Leslie Stuart facts for kids
Leslie Stuart (born Thomas Augustine Barrett on March 15, 1863 – died March 27, 1928) was an English composer. He is famous for his Edwardian musical comedy shows, especially Florodora (1899), and for many popular songs.
He started his career in Manchester as a church organist for 14 years. He also taught music. In the late 1870s, he began writing church music and other songs. In the 1880s, he started putting on concerts. These concerts featured popular orchestral and vocal music. Stuart then focused on writing songs for music halls. These included hits like "Lily of Laguna" and "Soldiers of the King". Later, he worked to stop new songs from being added to musicals without permission. He also fought for stronger music copyright laws.
In 1895, Stuart began writing songs for George Edwardes's shows in London. His first complete musical comedy was Florodora in 1899. This show became a huge success around the world. Its song "Tell me, pretty maiden" became very well-known. Other successful musicals followed, such as The School Girl (1903) and The Belle of Mayfair (1906). By 1911, Stuart faced financial problems. He found it hard to create new music that people liked. However, he still performed his songs on the piano in variety theatre.
Contents
Life and Career of Leslie Stuart
Early Years and Musical Start
Leslie Stuart was born in Southport, England, on March 15, 1863. His birth name was Thomas Augustine Barrett. His parents were from Ireland. He grew up in Liverpool and went to St Francis Xavier's College. In 1873, his family moved to Manchester.
Stuart began his music career at age 15. He became the organist at Salford Cathedral. He worked there for seven years. Then he moved to the Church of the Holy Name in Manchester. He stayed there for another seven years. To earn more money, he wrote church music and taught music lessons.
In the 1880s and 1890s, Stuart organized and led concerts. These were called "Mr T. A. Barrett's Concerts." They took place in Manchester. The concerts featured popular orchestral music. They also included songs from comic operas. Famous singers and musicians performed at these events.
Stuart's father worked in theatre. This helped Stuart and his older brother, Stephen, develop a love for the stage. Stephen became a music-hall performer. Stuart started writing popular songs and music-hall tunes. He used different names for his songs. His most famous name was "Leslie Stuart." He wrote many popular songs for performers. These included "Lily of Laguna" (1898) and "Little Dolly Daydream." He also wrote the patriotic song "Soldiers of the King" (1894). In 1886, Stuart married Mary Catherine Fox.
Moving to Musical Theatre
Stuart first wrote for local theatres in Manchester. He created songs and music for pantomime shows. These shows often had famous actors. In the 1890s, Stuart became known for writing popular songs. These songs were often added into other musicals. Later in his career, he would speak out against this practice. One of his first such songs was "Lousiana Lou." This song was added to the show The Shop Girl (1894).
Stuart wrote several songs for An Artist's Model (1895). He also wrote "Trilby Will Be True" for another show. His songs were used in many other musicals. These included The Circus Girl (1896) and The Yashmak (1897).
Stuart wrote about 65 songs in total. Besides those mentioned, he wrote "The Bandolero." He also created instrumental pieces. Stuart faced many problems with people copying his music. This led him to focus more on musical theatre. He hoped this would help him earn more from his music.
Success with Florodora and Other Shows
Stuart's biggest success came in 1899 with Florodora. This was his first full musical comedy. The show had a mix of love songs, waltzes, and lively group numbers. Florodora became a huge hit around the world. The famous "double sextet" song from the show, "Tell me, pretty maiden," was very popular. A music critic praised the song's beautiful and unexpected parts. He even compared it to classical music.
After Florodora, Stuart had more successful shows. These included The Silver Slipper (1901) and The School Girl (1903). Others were The Belle of Mayfair (1906) and Havana (1908). All these musicals were popular and performed internationally.
Stuart was a strong supporter of intellectual property rights. He wanted stricter laws for copyright in music. At the time, some publishers would pay producers to add their songs into popular musicals. Stuart used his fame from Florodora to fight this practice. He successfully stopped it in his next few shows. He also worked to stop unauthorized music copying. He fought for stronger copyright laws in Britain and America.
The success of Stuart's shows made George Edwardes hopeful. He thought Stuart could replace other famous composers. However, Stuart's next show, Captain Kidd (1909), was not a big hit. Critics said the music was okay but not special. His show The Slim Princess (1910) had only a small impact. Peggy was produced in 1911. It had a fair run in London and on Broadway. But these shows did not add much to his fame.
Later Years and Legacy
By 1911, Stuart faced financial difficulties. He had not had new stage hits. This led to him appearing in bankruptcy court. He was declared bankrupt in 1913. He was not released from bankruptcy until 1920. At 48, music styles were changing. New dance rhythms became popular. This meant his career as a main composer was mostly over. However, he still wrote some songs that were added to other shows. He also wrote a musical called Bubbles (1914). This show was only performed in smaller towns.
Stuart still earned money from Florodora revivals. He also performed his famous songs on the piano in variety theatre. He wrote a series of articles for a newspaper in 1927. These were his memories and stories. They were later published as My Bohemian Life. Stuart and his wife, Kitty, had five children.
Leslie Stuart died in Richmond, Surrey, in 1928. He was 65 years old. He was buried in Richmond Cemetery.
Reputation and Legacy
A critic named James Agate once showed how good Stuart's music was. He took a Stuart song and slowed it down. He added German words. Serious musicians then thought it was a newly found song by Brahms. In 2003, critic Rodney Milnes called Stuart "the most gifted composer of musical comedy in Britain" between two other famous composers.
A biographical film about Stuart was made in 1941. It was called You Will Remember. Robert Morley played Leslie Stuart in the movie. The film features several of Stuart's songs. His songs have also been used in many other films. A special plaque of Stuart was placed in the Manchester Central Library in 1939. It says he was "A son of Manchester who moved the nation to song."
