Alfred Cellier (1 December 184428 December 1891) was an English composer, orchestrator and conductor. In addition to conducting and music directing the original productions of several of the most famous

Gilbert and Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan was a Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900), who jointly created fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which '' H.M.S. ...

works and writing the overtures to some of them, Cellier conducted at many theatres in London, New York and on tour in Britain, America and Australia. He composed over a dozen operas and other works for the theatre, as well as for orchestra, but his 1886

comic opera Comic opera, sometimes known as light opera, is a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending and often including spoken dialogue. Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a n ...

, '' Dorothy'', was by far his most successful work. It became the longest-running piece of musical theatre in the nineteenth century.

Biography

Cellier was born in South Hackney, London, the second child and eldest son of Arsène Cellier, a language teacher from France, and his wife Mary Ann Peterine, formerly Peacock, ''née'' Thomsett.François Cellier"
Ancestry Institution,

Wellcome Library The Wellcome Library is founded on the collection formed by Sir Henry Wellcome (1853–1936), whose personal wealth allowed him to create one of the most ambitious collections of the 20th century. Henry Wellcome's interest was the history of m ...

, accessed 20 January 2018 He was educated at the grammar school in Hackney. From 1855 to 1860, he was a chorister at the

Chapel Royal The Chapel Royal is an establishment in the Royal Household serving the spiritual needs of the sovereign and the British Royal Family. Historically it was a body of priests and singers that travelled with the monarch. The term is now also appl ...

, St. James's, under the Rev.

Thomas Helmore Thomas Helmore (7 May 1811, in Kidderminster – 6 July 1890, in Westminster) was a choirmaster, writer about singing and author and editor of hymns and carols. Helmore's father was a congregationalist minister (also called Thomas). During the ...

, where

Arthur Sullivan Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan (13 May 1842 – 22 November 1900) was an English composer. He is best known for 14 operatic collaborations with the dramatist W. S. Gilbert, including ''H.M.S. Pinafore'', '' The Pirates of Penzance ...

was one of his schoolmates.Stone, David.
"Alfred Cellier"
Who Was Who in the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company (2001), accessed 11 June 2018 Cellier later married Harriet Emily.Edwards, F. G., rev. James J. Not
"Cellier, Alfred (1844–1891)"
''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004, accessed 9 October 2008, Cellier's brother,

François François () is a French masculine given name and surname, equivalent to the English name Francis. People with the given name * Francis I of France, King of France (), known as "the Father and Restorer of Letters" * Francis II of France, King ...

, also became a conductor.

Early career

Cellier's first appointments were as organist at All Saints' Church, Blackheath and as conductor of the Belfast Philharmonic Society (both in 1862). In 1866 he succeeded Dr. Chipp as organist and director of the

Ulster Hall The Ulster Hall is a concert hall and grade A listed building in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Situated on Bedford Street in Belfast city centre, the hall hosts concerts, classical recitals, craft fairs and political party conferences. Histo ...

concerts,

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingd ...

, at the same time acting as conductor of the Belfast Philharmonic Society. In 1868 he returned to London as organist of St Alban's Church,

Holborn Holborn ( or ) is a district in central London, which covers the south-eastern part of the London Borough of Camden and a part (St Andrew Holborn (parish), St Andrew Holborn Below the Bars) of the Wards of the City of London, Ward of Farringdon ...

."Mr. Alfred Cellier", ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' ...

'', 30 December 1891, p. 4, col. B In January 1871, Cellier became the first conductor and music director at the

Royal Court Theatre The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a West End theatre#London's non-commercial theatres, non-commercial West End theatre in Sloane Square, in the Royal ...

in London. From 1871 to 1875 he was conductor and musical director at the Prince's Theatre in

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...

. During this period he composed many

s and operettas, the first of which was ''Charity Begins at Home'' (1872 at the Gallery of Illustration), with the librettist

B. C. Stephenson Benjamin Charles Stephenson or B. C. Stephenson (1839 – 22 January 1906) was an English dramatist, lyricist and librettist. After beginning a career in the civil service, he started to write for the theatre, using the pen name "Bolton Row ...

.Adams, p. 273 The piece was a success and played more than 200 times. A reviewer in the ''London and Provincial Entr'Acte'' wrote that the music "is unexpectedly apropos and pretty ... and we have no hesitation in saying that Mr. Alfred Cellier's melodies will live even after the long life

f the production F, or f, is the sixth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''ef'' (pronounced ), and the plural is ''efs''. Hi ...

shall have come to an end." He achieved a favourable outcome with '' The Sultan of Mocha'', produced at Prince's Theatre, Manchester, in 1874 and revived in London in 1876 and 1887 (with a new libretto) and in New York in 1880, among others. Most of his early works for the theatre, including '' Dora's Dream'' (1873), ''

Topsyturveydom ''Topsyturveydom'' (sometimes spelled ''Topsyturvydom'' or ''Topseyturveydom'') is a one-act operetta by W. S. Gilbert with music by Alfred Cellier. Styled "an entirely original musical extravaganza", it is based on one of Gilbert's Bab Ball ...

'' (1874, with a libretto by

W. S. Gilbert Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (18 November 1836 – 29 May 1911) was an English dramatist, librettist, poet and illustrator best known for his collaboration with composer Arthur Sullivan, which produced fourteen comic operas. The most fam ...

), ''The Tower of London'' (1875, Manchester), ''Nell Gwynne'' (1876), ''Two Foster Brothers'' (1877, St. George's Hall, with a libretto by Gilbert Arthur à Beckett), and ''Bella Donna'' (1878), had only modest success. Cellier also wrote numerous separate songs and composed for orchestra (including his ''Suite Symphonique'' (1978)) and the piano; his ''Danse pompadour'' achieved particular popularity.

D'Oyly Carte years

In December 1877 Cellier joined the D'Oyly Carte company as musical director at the Opera Comique in London. There he conducted ''

The Sorcerer ''The Sorcerer'' is a two-act comic opera, with a libretto by W. S. Gilbert and music by Arthur Sullivan. It was the British duo's third operatic collaboration. The plot of ''The Sorcerer'' is based on a Christmas story, ''An Elixir of Lov ...

'' (1877), '' H.M.S. Pinafore'' (1878, for which he wrote the overture, based on themes from the opera), ''

Trial by Jury A jury trial, or trial by jury, is a legal proceeding in which a jury makes a decision or findings of fact. It is distinguished from a bench trial in which a judge or panel of judges makes all decisions. Jury trials are used in a significa ...

'' (1878),

George Grossmith George Grossmith (9 December 1847 – 1 March 1912) was an English comedian, writer, composer, actor, and singer. His performing career spanned more than four decades. As a writer and composer, he created 18 comic operas, nearly 100 musical ...

's '' Cups and Saucers'' (1878–79), and three of his own one-act works: ''Dora's Dream'' (1877–78 revival), ''

The Spectre Knight ''The Spectre Knight'' is a one-act "fanciful operetta" with a libretto by James Albery and music by Alfred Cellier. It was first performed on 9 February 1878 at the Opera Comique by the Comedy Opera Company as a companion piece to ''The Sorcere ...

'' (1878), and '' After All!'' (1878–79). Cellier was conducting the performance of ''Pinafore'' during which the partners of The Comedy Opera Company attempted to repossess the set, and he was noted for his attempts to calm the audience during the fracas. His brother,

, succeeded him as musical director at the Opera Comique in 1879. Alfred Cellier was a conductor of a series of promenade concerts at the Queen's Theatre, Long Acre and, in 1878–1879 he was joint conductor, with Sullivan, of the Covent Garden Promenade Concerts. In 1879, he travelled with Gilbert, Sullivan, and Carte to America, where he acted as conductor for ''Pinafore'' and ''

The Pirates of Penzance ''The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. Its official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 31 December 1879 ...

'', with Carte's first American touring company. Cellier prepared the overture to ''Pirates'' using Sullivan's music from the rest of the score. Back in London in July 1880, he directed the music at the Opera Comique for ''Pirates'' and another of his own pieces with Desprez, '' In the Sulks''. In April 1881, he left the D'Oyly Carte company, ceding the baton to his brother. Cellier composed a three-act

grand opera Grand opera is a genre of 19th-century opera generally in four or five acts, characterized by large-scale casts and orchestras, and (in their original productions) lavish and spectacular design and stage effects, normally with plots based on o ...

, ''Pandora'', a version of Longfellow's ''The Masque of Pandora'' (with a libretto by

) that was presented in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the capital city, state capital and List of municipalities in Massachusetts, most populous city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financ ...

in 1881. He returned to America later that year as music director of D'Oyly Carte's New York and touring productions of ''

Billee Taylor ''Billee Taylor, or The Reward of Virtue'' is "a nautical comedy opera" by Edward Solomon, with a libretto by Henry Pottinger Stephens. The piece was first produced at the Imperial Theatre in London on 30 October 1880, starring Arthur Willi ...

'' (1882), ''Les Manteaux Noirs'' and ''

Rip Van Winkle "Rip Van Winkle" is a short story by the American author Washington Irving, first published in 1819. It follows a Dutch-American villager in colonial America named Rip Van Winkle who meets mysterious Dutchmen, imbibes their liquor and falls asle ...

'' (both in the fall of 1882), and ''

Iolanthe ''Iolanthe; or, The Peer and the Peri'' () is a comic opera with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, first performed in 1882. It is one of the Savoy operas and is the seventh of fourteen operatic collaborations by Gilbert ...

'' (1882–83), for the latter of which he prepared the New York overture. In 1883, Cellier's setting of '' Gray's Elegy'', in the form of a cantata, was produced at the Leeds music festival.Scowcroft, Philip L
"A Twentieth Garland of British Light Music Composers"
, MusicWeb.UK In 1883, Cellier left the D'Oyly Carte company, but he was back for brief periods as music director with D'Oyly Carte's touring companies for ''

Princess Ida ''Princess Ida; or, Castle Adamant'' is a comic opera with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It was their eighth operatic collaboration of fourteen. ''Princess Ida'' opened at the Savoy Theatre on 5 January 1884, for a ru ...

'' (1884) and ''

The Mikado ''The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen operatic collaborations. It opened on 14 March 1885, in London, where it ran at the Sa ...

'' (1885). In 1885, also, Cellier composed

incidental music Incidental music is music in a play, television program, radio program, video game, or some other presentation form that is not primarily musical. The term is less frequently applied to film music, with such music being referred to instead ...

for a production of ''

As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has ...

''. He composed two more companion pieces that had

Savoy Theatre The Savoy Theatre is a West End theatre in the Strand in the City of Westminster, London, England. The theatre was designed by C. J. Phipps for Richard D'Oyly Carte and opened on 10 October 1881 on a site previously occupied by the Savoy Pal ...

premieres, both with libretti by Desprez: '' The Carp'' (performed with ''The Mikado'' and ''

Ruddigore ''Ruddigore; or, The Witch's Curse'', originally called ''Ruddygore'', is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It is one of the Savoy Operas and the tenth of fourteen comic operas written t ...

'' in 1886–87), and '' Mrs. Jarramie's Genie'' (composed together with his brother François, which played together with several different operas at the Savoy between 1887 and 1889. While in London, Cellier conducted at several London theatres, including the Criterion, the

St James's St James's is a central district in the City of Westminster, London, forming part of the West End. In the 17th century the area developed as a residential location for the British aristocracy, and around the 19th century was the focus of the de ...

, and the

Savoy Savoy (; frp, Savouè ; french: Savoie ) is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps. Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south. ...

. Later, as a result of ill health, he resided mostly in America, where he was at times a representative for the D'Oyly Carte company, and Australia, where he conducted for the

J. C. Williamson James Cassius Williamson (26 August 1845 – 6 July 1913) was an American actor and later Australia's foremost impresario, founding the J. C. Williamson's theatrical and production company. Born in Pennsylvania, Williamson moved with his fami ...

organization.

''Dorothy'' and later pieces

In 1885, Cellier composed a song, "There once was a time, my darling", for a piece produced by

George Edwardes George Joseph Edwardes (né Edwards; 8 October 1855 – 4 October 1915) was an English theatre manager and producer of Irish ancestry who brought a new era in musical theatre to the British stage and beyond. Edwardes started out in theatre ma ...

, ''

Little Jack Sheppard ''Little Jack Sheppard'' is a burlesque melodrama written by Henry Pottinger Stephens and William Yardley, with music by Meyer Lutz, with songs contributed by Florian Pascal,Florian Pascal was a pseudonym for Joseph Williams, Jr. (1847-1923), a mu ...

'' (1885). Meanwhile he had composed what would become his greatest success, the comic opera '' Dorothy'', with a libretto by

. To create the score, Cellier repurposed some of his music from his 1876 failure, ''Nell Gwynne'', which had, nevertheless, received praise for its music. ''Dorothy'' had been announced for production at the

Royalty Theatre The Royalty Theatre was a small London theatre situated at 73 Dean Street, Soho. Established by the actress Frances Maria Kelly in 1840, it opened as Miss Kelly's Theatre and Dramatic School and finally closed to the public in 1938.

in 1884, but ultimately Edwardes mounted it at his Gaiety Theatre on 25 September 1886. Cellier was in Australia from February 1886 to February 1887, conducting ''The Mikado'' and other Gilbert and Sullivan operas for J. C. Williamson and was absent from London during the productions of ''The Carp'', at the Savoy, and ''Dorothy''. Neither the music nor the libretto of ''Dorothy'' initially attracted critical praise. ''

'' wrote, "Gentility reigns supreme, and with it unfortunately also a good deal of the refined feebleness and the ineptitude which are the defects of that quality." Stephenson rewrote the lyrics of one of Cellier's old songs, "Old Dreams" as "Queen of My Heart"; this helped the work to find success after it transferred in December to the

Prince of Wales Theatre The Prince of Wales Theatre is a West End theatre in Coventry Street, near Leicester Square in London. It was established in 1884 and rebuilt in 1937, and extensively refurbished in 2004 by Sir Cameron Mackintosh, its current owner. The theatre ...

. The following year H. J. Leslie took over the production from Edwardes and introduced new stars, including

Marie Tempest Dame Mary Susan Etherington, (15 July 1864 – 15 October 1942), known professionally as Marie Tempest, was an English singer and actress. Tempest became a famous soprano in late Victorian light opera and Edwardian musical comedies. Later, ...

and Ben Davies, who made ''Dorothy'' an even greater success at the box office. It transferred in December 1888 to the Lyric Theatre, built using the profits from the production, where it ran into 1889. Its initial run of a total of 931 performances was the longest of any piece of musical theatre up to that time, considerably longer than even ''The Mikado'', a fact that caused consternation to Cellier's friend Arthur Sullivan. Some critics reconsidered their earlier condemnation, the work became regarded as a classic Victorian piece, and the initially despised plot was traced seriously back to the Restoration playwrights David Garrick and

Aphra Behn Aphra Behn (; bapt. 14 December 1640 – 16 April 1689) was an English playwright, poet, prose writer and translator from the Restoration era. As one of the first English women to earn her living by her writing, she broke cultural barrie ...

, and to

Oliver Goldsmith Oliver Goldsmith (10 November 1728 – 4 April 1774) was an Anglo-Irish novelist, playwright, dramatist and poet, who is best known for his novel '' The Vicar of Wakefield'' (1766), his pastoral poem '' The Deserted Village'' (1770), and his ...

and even

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

. Its success led to revivals of some of Cellier's earlier works. Cellier returned to Australia in 1888 to conduct ''Dorothy'' and a revival of his earlier work, ''Charity Begins at Home'', and made a final brief visit there for health reasons in early 1891, together with Stephenson. His last comic operas, '' Doris'' (1889, with Stephenson) and '' The Mountebanks'' (with Gilbert, produced in January 1892, a few days after the composer's death), were both modestly successful. Also after Cellier's death, Rutland Barrington used some of his music in his 1902 adaptation of ''Water Babies''. Often in ill health throughout his life, Cellier was unable to finish ''The Mountebanks'', and

Ivan Caryll Félix Marie Henri Tilkin (12 May 1861 – 29 November 1921), better known by his pen name Ivan Caryll, was a Belgian-born composer of operettas and Edwardian musical comedies in the English language, who made his career in London and later ...

completed the score. A reviewer of the 2018 recording of ''The Mountebanks'' commented: "There is a free-flowing style to Cellier’s compositions, with fine lyrical detail and sumptuous orchestration with which he provides a wide variety of musical effects."Walker, Raymond J
"Alfred Cellier (1844-1891): ''The Mountebanks'', comic opera (1892); and ''Suite Symphonique'' (1878)"
Music Web International, 2018 Cellier owed much to the influence of Sullivan. He was a fertile melodist, and his writing exhibited elegance and refinement, although he was not able to infuse his music with humour in the way that Sullivan did. Cellier died at his home in

Bloomsbury Bloomsbury is a district in the West End of London. It is considered a fashionable residential area, and is the location of numerous cultural, intellectual, and educational institutions. Bloomsbury is home of the British Museum, the largest mus ...

, London, at the age of 47. He was buried in

West Norwood Cemetery West Norwood Cemetery is a rural cemetery in West Norwood in London, England. It was also known as the South Metropolitan Cemetery. One of the first private landscaped cemeteries in London, it is one of the " Magnificent Seven" cemeteries of ...

Works

Operatic

:Source: ''Grove''.

Incidental music

*''Les Manteaux noirs'', 1882 *''Little Jack Sheppard'', 1885 *''The Water Babies'', 1902 (Cellier's music posthumously adapted) ::Source: ''Grove''.

Other works

*''Gray's Elegy'', cantata for four solo voices and orchestra, Leeds Festival, 1883 *Suite symphonique for orchestra, Brighton Festival, 1878 *Barcarolle for flute and piano *Songs. ::Source: ''Grove''.Mackerness, E.D
Cellier, Alfred"
''Grove Music Online'', Oxford University Press, 2001, accessed 3 February 2021

Notes, references and sources

Notes

References

Sources

*Adams, William Davenport
''A Dictionary of the Drama''"> ''A Dictionary of the Drama''
Chatto & Windus, 1904 * * * * *

External links

* *Johnson, Colin M

for a number of Cellier works

at MusicalTheatreGuide.com

at The Gilbert and Sullivan Archive {{DEFAULTSORT:Cellier, Alfred Cellier family People associated with Gilbert and Sullivan English conductors (music) British male conductors (music) English opera composers Male opera composers 1844 births 1891 deaths People from Hackney Central Burials at West Norwood Cemetery English people of French descent Musicians from London 19th-century British composers 19th-century conductors (music) 19th-century English musicians