Who was Arthur Sullivan?
Music Composer.
Date and Place of Birth:
13th May 1842, London, England. Christened Arthur
Seymour Sullivan.
Family Background:
Second son of Thomas Sullivan, a sergeant bandmaster
at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst and Professor of Clarinet
at the Royal Military School of Music and Mary Clementina Sullivan
Coghlan.
Education:
Studied music under William Sterndale Bennett
at the Royal Academy of Music, London after winning a Mendelssohn
Scholarship and at the Leipzig Gewandhaus, Germany.
Chronology/Biography of Sir Arthur Sullivan:
1856: Promoted to
the rank of First Boy in the Chapel Royal Choir.
1861: Returned to
London after his studies in Leipzig. (15th April) His orchestral
suite "The Tempest" was first performed at the Crystal
Palace. Began composing the first of his seventy two hymns whilst
he was a church organist.
1863: Worked as
organist for two institutions including St. Michael's Church in
London. Composed the Symphony in E major 'Irish'. His first attempt
at an Opera collaboration was with Henry F Chorley on the "Sapphire
Necklace".
1864: Composed his
first ballet entitled "L'Île Enchantée" while
he was organist at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden . The "Mask
at Kenilworth was composed for the Birmingham Festival.
1866: Premiere of
the Irish Symphony and the Concerto for Cello and Orchestra. Wrote
the Overture in C In "Memoriam" shortly after the death
of his father. Composed the music for the comic opera "Cox
and Box", libretto by F.C. Burnand. THis was originally written
for a private performance.
1867: Composed the
two act opera "The Contrabandista".
1869: Sullivan met
W.S Gilbert for the first time. He was
introduced to him by his lifelong friend Frederic Clay at a rehearsal
for "Ages Ago", an operetta with music by Clay. Wrote
the Oratorio "The Prodigal Son" for the Three Choirs Festival.
1870: The "Overture di Ballo" was written
for the Birmingham Festival and became one of his most popular orchestral
works.
1871: Became the
first Principal of the National Training College, which was later
to become the Royal College of Music. Creation of "Thespis"
or "The Gods grown Old" The first collaboration between
Gilbert and Sullivan. Composed the incidental music for "The
Merchant of Venice" for the Prince's Theatre Manchester.
1872:
Composed his Te Deum. Wrote the music to the hymn
"Onward Christian Soldiers"
1873: Wrote an Oratorio
"The Light of the World" for the Birmingham Festival.
1874: Composed the
incidental music to a performance of "The Merry Wives of Windsor"
at the Gaiety Theatre, London.
1875: First performance
of "Trial by Jury".
1876: Richard D'Oyly
Carte formed his comic opera company
1877: First performance
of "The Sorcerer". Sullivan wrote many popular songs and
the best known "The Lost Chord" was written in this year.
1878: First performance
of HMS Pinafore.
1879: First
performance of "The Pirates of Penzance" in Paignton and
later in New York.
1880: First performance
of "The Pirates of Penzance" in London.
1881: Opening of
the Savoy Theatre on 10th October by Richard D'Oyly Carte which
was to make the joint works of Gilbert
and Sullivan famous. First performance of "Patience" a
satire about Oscar Wilde and his circle.
This work transferred from the Opera Comique to the Savoy.
1882: First performance
of "Iolanthe".
1883: Knighted.
1885: First performance
of "The Mikado".
1886: Composed his
most important Cantata "The Golden Legend".
1887: First performance
of "Ruddigore".
1888: First performance
of "The Yeomen of the Guard".
1889:
First performance of "The Gondoliers".
1890:
Quarreled with Gilbert supposedly about the
style of carpet in the Savoy Theatre
1891:
Composed a serious opera "Ivanhoe".
He also composed many ballads and hymn tunes. His most famous song
cycles were "Orpheus with his Lute" and "The Lost
Chord". His most famous hymn tune was "Onward Christian
Soldiers.
1892:
Composed "Haddon Hall" with libretto by
Sydney Grundy.
1893:
First performance of "Utopia Limited". The
rift between Gilbert and Sullivan was
temporarily halted.
1895: Composed "The
Chieftain" with libretto by Burnand.
1896:
First performance of "The Grand Duke".
1898: Composed "The
Beauty Stone with libretto by Comyn Carr.
1899: Composed "The
Rose of Persia" with libretto by Basil Hood. His last years
were spent in obscurity in much pain which even morphine couldn't
relieve.
(1901): Edward German
completes Sullivan's work "The Emerald Isle".
Marriage:
Sullivan had liaisons with many women but never
married. In 1896, he proposed to Violet Beddington then 20, but
she said no.
Places of Interest:
BATH:
The Assembly Rooms.
LONDON:
The Royal Academy of Music.
The Savoy Theatre, The Strand. Next to the Savoy Hotel which was
built later.
Date and Place of Death:
22nd November 1900, London, England.
Age at Death:
58.
Site of Grave:
St. Paul's Cathedral, London, England.
Grave of Sir Arthur Sullivan,
Crypt of St Paul's Cathedral London
(© Anthony Blagg)
