New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-11-23
TIE coMPosER,s CAREER.

Arthur Sullivan born in London on May l3,
1872 His father Irish bandmaster, who
filed post the Royal College, Sandhurst from
l845 to 1856. and after that till his death at the
Military School of Music at Kneller Hall. His
mother came Of an Italian family named Right.
Like many OF his kind. ne was unsteady pre-
cocous as a child Al eight years of age he had
learned to play nearly all the instruments in
band. and had composed anthem. BY the
Waters OF Ba bylon"; at thirteen he scored a march
from Sir Frederick Ouseley's oratorio, THE Mar
tyrdom Of ST Polycarp." for his fathers band in
one day and from memory. He had then been
chorister of the Chapel Royal for a year In $50
the Mendelssohn scholarship at the Royal Acad-
envy Of Music founded. and he carried it off
over a number of competitors. the most dangerous
Of whom Joseph Barnby. The candidates were
required be at least fourteen years old. and Sui
Ivan came within the qualifications by only five or
six weeks. His scholarship extended two years
as a reward OF his great industry the academy.
but at the end of the first year his voice broke.
and he went to the conservatory at Leipsc, where
he studied from ISIS TO 1861, his professors being
Moscheles and Plaidy pianoforte: Hauptmann.
counterpoint; Rietz. composition, and David. or
chestra playing and conducting. He gave bright
promise in the last department and was highly
commended for his success when he conducted his
overture TO The Feast of Roses" from Moores
''Lalla Rookh' When he returned to London in
1861 he carried his music TO Shakespeares Tenn
pest with him. This composition 1t was that
established his reputation in London. 1t per-
formed the Crystal Palace April 8, 1862. and
repeated the following Saturday. Charles Dick
had gone the first concert in the company Of
Henry +. Chorey. musical critic of The Ath-
enRum.' He waited in the artists till Sui
Ivan out, gripped his hand and said; II don't
profess be musical critic but | do know that
have listened TO very remarkable work" There
upon the two became friends forever Then fol-
lowed the Irish symphony, the cantata "Kenil-
worth, written for the Birmingham festival OF
1864, and the In Memoriam' in 1866
tribute TO his dead father. This overture has been
performed in America. but the symphony and
tata have never come under notice. The over
ture, which Mr.. Thomas played at one of his popu-
lar concerts in November. 1886 not published
until 1885
For Americans Sir Arthur lived only the
operettas which he wrote in collaboration with MT
Gilbert. This began in 1861 after Box and Cox"
had been produced. One morning Gilbert called on
Sullivan to read the manuscript OF "A Trial by
Jury Sir Arthur thus told the story himself;
He read ii through. IL seemed to me, in
perturbed way with gradual crescendo or
indignation. in the manner OF a man considerably
disappointed with what he had written. AS soon
he had GENE the last word he closed up the
manuscript violently. apparently unconscious OF
the fact that he had achieved his purpose far
as / was concerned. inasmuch l was screaming
with laughter the whole time Three weeks later
all London also screaming with laughter, TOT
within that time delightful little skit had been
composed rehearsed and produced or this happy
collaboration this journal has spoken with all the
enthusiasm OF which it was capable. Nothing thar
England has done in music and the drama for hall
a century is comparable with II. whether con-
sidared for its own for the sake Of its In
huence upon public taste. 1t is really the one
truly ma tionaI thing in English art which we can
recall and the meeting of Gilbert and Sullivan