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Frederic Clay

Frederic Emes Clay (3 August 1838 – 24 November 1889) was an English composer known principally for songs and his music written for the stage. Although from a musical family, for 16 years Clay made his living as a civil servant in HM Treasury, composing in his spare time, until a legacy in 1873 enabled him to become a full-time composer. He had his first big stage success with Ages Ago (1869), a short comic opera with a libretto by W. S. Gilbert, for the small Gallery of Illustration; it ran well and was repeatedly revived. Clay, a great friend of his fellow composer Arthur Sullivan, introduced the latter to Gilbert, leading to the Gilbert and Sullivan partnership.

In addition to Gilbert, Clay's librettists during his 24-year career included B. C. Stephenson, Tom Taylor, T. W. Robertson, Robert Reece and G. R. Sims. The last of his four pieces with Gilbert was Princess Toto (1875), which had short runs in the West End and in New York. Clay's other compositions include cantatas and numerous individual songs. His last two works were both successful operas composed in 1883, The Merry Duchess and The Golden Ring. He then suffered a stroke that paralysed him at the age of 44 and ended his career.

The historian Kurt Gänzl has called Clay "the first significant composer of the modern era of British musical theatre", but even his most successful stage works were soon eclipsed by those of Gilbert and Sullivan. During his lifetime he was best known for his parlour songs, which were familiar throughout Britain. Clay's music was widely regarded as not particularly original or memorable, but musicianly and pleasing.

Birth and Death Data: Born August 3, 1840 (Paris), Died November 24, 1889 (Buckinghamshire)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1898 - 1928

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 26-42 of 42 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia 48682 12-in. 4/7/1916 I'll sing thee songs of Araby Harling Mixed Quartet Mixed vocal quartet composer  
Columbia 48885 12-in. 8/9/1916 I'll sing thee songs of Araby Vernon Stiles Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 48940 12-in. 10/4/1916 I'll sing thee songs of Araby James Harrod Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 49731 12-in. 1/7/1920 I'll sing thee songs of Araby George Meader Male vocal solo composer  
Columbia 6037 12-in. approximately 1909 or 1910 The sands o' Dee Edgar Coyle Male vocal solo composer  
Columbia 6187 12-in. approximately 1911 I'll sing thee songs of Araby Morgan Kingston Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 75158 12-in. 7/18/1922 She wandered down the mountain side Albert W. Ketelbey ; Dora Labbette Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 75956 12-in. approximately 1917 I'll sing thee songs of Araby Ben Davies Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 76800 12-in. 2/25/1920 I'll sing thee songs of Araby Hubert Eisdell ; Hamilton Harty Male vocal solo, with piano composer  
Brunswick 3291-3292 10-in. approximately Dec. 1919 I'll sing thee songs of Araby Theo Karle Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Edison 3090 10-in. June 1914 I'll sing thee songs of Araby Paul Althouse Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Edison 5264 10-in. 1/4/1917 I'll sing thee songs of Araby Robert D. Armour Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Edison 6507 10-in. between 12/16/1918 and 12/23/1918 Gipsy John Charles F. Robinson Bass vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Edison 6549 10-in. 1/6/1919 I'll sing thee songs of Araby Albert Lindquest Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Edison 9364 10-in. 2/4/1924 The sands o' Dee Arthur Middleton Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Gramophone 1973f 12-in. approximately Aug. 1907 I'll sing thee songs of Araby Edward Lloyd Tenor vocal solo, with piano composer  
Gramophone 4854h 10-in. 11/15/1906 I'll sing thee songs of Araby Evan Williams Male vocal solo, with piano composer  
(Results 26-42 of 42 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Clay, Frederic," accessed November 2, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/103980.

Clay, Frederic. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 2, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/103980.

"Clay, Frederic." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 2 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/103980

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