Edward Solomon

Edward Solomon (July 25 1855 – January 22 1895) was a prolific English composer, as well as a conductor, orchestrator and pianist. Though he died before his fortieth birthday, he wrote dozens of works produced for the stage, including several for the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, among others.

Life and career

Edward ("Teddy") Solomon was born in London of Jewish descent. [ [http://www.bobsuniverse.com/BOW/Books/Bergh-Opera-4/Bergh-4-23.htm Profile of Solomon at the Opera World site] ]

Early career

His first comic opera was "A Will With a Vengeance" (1876), a one-act work with a libretto by Frederick Hay, based on "La Vendetta". This was produced at the Globe Theatre. In 1879, he met Henry Pottinger "Pot" Stephens while he was the musical director at the Royalty Theatre conducting, among other works, Arthur Sullivan's "The Zoo". With Stephens, he produced his first successes, "Billee Taylor" (1880), a "nautical comedy opera" in two acts; and "Claude Duval" (1881, celebrating a well known 18th century highwayman), [ [http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9906E5D7133EE433A25752C1A96F9C94609FD7CF&oref=slogin Review of "Claude Duval"] ] both of which remained popular for many years in both the UK and U.S. Other Solomon and Stephens successes were "Lord Bateman, or Picotee's Pledge" (1882), "Virginia, or Ringing the Changes" (1883) [ [http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&id=sZkQAAAAYAAJ&dq=%22edward+solomon%22&printsec=frontcover&source=web&ots=dxhgHYMd_V&sig=bvKnaXM2mjGWwEgZcGcX0n8BiBg Libretto to "Virginia"] ] and later "The Red Hussar" (1889), a "comedy opera" in three acts. [http://diamond.boisestate.edu/gas/whowaswho/S/SolomonEdward.htmn Solomon's profile at the "Who Was Who in the D'Oyly Carte" website] ]

Together, they would also write "Popsy Wopsy", a "musical absurdity" (1880) and "Pocahontas" (1884). Solomon also wrote the music for the short companion pieces "Quite an Adventure" (1881; Olympic Theatre; revived in 1894 at the Savoy Theatre) and "Round and Square" (1885), each with a libretto by Frank Desprez, and each produced on tour by D'Oyly Carte companies in the 1880s and 1890s.

Other early shows included "Love and Larceny" in 1881, a farce, "Through the Looking-Glass" (1882), the successful "Polly, or The Pet of the Regiment" (1884) and "Pepita" (1886). He also wrote ballads like "I Should Like To" and "Over the Way", and numerous salon piano solos (he arranged George Grossmith's "See Me Dance the Polka" for piano).

Later career

From 1891–93, after Gilbert and Sullivan had temporarily separated, Richard D'Oyly Carte mounted a number of non-G&S pieces to keep the Savoy Theatre open, including a revival of "The Vicar of Bray" in 1892. Solomon's most famous work produced by the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company was probably "The Nautch Girl or The Rajah of Chutneypore" (1891), an "Indian comic opera" in two acts with a libretto by George Dance, and lyrics by George Dance and Frank Desprez. It initially ran for 200 performances at the Savoy Theatre and then toured. The company also toured "The Vicar of Bray".

With F. C. Burnand, Solomon also wrote "Pickwick" (1889) and "Domestic Economy" (1890). His last stage work was "On the March" (1896), a musical comedy in two acts, with John Crook and Frederic Clay, to a libretto by William Yardley, B. C. Stephenson and Cecil Clay, based on "In Camp" by Victoria Vokes.

Bigamous marriage and other information

Solomon became notorious because of his bigamous marriage to American prima donna Lillian Russell, whom he met at the Kew York Casino where he was the musical director and she became the star. Subsequently, she starred in several of his works. When she learned of his previous marriage, she sued for divorce.

His brother Frederick Solomon sang in "Billee Taylor" in the provinces (1883) and was the composer of the comic opera "Captain Kidd, or The Bold Buccaneer," produced at the Prince of Wales' Theatre, Liverpool, on 10 September 1883.

Had he lived, he might have been chosen to complete Sullivan and Hood's "The Emerald Isle" after Sullivan's death, but Solomon died in London of typhoid fever at the age of 39.

elected operas by Solomon

* "Billee Taylor" (1880)
* "Quite an Adventure" (1881)
* "The Vicar of Bray" (1882)
* "The Red Hussar" (1889)
* "The Nautch Girl" (1891)

Notes

References

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External links

* [http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?ID=8795 Edward Solomon at the IBDB database]
* [http://musicaltheatreguide.com/composers/solomon/solomon_edward.htm List of many of Solomon's stage works]
* [http://math.boisestate.edu/gas/whowaswho/S/SolomonEdward.htm Profile of Solomon at the Who Was Who in the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company website]
* [http://math.boisestate.edu/GaS/british/musicals.html Listing of English musicals with links]
* [http://math.boisestate.edu/GaS/companions/html/curtain.htm Information about Savoy curtain raisers]