The History of Ages Ago

In 1855, actress Priscilla Horton and her husband, composer and theatrical manager Thomas German Reed, started presenting “entertainments.” Initially simply evenings of songs and sketches written and performed by the German Reeds, these presentations soon grew into a series of small-scale theatrical performances performed at the Royal Gallery of Illustration. Theatre in England at the time was not seen as respectable, and so the “entertainments” resisted being labeled as “plays,” and the Gallery staunchly refused to be called a “theatre.” A typical evening at the Gallery would comprise two pieces – one-act plays or operas – scored for piano at first, and later piano and harmonium, and sometimes harp. These pieces would often feature up-and-coming talent, such as 32-year-old playwright William Schwenk Gilbert, who, in 1869, wrote his first original musical work for the German Reeds.

Gilbert, by this point, was a regular contributor to the comic magazine Fun, and had had enough success with his comic poetry to justify the publication of the first collected volume of The “Bab” Ballads in 1868. He was, however, still relatively new to the stage, having had some success with parodies of popular operas[1], but not so much with original works. No Cards, with music by Thomas German Reed, was Gilbert’s first attempt at writing lyrics for an original score rather than pre-existing tunes, as well as his first musical work with an original story. No Cards, a farce involving the familiar tropes of a large inheritance, mixed-up engagements, and increasingly ridiculous disguises, premiered in March of 1869, on a double bill with the first professional production Arthur Sullivan and F.C. Burnand’s Cox and Box.[2]

No Cards was received with, if not glowing praise, at least positive encouragement. One review described it thus:

No Cards may, indeed, be regarded as the germ of a comedy; it is certainly suggestive of what Mr. Gilbert might accomplish in a higher class of dramatic literature than that to which he has hitherto devoted his talents… The slight plot of this little sparkling play is skillfully worked out by Mr. W.S. Gilbert. Dialogue and songs, at times humorous and satirical, are always to the point… Altogether, No Cards may be confidently recommended to those who would enjoy an evening of continuous merriment. There is not a dull moment while it is being performed– a remark which will, no doubt, apply equally well to Mr. Burnand’s Cox and Box, when it has been materially compressed.

- The Penny Illustrated Paper , April 10, 1869

For a followup piece, Gilbert teamed up with Frederic Clay, a Treasury clerk and composer who, though regarded as an amateur by the press, had composed several one-act operas to generally polite reception. His 1865 opera Constance, with a libretto by T.W. Robertson[3], received some attention in the press, and reviews described Clay’s contribution:

The music is fresh and pleasing, and does honour to the talents of the young composer, who is, we understand, an amateur. It is melodious, flowing, well written for the voices, and very ingeniously instrumented.

- The Daily News    January 24, 1865

Mr. Frederic Clay is an amateur, and his music must not be judged too critically. Not, indeed, that his operetta has anything jejune in it, nor that he is not a master of his means. His means are certainly limited, and as yet he gives promise only of a fair future. Few amateurs, nevertheless, and more especially in a first work, have shown more decided talent on any occasion we can remember. Mr. Clay’s knowledge of instrumentation is by no means inconsiderable, and his feeling for harmony is undeniable. His concerted music wants greater variety; and though it flows on without effort, it loses much of its interest from its sameness. Greater freedom in manner and happier invention may be expected to come with time and experience.

- The Standard     January 24, 1865

Mr. Clay is a young composer, who may perhaps be considered to have erred on the side of not attempting too much. What he has accomplished will please, but will not astonish. Swimmers should remember that if they do not learn to go out of their depth, their swimming will never save their lives; but Mr. Clay need not be afraid of making a bold plunge.

- Lloyd’s Weekly London Newspaper    January 29, 1865

And so, by the close of the 1860s, Gilbert and Clay were both up-and-comers, artists in their respective field who had received some positive attention and encouragement, but had not yet broken out into stardom.

The new piece, titled Ages Ago, had its premiere at the Gallery on November 22, 1869, paired with the still-popular Cox and Box.[4] The work was an immediate success, and the greatest theatrical hit that either author had had to date:

The debutante, Miss Leonora Braham, made a highly successful first appearance – on any stage, we were informed. She possesses an agreeable soprano voice, and exhibits a natural aptitude for the stage. Her scene with “Sir Aubrey,” in the portrait scene, was very effective in point of vocalisation, and in the finish of her acting.

- The Standard    April 27, 1874

Gilbert and Clay collaborated on one more opera, Princess Toto, which premiered in Nottingham on June 24, 1876, before coming to London’s Royal Strand Theatre on October 2. Princess Toto garnered  enthusiastic reviews for both the music and libretto, but had only a brief run. By this time, Gilbert had also written two operas with Arthur Sullivan – a composer of much greater notoriety than Clay – the most recent of which, the one-act Trial by Jury, was received with rapturous acclaim that well exceeded the success of Ages Ago. 1877 and 1878 saw Gilbert and Sullivan achieve even greater success with The Sorcerer and H.M.S. Pinafore, and in 1879, the pair sailed to New York to present Pinafore and to premiere their newest opera, The Pirates of Penzance. 

We must remember, at that moment in 1879, while Gilbert and Sullivan had indeed had a string of three great hits, it was not yet clear that they would become an institution, nor was it clear that Gilbert would never again work with Clay, with whom he had been collaborating for about the same length of time. Indeed, at the same time Gilbert and Sullivan were preparing Pirates for its New York premiere, Clay was also in New York, overseeing the American premiere of Princess Toto, starring Braham in the title role. Said one review:

The Princess Toto, words by Mr. Gilbert and music by Mr. Frederick Clay, was brought out last evening at the Standard Theatre. It is a little difficult to know whether to speak of it as an opera or as a play. It is called an opera, but, in fact, the dialogue is so extremely droll, the situations so eccentric and grotesque, and the play, as a play, so very good, that public attention is keenly fixed upon the drama to the detriment of the music. In justice to Mr. Clay, Mr. Gilbert should not have been quite so funny. The duty of a librettist is supposed to be to write nonsense, to which nobody is expected to give much heed, but which may be turned by a clever musician to good account in the making of endless pretty songs and concerted music. Mr. Gilbert does not play the part of a librettist at all according to tradition. He absolutely goes to work to make a first-rate farce, that shall set everybody laughing, and leaves the composer to keep pace with him if he can. The result in the case of the Princess Toto has been a very excellent farce in three acts, quite up to the level of the best work of the librettists of the French opera bouffe in humor and grotesque and original design, to portions of which Mr. Clay has set some very pleasing and effective music.

Mr. Clay is one of the strongest writers of graceful and sentimental melodies of the English school now living… It is his misfortune that in the present instance much of his music is sung by actors who are very good amateurs, but really not entitled to rank as professional musicians. To this Miss Braham, who took the part of the Princess Toto, is an exception, since her talents evidently lie in both directions. She is certainly a most accomplished actress, and fairly able to win her honors in that field alone, apart from her merits as a vocalist.

- New York Herald    December 14, 1879

A few months later, in April 1880, Ages Ago had its professional American premiere[7] at the Bijou Opera House in New York, with Clay conducting. Curiously, multiple reviews mention the orchestra. I do not know of any other source suggesting that Clay ever orchestrated the work, but it was paired with Alfred Cellier and B.C. Stephenson’s Charity Begins at Home, another work which originated at the Royal Gallery of Illustration which was later expanded for orchestra, so it is perhaps possible that for this New York production Clay prepared, or at least authorized, a larger orchestration:

The orchestra is quite large, and well drilled, as they are obliged to be, for some of the orchestration throughout the two operettas is full of the most delicate shading and unique effects, that could only be given their proper value by a thoroughly disciplined orchestra. It has been rumored that Mr. Frederic Clay is responsible for much of the music found in both Pinafore and the Pirates, and after hearing his Ages Ago at the Bijou, one is strongly impressed with the likeness many of his numbers bear to those found in the Pirates, the character of the music in both works being surprisingly similar, and the music in Ages Ago is as good, if not, in many places, better than that found in the last work of Gilbert and Sullivan. The refinement of wit found in Ages Ago grows upon one the more it is heard… All this pretty legend is brought forth in the daintiest of dialogue, and the piece is light without being frivolous, so that it appeals to all grades of society. The public is beginning to appreciate the beauty of this bright little opera, and the audiences are increasing at each performance.

- The Brooklyn Eagle    April 11, 1880

Ages Ago had its second London revival in 1881, with the original Rosa and Lady Maud, Fanny Holland, taking over the roles of Mrs. MacMotherly and Dame Cherry; and Alfred Reed, Thomas and Priscilla’s son, taking over the roles originated by his father.

By this time, the team of Gilbert and Sullivan had far eclipsed that of Gilbert and Clay. Gilbert and Sullivan had become enough of an institution to justify the opening of a new theatre, the Savoy, specifically to house their new operas. Patience, which had opened at the Opera Comique on April 23, 1881, moved to the new Savoy Theatre on October 10, and the work which replaced it at the Opera Comique was a revival of Gilbert and Clay’s Princess Toto[8], which was positively received by critics, the opera apparently having been revised since its 1876 premiere.

While Gilbert was enjoying immense success in his collaboration with Sullivan, Frederic Clay continued to work with other librettists. It is fair to say that, in his collaborations with Gilbert, while Clay’s music had been well-received, the greater share of critical praise had been lavished on the libretto than on the music. Clay’s 1883 opera The Golden Ring, with librettist George R. Sims, earned far more accolades for the music, with one review noting:

The Golden Ring depends less upon the librettist than upon the musician, the scene-painter, and the ballet-master. Lucky, the composer (who last night conducted in person) was Mr. Frederic Clay, who has successfully striven to prove – firstly, that evin for English féerie we need not be dependent upon foreign musicians; and secondly, that the public will appreciate music of a higher class than the thinly-scored and common-place stuff often offered to them in opera bouffe.

- The Daily News    December 4, 1883

The Golden Ring opened on December 3, 1883, and Clay suffered a stroke the following night, after conducting the second performance. The stroke left him paralyzed and ended his career. He died in 1889 at the age of 51.

A revival of Ages Ago was announced in 1895, but was replaced with a revival of Happy Arcadia instead. Fanny Holland, who originated the soprano role of Chloe, once again graduated into Priscilla’s part of Daphne[9], with Savoy Opera favorite Rutland Barrington in the role of Strephon. That seems to have been the last major production of any of Gilbert and Clay’s collaborations within either author’s lifetime.

Ages Ago is a work that has perhaps been a victim of its own influence. Though regarded as sparkling, fresh, and wildly successful at the time, it is now often treated as a footnote in Gilbert’s career. In fact, it was his first major theatrical success, and not only did it directly inform his artistic development as he moved into his collaboration with Sullivan, it was during rehearsals for Ages Ago that Gilbert met Sullivan[10]. Ages Ago is full of a young playwright’s freshest ideas, often thrown out scattershot, and many of which he would continue to develop in later works. Most famously, Gilbert repurposed the device of portraits coming to life in Ruddigore, which has led to Ages Ago developing a reputation for being something of a “proto-Ruddigore,” although in most respects the works are quite different. Clay, likewise, has developed an undeserved reputation for being “not quite so good as Sullivan,” mostly because Gilbert later found greater fame with the latter composer. Yet one listen to Ages Ago makes it clear that Clay and Sullivan are working in fundamentally different styles, and while their music is distinctly different from one another’s, there are exciting and intriguing melodic and harmonic ideas in the score of Ages Ago which you would never find in Sullivan – not because Sullivan couldn’t have thought of them, but because they were simply two different composers with two different styles. In truth, as much as Ages Ago is an early work in its creators’ respective artistic development, it was nevertheless highly successful in its day, and remains a sparkling piece in its own right, well worth reviving on its own merits.

Notes

[1]  E.g, Dulcamara, or, the Little Duck and the Great Quack; and The Vivandiere, or, True to the Corps – based, respectively, on Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore and La fille du régiment.

[2]  Cox and Box was originally written for a private performance in 1866, and was subsequently given a few charity performances. Thomas German Reed produced a two-act opera by Burnand and Sullivan, The Contrabandista, in 1867. For its first professional production in 1869, Cox and Box was advertised as a “new” work.

[3] Thomas William Robertson (1829 - 1871) was perhaps one of the most significant figures in English theater in the 19th century whose name is generally unknown today. He pioneered naturalism in English drama, and helped to define the role of the modern stage director. As Gilbert put it, “he invented stage management.” Many playwrights of the latter half of the Victorian era, Gilbert included, named Robertson as an influence, and, according to an interview given by Clay, when Clay was looking for a librettist for a new opera in 1869, it was Robertson who suggested Gilbert.

[4] Frederic Clay was a friend of Arthur Sullivan’s, and it was during rehearsals for Ages Ago that Clay introduced Gilbert to Sullivan.

[5]  Specifically, while on the ship home to England, the German Reeds insisted on playing Ages Ago every evening until the other passengers “could stand it no longer and petitioned the Captain to put us all on shore on the first island he came to.” Needless to say, for modern audiences, Our Island Home has something of a learning curve.

[6]  Braham would go on to create several roles for Gilbert and Sullivan, including Patience, Phyllis, and Princess Ida.

[7]  While researching this, I noticed that the U.S. Copyright Office records Ages Ago as having been registered for copyright in 1875. This sent me down a rabbit hole of trying to figure out why Ages Ago would have been registered for copyright in the U.S. in 1875. It turns out that an amateur group in New York had given a series of private benefit performances in 1875, and the pirated version of the libretto had been published and registered for copyright.

[8]  Richard Temple, who originated the part of the Colonel in Patience at the Opera Comique, did not move with the opera to the new theater, instead staying at the Opera Comique to play King Portico in Princess Toto.

[9]  Amusing in the context of Happy Arcadia, an opera in which the various characters inhabit each other’s bodies.

[10]  It would be disingenuous to say that if not for Ages Ago there would be no Gilbert and Sullivan. John Hollingshead as likely as not would have hired the two of them to write Thespis for the Gaiety Theatre in 1871 regardless of whether they had met in 1869.