''Ages Ago'', sometimes stylised as ''Ages Ago!'' or ''Ages Ago!!'', is a musical entertainment 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 f ...

and music by

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 ...

that premiered on 22 November 1869 at the

Royal Gallery of Illustration The Royal Gallery of Illustration was a 19th-century performance venue located at 14 Regent Street in London. It was in use between 1850 and 1873. The gallery was built in the 1820s by the architect John Nash as part of his own house, to displa ...

. It marked the beginning of a seven-year collaboration between Gilbert and Clay. The piece was a critical and popular success and was revived many times, including at St. George's Hall, London in 1870 and 1874, and in New York in 1880.

Background

By the 1850s, the London stage had fallen into disrepute.

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 nation ...

's plays were staged, but most of the entertainments consisted of poorly translated French

operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs, and dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, length of the work, and at face value, subject matter. Apart from its s ...

s, risque

Victorian burlesque Victorian burlesque, sometimes known as travesty or extravaganza, is a genre of theatrical entertainment that was popular in Victorian era, Victorian England and in the New York theatre of the mid-19th century. It is a form of parody music, parod ...

s and vulgar broad farces. To bring family-friendly entertainment back to the theatre,

Thomas German Reed Thomas German Reed (27 June 1817 – 21 March 1888), known after 1844 as simply German Reed was an English composer, musical director, actor, singer and theatrical manager of the Victorian era. He was best known for creating the German Ree ...

and his wife

Priscilla Priscilla is an English female given name adopted from Latin ''Prisca'', derived from ''priscus''. One suggestion is that it is intended to bestow long life on the bearer. The name first appears in the New Testament of Christianity variously as ...

opened their Gallery of Illustration in 1855 and brought in Gilbert in 1869 as one of their many playwrights. The Gallery of Illustration was a 500-seat theatre with a small stage that only allowed for four or five characters with accompaniment by a piano, harmonium and sometimes a harp. Ages Ago

After Gilbert's first offering for the Gallery of Illustration – ''

No Cards ''No Cards'' is a "musical piece in one act" for four characters, written by W. S. Gilbert, with music composed and arranged by German Reed. It was first produced at the Royal Gallery of Illustration, Lower Regent Street, London, under the mana ...

'', with music by Reed, Gilbert paired with Clay on ''Ages Ago'', the first of a successful series of collaborations between the author and composer that would continue for the next seven years. In the eight months between the productions of ''No Cards'', and ''Ages Ago'', Gilbert's dramatic style had developed. ''Ages Ago'', with its double-layered plot and its complex relationships among the characters, is more sophisticated than ''No Cards'', which was a simple farce. In addition, the lyrics move the plot forward more than in the earlier work. ''Ages Ago'' earned praise from the critics, outran its companion piece, the popular ''

Cox and Box ''Cox and Box; or, The Long-Lost Brothers'', is a one-act comic opera with a libretto by F. C. Burnand and music by Arthur Sullivan, based on the 1847 farce '' Box and Cox'' by John Maddison Morton. It was Sullivan's first successful comic o ...

'', and was frequently revived over the next decade. It was Gilbert's and the Gallery's greatest success to that date, running for 350 performances from November 1869 to June 1870.Gänzl, p. 19 A review in the ''

Penny Illustrated Paper The ''Penny Illustrated Paper'' was a cheap ( 1d.) illustrated London weekly newspaper that ran from 1861 to 1913. Premises Illustrated weekly newspapers had been pioneered by the ''Illustrated London News'' (published from 1842, costing fivepe ...

'' described the piece as "a very brilliant, sparkling operetta, full of ingenious fun in the plot and dialogue, and exhibiting a good deal of grace and freshness in the music. ... The piece went off most successfully, a satisfactory proof that extravaganzas written without vulgarity can be relished by the public. The dialogue is smart as well as polished, and contains several hits on current town topics, not one of which misses fire." The work was revived at St. George's Hall in 1870 and again in 1874, among others. At the 1874 revival, Mrs. German Reed,

Leonora Braham Leonora Braham (born Leonora Abraham; 3 February 1853 – 23 November 1931) was an English opera singer and actress primarily known as the creator of principal soprano roles in the Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas. Beginning in 1870, Braham st ...

, Alfred Reed, Stanley Betjeman,

Corney Grain Richard Corney Grain (26 October 1844 – 16 March 1895), known by his stage name Corney Grain, was an entertainer and songwriter of the late Victorian era. Biography Born at Teversham in Cambridgeshire, Grain was the youngest son of John Grai ...

, and the piece itself all received warm praise from the ''Eras critic. New York's reopened Broadway Opera House was inaugurated in 1880 with a double bill of ''Ages Ago'' and ''Charity Begins at Home''. ''Ages Ago'' has been revived from time to time by amateur companies. In 2014, a production at the

International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival The International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival was founded in 1994 by Ian Smith and his son Neil and is held every summer in England. The two- or three-week Festival of Gilbert and Sullivan opera performances and fringe events attracts thousands ...

, in the

Harrogate Harrogate ( ) is a spa town and the administrative centre of the Borough of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England. Historic counties of England, Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the town is a tourist destination and its visitor at ...

Theatre, was billed as the first professional production in 130 years. Gilbert produced four more pieces for Reed, including ''

A Sensation Novel ''A Sensation Novel'' is a comic musical play in three acts (or volumes) written by the dramatist W. S. Gilbert, with music composed by Thomas German Reed. It was first performed on 31 January 1871 at the Royal Gallery of Illustration. Only f ...

'' in 1871 and ''

Eyes and No Eyes ''Eyes and No Eyes, or The Art of Seeing'' is a one-act musical entertainment with a libretto by W. S. Gilbert and music originally by Thomas German Reed. The story concerns two sisters who love flirtatious twin brothers (though it is not cert ...

'' in 1875. He also wrote several

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 ne ...

s with Clay, the last of which was ''

Princess Toto ''Princess Toto'' is a three-act comic opera by W. S. Gilbert and his long-time collaborator Frederic Clay. Its pre-London tour opened on 24 June 1876 at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham, starring Kate Santley, W. S. Penley and J. H. Ryley. It tr ...

'' in 1876. Thomas German Reed played Ebenezer Tare, while his wife played Mrs. MacMotherly. The piece also introduced Fanny Holland, who would play in many pieces for the German Reeds for years to come. At a rehearsal for ''Ages Ago'', Clay formally introduced the composer

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

to Gilbert. The two later collaborated on fourteen

s that became the most enduring pieces of musical theatre from the

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...

. Gilbert would later reuse many ideas and plot elements from these earlier works in the

Gilbert and Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan was a Victorian era, 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 ...

operas.

Synopsis

In the haunted Scottish Castle of Glen Cockaleekie, where the title deed to the castle, much like ''

Brigadoon ''Brigadoon'' is a musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, and music by Frederick Loewe. The song " Almost Like Being in Love", from the musical, has become a standard. It features two American tourists who stumble upon Brigadoon, a ...

'', is only found once every hundred years, Sir Ebenezer Tare has decided that, as "possession is nine-tenths of the law," he might as well be in possession of the castle until such time as the deed shows up again. Being the type of a Victorian money-grubbing elderly relative, he refuses to let his niece Rosa marry her poor suitor, Columbus Hebblethwaite, who is staying for the night. The Scottish housekeeper, Mrs. MacMotherly, has

second sight Extrasensory perception or ESP, also called sixth sense, is a claimed paranormal ability pertaining to reception of information not gained through the recognized physical senses, but sensed with the mind. The term was adopted by Duke Universit ...

. She tells a tale of the original wicked Sir Roger Bohun (similarly to Dame Hannah's tale in

's later ''

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 tog ...

''). That night, the paintings of the castle's former owners come to life and step out of their frames (as would happen again in ''Ruddigore''). However, a problem ensues: They were all painted at different ages, so Lord Carnaby, painted in the 17th century at age 65, lusts after his grandmother (Lady Maud), painted by

Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 14522 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, Drawing, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially res ...

in the 15th century at age 17. Lady Maude finds more in common with Sir Cecil Blount, painted in the 16th century by

Michelangelo Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (; 6 March 1475 – 18 February 1564), known as Michelangelo (), was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was insp ...

at age 20. Eventually, though, and after some wrangling, Dame Cherry (painted by

Joshua Reynolds Sir Joshua Reynolds (16 July 1723 – 23 February 1792) was an English painter, specialising in portraits. John Russell said he was one of the major European painters of the 18th century. He promoted the "Grand Style" in painting which depend ...

in the 18th century at age 56 and Lord Carnaby settle into middle-aged affection, while the "old" young people pair off romantically and get a painting of Brown, a solicitor, to marry them. At daybreak, they return to their frames, leaving the deed behind, which gives the property to Hebblethwaite, the poor suitor. He strikes a deal whereby if uncle Tare he permits Rosa to marry him, then he will allow Tare to stay on at the castle, and all ends happily.

Roles

*Sir Ebenezer Tare of the firm of Tare and Tret, Alderman and Tallow Chandler, later Lord Carnaby Poppytop (

baritone A baritone is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the bass and the tenor voice-types. The term originates from the Greek (), meaning "heavy sounding". Composers typically write music for this voice in the r ...

) –

*Rosa (his niece), later Lady Maud (

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...

) – Fanny Holland *Mrs. MacMotherly, later Dame Cherry Maybud (

contralto A contralto () is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range is the lowest female voice type. The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare; similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to that of a countertenor, typically b ...

) – Priscilla German Reed *Mr. Columbus Hebblethwaite, later Sir Cecil Blount (

tenor A tenor is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The lo ...

) –

Arthur Cecil Arthur Cecil Blunt (1 June 1843 – 16 April 1896), better known as Arthur Cecil, was an English actor, comedian, playwright and theatre manager. He is probably best remembered for playing the role of Box in the long-running production of ''Cox a ...

*Angus McTavish (Steward), later Brown ( bass) – Edward Connell *Lady Maud de Bohun, Born 1445 **Came into possession 1469 (Costume: Tenth year of Edward IV) **Painted by

1472 (Aged 17) **Died 1473 (Louis XI) *Sir Cecil Blount, Born 1540 (Costume: Second year of Elizabeth I) **Painted by

1560 (Aged 20) **Came into possession 1569 (Henry II to IV) **Died 1579 *Lord Carnaby Poppytop, Born 1648 **Came into possession 1669 (Costume: Last year of Queen Anne's reign) **Painted by

Godfrey Kneller Sir Godfrey Kneller, 1st Baronet (born Gottfried Kniller; 8 August 1646 – 19 October 1723), was the leading portrait painter in England during the late 17th and early 18th centuries, and was court painter to Kingdom of England, English and Br ...

1713 (Aged 65) **Died 1720 *Dame Cherry Maybud, Born 1730 **Came into possession 1769 (Costume: Twenty-fifth year of George III) **Painted by Sir

1785 (Aged 55) *Brown – Born about 1830 (Costume: Late 19th century Cockney Dress)

Musical numbers

The numbering of the songs follows that of the vocal score. The printed libretto does not include the songs through number 4, and numbers the song labelled as song 5 below as song 1. Thus, to determine the number given to a song in the printed libretto, subtract 4 from the number assigned to that song below. *No. 1. "Prelude" *No. 2. Goodbye, Goodbye – Rosa, Mrs. Mac Motherly, and Steward *No. 3. When nature sleeps – Rosa, Mrs. Mac Motherly *No. 4. Eh! What is that ye say – Mrs. MacMotherley (with Rosa and Tare) *No. 5. Ha! What was that / Permit me a short explanation: Tare, Rosa, Hebblethwaite and Company. *No. 6. It does perplex, annoy and vex – Hebblethwaite, Rosa and Company *No. 7. We fly to fields of fancy – Mrs. MacMotherly, Hebblethwaite, Tare and Steward *No. 8. Entr'acte and Recit: I breathe, I live – Lady Maud *No. 9. Moments so fleeting – Lady Maud *No. 10. Would you know that maiden fairThis is the only song in the opera with lyrics not named after its first line, "So please you, Sir, to hear my story while I tell" – Lady Maud and Sir Cecil *No. 11. In pity tell, O Lady mine – Lady Maud and Sir Cecil *No. 12. I stand on my authority – Lady Maud, Sir Cecil and Lord Carnaby *No. 13. At twenty-three Lord Carnaby – Lord Carnaby and Dame Cherry *No. 14. 'Tis Done, the spell is broken – Lady Maud, Dame Cherry, Sir Cecil, Lord Carnaby and Mr. Brown *No. 15. The subject drop (Finale, reprise of "It does perplex, annoy and vex") - Rosa, Mrs. MacMotherly, Hebblethwaite, Tare, Steward.

Notes

References

* Chapter 6. * *Gänzl, Kurt. ''The British Musical Theatre'', Vol.1 1865–1914, Basingstoke, The Macmillan Press, 1986 * * (with an introduction by Stedman)

External links

*
''Ages Ago''
at the Gilbert and Sullivan Archive

{Dead link, date=May 2019 , bot=InternetArchiveBot , fix-attempted=yes

at the G&S Discography
Audio recording of the complete piece (2011)
Works by W. S. Gilbert English-language operas 1869 operas Operas Operas by Frederic Clay