A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Kelly, Michael

by William H. Husk

KELLY, Michael, was born in Dublin about 1764, was taught singing by Passerini, Peretti, and St. Giorgio, and ultimately by Rauzzini, on whose advice his father sent him to Naples to study. Before quitting Dublin, however, a fortuitous circumstance led to his appearance on the stage as the Count in Piccinni's 'Buona Figliuola,' and that again to his performing the hero in Michael Arne's 'Cymon,' and Lionel in 'Lionel and Clarissa.' On May 1, 1779, he quitted Dublin, and arrived in Naples May 30. He placed himself under the tuition of Finaroli, head of the Conservatorio of La Madonna di Loreto. He subsequently studied under Aprile, with whom he visited Palermo, and then went successively to Leghorn, Florence, Bologna, and Venice, ultimately reaching Vienna, where he was engaged at the Court theatre. There he remained four years, enjoying the intimate friendship of Mozart, who on the production of his 'Nozze di Figaro' allotted to Kelly (whose name he spells 'Occhely ' in his MS. catalogue) the parts of Basilio and Don Curzio. Being anxious to visit England Kelly obtained leave of absence from the Emperor, and in Feb. 1787 quitted Vienna in company with Stephen Storace, his mother and sister—Signora Storace—and Attwood. He appeared at Drury Lane on April 20, in his old part of Lionel, and continued there as first tenor until he quitted the stage. He also sang at the Concert of Ancient Music, the Handel performances in Westminster Abbey, and in the provinces. In 1789 he made his first appearance as a composer by the production of the music to two pieces called 'False Appearances' and 'Fashionable Friends,' and from that date till 1820 furnished the music for 62 dramatic pieces, besides writing a considerable number of English, Italian and French single songs, etc. In 1793 he was engaged at the King's Theatre, of which he was for many years acting manager. On Jan. 1, 1802, he opened a music shop in Pall Mall adjoining the Opera House, but this promising speculation failed owing to his inattention, and in 1811 he was made a bankrupt. He also engaged in the wine trade, and this circumstance, combined with the suspicion that some of Kelly's compositions were derived from foreign sources, led Sheridan to propose that he should inscribe over his shop, Michael Kelly, Composer of Wines and Importer of Music.' On Sept. 5, 1811, at Dublin, Kelly made his last appearance on the stage. In 1826 he published his 'Reminiscences' in 2 vols. 8vo. This entertaining work, which reached a second edition in the same year, was written by Theodore Hook from materials furnished by Kelly. Its personal notices of Mozart are both interesting and important, and have been done justice to by Otto Jahn (2nd ed. ii. 242, etc.) Kelly died at Margate, Oct. 9, 1826. The following is a list of the pieces for which he composed the music:—

'False Appearances' and 'Fashionable Friends.' 1789; 'A Friend in need,' 'The Last of the Family,' 'The Chimney Corner,' and 'The Castle Spectre.' 1797; 'Blue Beard,' 'The Outlaws.' 'The Captive of Spielberg (with Dussek) and 'Aurelio and Miranda,' 1798; 'Feudal Times' and 'Pizarro,' 1799; 'Of age to-morrow,' 'De Montfort,' and 'The Indians,' 1800; 'Deaf and Dumb,' 'Adelmorn the Outlaw,' and 'The Gipsy Prince,' 1801; 'Urania,' 'Algonah,' and 'A House to be sold,' 1802; 'The Hero of the North,' 'The Marriage Promise,' and 'Love laughs at locksmiths,' 1803; 'Cinderella,' 'The Counterfeit,' 'The Hunter of the Alps,' 'The Gay Deceivers,' 'The Blind Bargain,' and 'The land we live in,' 1804; 'The Honey Moon,' 'A Prior Claim,' and 'Youth, Love, and Folly,' 1805; 'We fly by night,' 'The Forty Thieves,' and 'Adrian and Orilla,' 1806; 'The Young Hussar,' 'Town and Country,' 'The Wood Demon (with M. P. King), ' The House of Morville', 'Adelgitha,' and 'Time's a tell- tale,' 1807; 'The Jew of Mogadore,' 'The Africans,' and 'Venoni,' 1808; 'The Foundling of the Forest' and 'The Jubilee,' 1809; 'Gustavus Vasa' and a Ballet, 1810; 'The Peasant Boy,' 'The Royal Oak,' and 'One o'clock,' 1811; 'The Absent Apothecary,' 'The Russians, 'Polly', 'The Illusion,' and 'Harlequin Harper,' 1813; 'The Remorse,' 1814; 'The Unknown Guest, 1815; 'The Fall of Taranto,' 1817; 'The Bride of Abydos,' 1818; 'Abudah,' 1819; and 'The Lady Devil,' 1820.

[ W. H. H. ]