François Arsène Cellier (December 14, 1849 – January 5, 1914) was an English conductor and composer. Events 1287 - St Lucia's flood: The Zuider Zee sea wall in the Netherlands collapses killing over 50000 people Year 1849 ( MDCCCXLIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1477 - Battle of Nancy: Charles the Bold is killed and Burgundy becomes part of France. Year 1914 ( MCMXIV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland He is best known for his tenure as music director and conductor of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company during the original runs and early revivals of the Savoy Operas. D'Oyly Carte Opera Company staged performances of Gilbert and Sullivan 's Savoy Operas in the UK Europe North America South Africa Australia and elsewhere from the Savoy Operas denote a style of Comic opera that developed in Victorian England in the late 19th century with W
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Life and career
Cellier was born in South Hackney, London to Arsène Cellier, a professor of languages from France, and his wife Mary Ann. He was a chorister at the Chapel Royal, St. James's, where his brother and Arthur Sullivan had also been choristers. Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan MVO (13 May 1842 &ndash 22 November 1900 was an English composer of Irish and Italian descent best known for his operatic His son was the West End theatre actor Frank Cellier. West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London 's "Theatreland"
Conductor and music director
François Cellier, often called Frank, succeeded his brother Alfred as the resident conductor of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas at the Opera Comique and then the Savoy Theatre from 1879 to 1902 during their initial runs and revivals (except that Sullivan usually conducted the first night of each) other than from July 1880 to April 1881, after Alfred returned from America. Alfred Cellier (1 December 1844&ndash28 December 1891 was an English composer orchestrator and conductor Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian era partnership of Librettist W The Opera Comique was a 19th-century opera house constructed between Wych Street and Holywell Street with entrances on the East Strand. The Savoy Theatre is a West End theatre located in the Strand in the City of Westminster, London England He also served as co-musical director at Richard D'Oyly Carte's Royal English Opera House for the runs of Ivanhoe and La Basoche in 1891–92. Richard D'Oyly Carte (3 May 1844 &ndash 3 April 1901 was an English talent agent theatrical Impresario and hotelier during the latter half of the Victorian Ivanhoe is a romantic Opera in three acts based on the novel by Sir Walter Scott, with Music by Sir Arthur Sullivan and He conducted non-Sullivan Savoy Theatre pieces like Alexander Mackenzie's His Majesty and Ivan Caryll's The Lucky Star, and he also sometimes conducted for the company on tour. Sir Alexander Mackenzie (Alasdair MacCoinnich 1764 - March 12, 1820) was a Scottish-Canadian explorer. Felix Tilkins ( May 12 1861 &ndash November 29 1921) better known by his Pen name Ivan Caryll, was a Belgian The Lucky Starjpg|right|thumb|300px|Scene from The Lucky Star ]] The Lucky Star is an English Comic opera, in three acts composed by Ivan Caryll, with dialogue
In 1902–03, Cellier toured with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in South Africa, conducting the Gilbert and Sullivan operas, as well as The Rose of Persia. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa The Rose of Persia; or The Story-Teller and the Slave, is a two-act Comic opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by Basil He left the D'Oyly Carte organisation upon his return to England. Soon afterwards, he conducted his new operetta, Bob (libretto by Cunningham Bridgeman) at the Adelphi Theatre. The Adelphi Theatre is a 1500-seat West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster. Bob was also played by D'Oyly Carte touring companies in 1903–04. Cellier conducted a comic opera, Ladyland, at the Avenue Theatre in 1904. Comic opera, or light opera, denotes a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature usually with a happy ending In 1905, he returned to the D'Oyly Carte Repertory Opera Company as its musical director until retiring in 1913. He conducted the successful London repertory seasons of Gilbert and Sullivan operas in 1906–07 and 1908–09, respectively.
Henry Lytton wrote:
- "Cellier had his heart and soul in every performance, and what that means is known only to those who work on the stage, and who do sometimes become dull and listless because of their very familiarity with the parts they are playing or because the audience cannot easily be aroused to 'concert pitch'. Sir Henry Lytton (3 January 1865 – 15 August 1936 was an English actor and singer who was the leading exponent of the comic Baritone roles in Gilbert and Sullivan . . . It is at just such times as these that a real conductor is worth his weight in gold. Notwithstanding that he may have seen the piece hundreds of times – and might with reason be more bored than the principals themselves – he comes to each new performance with an enthusiasm which shakes the company out of themselves and makes everything go with a will. "[1]
Composer and orchestrator
In addition to Bob, which never played at the Savoy Theatre, Cellier composed music for several companion pieces that played together with the Savoy Operas (and often also on tour), including Mrs. Jarramie's Genie (composed jointly with his brother Alfred in 1888, libretto by Frank Desprez), Captain Billy (1891, libretto by Harry Greenbank), Old Sarah (1897, libretto by Greenbank), Pretty Polly (1900, libretto by Basil Hood) and Bob (1903, libretto by Cunningham Bridgeman). Mrs Jarramie's Genie is a one-act Comic opera with a libretto by Frank Desprez and music by Alfred Cellier and François Cellier. Frank Desprez ( February 9 1853 &ndash November 25 1916) was an English playwright essayist and poet Captain Billy is a one-act Comic opera with a libretto by Harry Greenbank and music by François Cellier. Harry Greenbank ( 11 September 1865 – 26 February 1899) was an English author and dramatist best known for contributing lyrics to the successful Old Sarah is a one-act Comic opera composed by François Cellier with a libretto by Harry Greenbank. Pretty Polly is a one-act playlet by Basil Hood, with music composed by François Cellier. Basil Charles Hood ( April 5 1864 &ndash August 7 1917) was a British librettist and lyricist perhaps best known for his libretti of a half [2]
For the Children's Pinafore in 1879–80 and the Children's Pirates in 1884, Cellier transposed the key of every song to fit each individual child's voice. HMS Pinafore, or The Lass that Loved a Sailor, is a Comic opera in two acts with music by Arthur Sullivan and Libretto by 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 The choruses, especially of the string parts, were re-arranged so that the children's voices could be heard, and orchestral accompaniment was provided for the normally unaccompanied numbers for the support of the young male voices.
Author
Cellier devoted his brief retirement to writing a book of reminiscences about Gilbert, Sullivan, and the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company (Gilbert and Sullivan and Their Operas). However, he died in Kingston, London in 1914 before the book was completed, and his collaborator, Bridgeman, completed and published it later that year. Kingston upon Thames is the principal settlement of the Royal Borough
Arthur Sullivan willed to Cellier the original manuscript scores for The Pirates of Penzance and Patience. Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan MVO (13 May 1842 &ndash 22 November 1900 was an English composer of Irish and Italian descent best known for his operatic 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 Patience, or Bunthorne's Bride, is a Comic opera in two acts with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W
Notes
References
- Cellier, François; Cunningham Bridgeman (1914). Gilbert and Sullivan and Their Operas. Boston: Little, Brown and Company.
- Ayre, Leslie (1972). The Gilbert & Sullivan Companion. London: W. H. Allen & Co Ltd. Introduction by Martyn Green. William Martyn-Green ( April 22 1899 &ndash February 8 1975) better known as Martyn Green, was an English actor and singer
- Profile of Cellier
- Brief analysis of Cellier's music
- Henry Lytton's recollections of Cellier
- Info about some of Cellier's orchestrations
External links
- Chapter of Cellier's book
- Karaoke files for Captain Billy
- Information about Savoy curtain raisers
- Review of "Children's Pinafore" with arrangements by Cellier
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