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Biography Alfred Cellier

Alfred Cellier (December 1, 1844–December 28, 1891), was an English composer, orchestrator and conductor. In addition to conducting the original productions of several of the most famous Gilbert and Sullivan works, his comic opera, Dorothy, became one of the longest-running pieces of musical theatre in history.

He was born at Hackney, in London, to Arsène Cellier, a professor of languages from France, and his wife Mary Ann. From 1855 to 1860 he was a chorister at the Chapel Royal, St. James', under the Rev. Thomas Helmore, where Arthur Sullivan was one of his schoolmates.

Cellier owed much to the influence of Sullivan. He was not able to imbue his pieces with as much humour and vivacity, but he was a fertile melodist, and his writing is distinguished by elegance and refinement. He died in London.

Early career

Cellier's first appointments were as organist at All Saint's Church, Blackheath and as conductor of the Belfast Philharmonic Society (both in 1862). In 1866 he succeeded Dr. Chipp as director of the Ulster Hall concerts, Belfast, at the same time acting as conductor of the Belfast Philharmonic Society. In 1868 he returned to London as organist of St. Alban's, Holborn. From 1871 to 1875 he was conductor at the Prince's Theatre, in Manchester.

During this period he composed many comic operas and operettas, of which the most successful was The Sultan of Mocha, produced in Manchester in 1874 (revived in London in 1876 and 1887 and in New York in 1880, among others). He also wrote numerous separate songs and composed for orchestra (including his Symphonic Suite) and the piano. Most of Cellier's early operatic works, including Charity Begins at Home (1870, with a libretto by B. C. Stephenson), Topsyturveydom (1874, with a libretto by W. S. Gilbert), The Tower of London (1875), Nell Gwynne (1876), and Bella Donna (1878), had limited popularity.

D'Oyly Carte years

and The Sorcerer from 1877]]In December 1877 Cellier joined the D'Oyly Carte organisation as musical director at the Opera Comique. There he conducted The Sorcerer (1877), H.M.S. Pinafore (1878—for which he wrote the overture, based on themes from the opera), Trial by Jury (1878), George Grossmith's Cups and Saucers (1878–79), and three of his own one-act works: Dora's Dream (1877–78 revival), The Spectre Knight (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.[1] His brother, François, succeeded him as musical director at the Opera Comique in 1879.

In 1879, he accompanied Gilbert, Sullivan, and Carte to America, where he conducted Pinafore and The Pirates of Penzance, on tour with Carte's First American Company. He returned to London in July 1880 to direct the music for Pirates and another of his own pieces with Desprez, In the Sulks, but in April 1881 he ceded the baton at the Savoy to his brother.

Cellier also composed a three-act grand opera version of Longfellow's The Masque of Pandora (with a libretto by B. C. Stephenson) presented in Boston (1881). He returned to America later that year to conduct D'Oyly Carte's New York productions of Billee Taylor (1882, including a tour beyond New York City), Les Manteaux Noirs and Rip Van Winkle (fall of 1882), and Iolanthe (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. He and Sullivan also jointly conducted Promenade Concerts. In 1883, Cellier left the D'Oyly Carte organisation, but he returned for brief stints as musical director with D'Oyly Carte's touring companies for Princess Ida (1884) and The Mikado (1885). Cellier composed two additional companion pieces that received their premieres at the Savoy Theatre: The Carp (played with The Mikado and Ruddigore in 1886–87), and Mrs. Jarramie's Genie (composed jointly with his brother François, with libretti by Desprez, and performed with several operas at the Savoy between 1887 and 1889).

Dorothy and later pieces

]]In 1886, Cellier wrote his greatest success, Dorothy, a comic opera with a libretto by B. C. Stephenson, which was produced at the Gaiety Theatre on September 25 1886, and, transferred first to the Prince of Wales Theatre and subsequently to the Lyric Theatre, running until April 1889. Dorothy became the longest running musical theatre piece in history, up to that time, running longer than even The Mikado, an event that caused consternation to Cellier's friend Arthur Sullivan. Its success led to revivals of Cellier's earlier works.

Cellier also travelled to Australia, where he conducted The Mikado, Dorothy and other works between 1886 and 1888. His last 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.Often in ill health throughout his life, Cellier was unable to finish The Mountebanks, and Ivan Caryll completed the score. He was buried in West Norwood Cemetery.