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221:. At a time when the respectable middle classes regarded the theatre in general as sinful and even dangerous places of naughty humour, alcohol and prostitution, the Reeds called their establishment the "Gallery" of Illustration, rather than a "theatre", and their productions "entertainments" or "illustrative gatherings", rather than plays,
29:
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When the lease on the
Gallery of Illustration ended in 1873, the German Reed entertainments moved to St. George's Hall. After falling from his horse when hunting, Reed had retired in 1871; his son Alfred (1847–1895) took over the entertainments with his mother, continuing with the entertainments
311:
as well as
Sullivan and Reed himself. He wrote the scores for more than a dozen of the entertainments, and is described by the museum curator Fredric Woodbridge Wilson as "an imaginative and effective writer of music for the stage". Little of Reed's music survives. A few individual songs were
62:, a noted singer, actress and dancer, in 1844. By 1851, he was managing opera productions at various theatres in London and on tour. In 1855, Reed and his wife began to present and perform in "Mr. and Mrs. German Reed's Entertainments", consisting of brief, small-scale, family-friendly
66:. In the early and mid-Victorian era, the respectable middle classes regarded the theatre in general as sinful. Therefore, the Reeds shrewdly called their establishment the "Gallery of Illustration" and their productions "entertainments" to emphasize their refined propriety.
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166:
In 1838, Reed was appointed chapel-master at the Royal
Bavarian Chapel and also became musical director at his father's former employer, the Haymarket Theatre, where he continued to work until 1851 with the exception of a temporary closure in 1843, during which he produced
185:
and actress who had been performing on the stage in London since the age of ten. They married in 1844. By that year he had dropped his first name. In 1851, Reed was engaged to assist in the production of opera at the
235:
characterised the works as "extravaganza of the more refined order." Reed and his wife almost always appeared in these pieces, and on the few occasions when they did not, the box-office receipts suffered.
275:
and other
English operas in small-scale productions, as well as non-musical plays. Around the same time, at the Gallery of Illustration, he presented works with libretti by, among others,
201:, Reed and his wife presented the first performance of "Miss P. Horton's Illustrative Gatherings," musical theatre. These performances usually consisted of one or two brief
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51:, together with his actress wife, a genre of musical plays that made theatre-going respectable at a time when the stage was considered disreputable.
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131:. The young Reed played, sang and acted at the theatre. In 1832, German Reed became an organist at the Roman Catholic Chapel in
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107:, as well as himself. Reed retired in 1871 after an injury, and his son Alfred took over the entertainments with his mother.
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German (1796–1839). He studied music with his father and made his debut at the age of ten as a pianist and singer at the
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or a small ensemble of musicians. They eventually became "Mr. and Mrs. German Reed's
Entertainments", presented at the
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While acting as organist and chapel-master at chapels in London, and also as musical director and performer at
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Reed became the lessee of St. George's Hall in 1867, and there he initially produced and conducted
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published, but the scores of the entertainments were not. The autograph of the music for
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and later managed Sadler's Wells Opera for a season and also conducted the music at the
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was an
English composer, musical director, actor, singer and theatrical manager of the
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128:
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Theatre. The family moved to London where Thomas Reed was appointed conductor at the
529:, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edition, Jan 2008, accessed 1 February 2013
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designed for a minimal number of characters and performed with either the piano and
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in the 1830s and 1840s, Reed tried his hand at producing opera. He married
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119:, the son of Thomas Reed (1795–1871), a musician, and his wife, Frances,
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556:, Grove Music Online, Oxford University Press, accessed 31 January 2013
181:. During these years, he met Priscilla Horton, a successful and popular
16:
English theatrical manager, composer, musical director, actor and singer
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75:, the Reeds usually presented new works by English writers such as
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39:(27 June 1817 – 21 March 1888), known after 1844 as simply
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Information and links about
Gilbert's works for the German Reeds
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and assistant to his father, who moved to be conductor at the
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The Golden Fleece, or Jason in
Colchis and Medea in Corinth
194:, as well as touring extensively in the British provinces.
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320:, New York, but no other scores are known to be extant.
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251:at the Royal Gallery of Illustration, April 1867
650:, Vol. 29, No. 542 (1 April 1888), p. 234
145:in 1837. He also gave private music lessons.
648:The Musical Times and Singing Class Circular
416:Mildred's Well, a Romance of the Middle Ages
726:People associated with Gilbert and Sullivan
597:. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
666:Description of an "Illustrative Gathering"
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362:The Drama at Home, or An Evening with Puff
324:after her retirement in 1879, until 1895.
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19:For other people named Thomas Reed, see
642:. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
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711:English theatre managers and producers
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47:. He was best known for creating the
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335:at the age of 70. He was buried in
243:Reed (in top hat) with his wife and
751:19th-century English businesspeople
523:"Reed, (Thomas) German (1817–1888)"
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69:In addition to comic classics like
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217:, beginning in 1856, and later at
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706:19th-century British male singers
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487:(1877, libretto by F. C. Burnand)
445:(1875, libretto by W. S. Gilbert)
412:(1871, libretto by W. S. Gilbert)
404:(1870, libretto by W. S. Gilbert)
396:(1869, libretto by W. S. Gilbert)
736:19th-century classical composers
731:19th-century English male actors
646:Obituary: Thomas German Reed in
594:Dictionary of National Biography
625:Williamson, David, ed. (1895).
318:The Morgan Library & Museum
741:19th-century British composers
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327:Reed died at St. Croix, Upper
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746:19th-century theatre managers
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552:Woodbridge Wilson, Frederic.
343:Works composed by German Reed
211:Royal Gallery of Illustration
721:English male opera composers
533:UK public library membership
21:Thomas Reed (disambiguation)
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701:English classical composers
638:Stedman, Jane, ed. (1967).
631:; records and reminiscences
588:"Reed, Thomas German"
152:Poster for German Reed and
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337:Old Mortlake Burial Ground
197:In the spring of 1855, at
91:. His composers included
49:German Reed Entertainments
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696:English male stage actors
295:. His composers included
179:Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
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451:(libretto by Arthur Law)
386:The Wonderful Water Cure
351:Cover of vocal score of
716:English opera composers
640:Gilbert Before Sullivan
558:(subscription required)
443:; or, The Art of Seeing
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633:. London: A.D. Innes.
627:The German Reeds and
611:, 26 March 1888, p. 9
554:"Reed, Thomas German"
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368:A Match for the King
247:and Susan Galton in
434:The Ancient Britons
380:Who's the Composer?
479:A Night's Surprise
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272:The Beggar's Opera
258:The Contrabandista
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72:The Beggar's Opera
37:Thomas German Reed
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531:(subscription or
521:Stedman, Jane W.
473:Matched and Mated
428:The Three Tenants
409:A Sensation Novel
285:Gilbert à Beckett
249:A Dream in Venice
219:St. George's Hall
199:St. Martin's Hall
159:A Sensation Novel
129:Haymarket Theatre
115:Reed was born in
89:Gilbert à Beckett
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441:Eyes and No Eyes
354:Eyes and No Eyes
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101:George Macfarren
60:Priscilla Horton
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64:comic operas
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686:1888 deaths
681:1817 births
607:"Obituary"
449:Enchantment
142:Fra Diavolo
41:German Reed
32:German Reed
675:Categories
619:References
329:East Sheen
293:Arthur Law
245:John Parry
227:burlesques
609:The Times
535:required)
232:The Times
207:harmonium
183:contralto
171:'s opera
393:No Cards
485:No. 204
177:at the
117:Bristol
481:(1877)
475:(1876)
469:(1876)
463:(1876)
457:(1875)
436:(1875)
430:(1874)
424:(1874)
418:(1873)
388:(1846)
382:(1845)
376:(1845)
370:(1844)
364:(1844)
333:Surrey
174:Sappho
169:Pacini
162:, 1871
492:Notes
225:, or
307:and
291:and
265:and
125:Bath
103:and
87:and
261:by
229:.
213:in
156:'s
121:née
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23:.
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