
German Reed Entertainments - Misplaced Pages Continue
2184-701: The theatre. In 1832, German Reed became an organist at the Roman Catholic Chapel in Sloane Street and assistant to his father, who moved to be conductor at the Garrick Theatre . His work at the theatre included scoring and adapting new operas, including Fra Diavolo in 1837. He also gave private music lessons. In 1838, Reed was appointed chapel-master at the Royal Bavarian Chapel and also became musical director at his father's former employer,
2236-423: The words "play", "extravaganza", " melodrama " or " burlesque ". Reed himself composed the music for many of these pieces and often appeared in them, along with Mrs. German Reed. There was nothing else like this establishment in London, and the Gallery rapidly achieved popularity. The Gallery was an intimate 500-seat theatre. The accompaniment consisted of piano at first, and later also a harmonium and sometimes
2288-484: Was Princess Toto (1875), which had short runs in the West End and in New York. Clay's other compositions include cantatas and numerous individual songs. His last two works were both successful operas composed in 1883, The Merry Duchess and The Golden Ring . He then suffered a stroke that paralysed him at the age of 44 and ended his career. The historian Kurt Gänzl has called Clay "the first significant composer of
2340-420: Was a Radical Member of Parliament and was also well known as a player of and authority on whist . Both parents were musical: Clay's mother was the daughter of a leading opera singer, and his father was an amateur composer. Clay was educated at home in London by private tutors, and studied piano and violin, and later composition under Bernhard Molique . Through the influence of Lord Palmerston , Clay secured
2392-571: Was an English composer, musical director, actor, singer and theatrical manager of the Victorian era . He was best known for creating the German Reed Entertainments , together with his actress wife, a genre of musical plays that made theatre-going respectable at a time when the stage was considered disreputable. While acting as organist and chapel-master at chapels in London, and also as musical director and performer at West End theatres in
2444-517: Was at a low ebb, Elizabethan glories and Georgian artificialities had alike faded into the past, stilted tragedy and vulgar farce were all the would-be playgoer had to choose from, and the theatre had become a place of evil repute to the righteous British householder.... A first effort to bridge the gap was made by the German Reed Entertainers.... The German Reed Entertainments became the first respectable venue for dramatic amusement to which
2496-542: Was buried in Old Mortlake Burial Ground . Frederic Clay Frederic Emes Clay (3 August 1838 – 24 November 1889) was an English composer known principally for songs and his music written for the stage. Although from a musical family, for 16 years Clay made his living as a civil servant in HM Treasury , composing in his spare time, until a legacy in 1873 enabled him to become a full-time composer. He had his first big stage success with Ages Ago (1869),
2548-649: Was engaged to assist in the production of opera at the Surrey Theatre and later managed Sadler's Wells Opera for a season and also conducted the music at the Olympic Theatre , as well as touring extensively in the British provinces. In the spring of 1855, at St. Martin's Hall , Reed and his wife presented the first performance of "Miss P. Horton's Illustrative Gatherings," musical theatre. These performances usually consisted of one or two brief comic operas designed for
2600-540: Was followed by a commission from Kate Santley for an opéra-bouffe , Cattarina, or Friends at Court , with a libretto by Reece. This successfully toured the provinces, with the composer conducting and Santley starring as Pincione; it was given at the Charing Cross Theatre , London, during the winter season of 1874–75. The final collaboration between Clay and Gilbert was a three-act comic opera, Princess Toto , (1876), another vehicle for Santley. On tour and in
2652-555: Was given successfully at the Brighton Festival in 1877, and was later performed elsewhere in Britain and the US. Clay found a lack of opportunity in Britain and moved to the US in 1877. He met with only mixed success there and returned to London in 1881. His last stage works were two collaborations with the librettist G. R. Sims : a "sporting comic opera", The Merry Duchess , (1883) given at
SECTION 50
#17328454713362704-472: Was revived several times. The first production was in a double bill with Sullivan's Cox and Box . Clay dedicated the published score of Ages Ago to Sullivan; at a rehearsal of the piece, probably in 1870, Gilbert met Sullivan for the first time, introduced by Clay. Over the next four years Clay composed four further operatic pieces. The first, The Gentleman in Black (1870, with Gilbert), contained many of
#335664