Michael Kelly (25 December 1762 – 9 October 1826) was an Irish

tenor A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below m ...

, composer and theatrical manager who made an international career of importance in musical history. One of the leading figures in British musical theatre around the turn of the nineteenth century, he was a close associate of playwright and poet

Richard Brinsley Sheridan Richard Brinsley Butler Sheridan (30 October 17517 July 1816) was an Anglo-Irish playwright, writer and Whig politician who sat in the British House of Commons from 1780 to 1812, representing the constituencies of Stafford, Westminster and I ...

. He also became friends with musicians such as

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...

, Storace, and

Paisiello Giovanni Paisiello (or Paesiello; 9 May 1740 – 5 June 1816) was an Italian composer of the Classical era, and was the most popular opera composer of the late 1700s. His operatic style influenced Mozart and Rossini. Life Paisiello was born in ...

, and created roles for the operas of all three composers. With his friend and fellow singer

Nancy Storace Anna (or Ann) Selina Storace (; 27 October 176524 August 1817), known professionally as Nancy Storace, was an English operatic soprano. The role of Susanna in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Mozart's ''The Marriage of Figaro, Le nozze di Figaro'' was w ...

, he was one of the first tenors of that era from Britain and Ireland to become famous in Italy and

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

. In Italy he was also known as O'Kelly or even Signor Ochelli. Although the primary source for his life is his ''Reminiscences'', doubt has been cast on the reliability of his own account, and it has been said that ' y statement of Kelly's is immediately suspect.'

Dublin beginnings

Michael Kelly's father Thomas, a

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

wine merchant and dancing-master, held an important social position as Master of Ceremonies at

Dublin Castle Dublin Castle () is a major Government of Ireland, Irish government complex, conference centre, and tourist attraction. It is located off Dame Street in central Dublin. It is a former motte-and-bailey castle and was chosen for its position at ...

, the seat of British government in Ireland. Michael was given a serious musical education (mainly voice and keyboard) from a young age, his first teachers being the Italians Passerini (of

Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...

) and Niccolò Peretti, a male contralto, who sang at Covent Garden in the original productions of

Thomas Arne Thomas Augustine Arne (; 12 March 17105 March 1778) was an English composer. He is best known for his patriotic song " Rule, Britannia!" and the song " A-Hunting We Will Go", the latter composed for a 1777 production of '' The Beggar's Opera'', w ...

's opera (on a

Metastasio Pietro Antonio Domenico Trapassi (3 January 1698 – 12 April 1782), better known by his pseudonym of Pietro Metastasio (), was an Italian poet and librettist, considered the most important writer of ''opera seria'' libretti. Early life Met ...

text) ''

Artaxerxes Artaxerxes may refer to: The throne name of several Achaemenid rulers of the 1st Persian Empire: * Artaxerxes I of Persia (died 425 BC), Artaxerxes I Longimanus, ''r.'' 466–425 BC, son and successor of Xerxes I * Artaxerxes II of Persia (436 BC ...

'' (title role). Kelly remarked that Peretti possessed the ''true portamento,'' 'little understood by the 1820s.' With him Kelly studied the air 'In infancy our hopes and fears', composed for Peretti. Kelly also studied keyboard with Thomas Arne's son, Michael Arne. Sent to Dr Burke's academy, Kelly met many "men of genius" at friends' houses during vacations. He received singing lessons from a "signor St Giorgio" at the

Rotunda A rotunda () is any roofed building with a circular ground plan, and sometimes covered by a dome. It may also refer to a round room within a building (an example being the one below the dome of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.). ...

and piano lessons from

Philip Cogan Philip Cogan (1750 – 3 February 1833) was an Irish composer, pianist, and conductor. Biography Cogan was born in Cork, where he was a choirboy and vicar choral at St Fin Barre's Cathedral. In 1772, he was appointed a stipendiary at Christ C ...

. Also the famous surgeon-violinist John Neale, a constant family visitor, tutored him in an aria from Vento's opera '' Demofoonte''. At various times the visitors to the Kellys' house included such distinguished musicians as François-Hippolyte Barthélemon, Wilhelm Cramer (father of John), Thomas Pinto (grandfather of

George George may refer to: Names * George (given name) * George (surname) People * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Papagheorghe, also known as Jorge / GEØRGE * George, stage name of Gior ...

Johann Peter Salomon Johann Peter Salomon (20 February 1745 aptized– 25 November 1815) was a German violinist, composer, conducting, conductor and musical impresario. Although an accomplished violinist, he is best known for bringing Joseph Haydn to London a ...

and the cellist John Crosdill. Among them was the male soprano Venanzio Rauzzini (1746–1810), friend of

Haydn Franz Joseph Haydn ( ; ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions ...

and

Charles Burney Charles Burney (7 April 1726 – 12 April 1814) was an English music historian, composer and musician. He was the father of the writers Frances Burney and Sarah Burney, of the explorer James Burney, and of Charles Burney, a classicis ...

who, after a period at Vienna and Munich, settled in England c.1774 and was the teacher of the young

. While in Dublin in 1778, he took Michael Kelly under his wing, gave him lessons and taught him several songs, including his own "Fuggiamo di questo loco" (which Linley introduced into '' The Duenna'' with words by Sheridan as "By him we love offended"). Rauzzini advised he should be sent to a conservatory in Rome or Naples, and his father laid plans accordingly. Meanwhile, Michael Arne stayed in Dublin to produce Garrick's dramatic romance '' Cymon'', for which he had written the music: in exchange for his father's kindnesses, Arne gave Michael daily lessons and regular encouragement. Kelly also made his stage debut in Dublin. A promoter, Pedro Martini, brought an Italian company (including Peretti) to perform comic opera at the

Smock Alley Theatre Since the 17th century, there have been numerous theatres in Dublin with the name Smock Alley. The current Smock Alley Theatre () is a 21st-century theatre in Dublin, converted from a 19th-century church building, incorporating structural mat ...

. Sig. Savoy, who was to have sung the high soprano role of the Count in Piccinni's ''

La buona figliuola ''La buona figliuola'' (''The Good-Natured Girl'' or ''The Accomplish'd Maid''), or ''La Cecchina'' (''The Girl from Cecchina'' or ''Fannie''), is an opera buffa in three acts by Niccolò Piccinni. The libretto, by Carlo Goldoni, is based on Samue ...

'', was ill, and Kelly (who still sang treble) was brought in and made a great success. However Martini failed to pay, and the distinguished cast immediately struck and dispersed. Michael Arne then had him play the role of Cymon for three nights at

Crow Street Theatre Crow Street Theatre was a theatre in Dublin, Ireland, originally opened in 1758 by the actor Spranger Barry. From 1788 until 1818 it was a patent theatre. History Spranger Barry and Henry Woodward The actor Spranger Barry (1719–1777), born ...

, and he had a benefit performance as Master Lionel in

Baldassare Galuppi Baldassare Galuppi (18 October 17063 January 1785) was a Venetian composer, born on the island of Burano in the Venetian Republic. He belonged to a generation of composers, including Johann Adolph Hasse, Giovanni Battista Sammartini, and C.&nbs ...

's ''Lionel and Clarissa''.

Italy, 1779–1783

In May 1779, Kelly travelled to Naples where, as protégé of Sir William Hamilton, he enrolled with Fenaroli at the 1537 Conservatorio Santa Maria di Loreto, with privileges. He began to attend operas and ballets, and received introductions at many noble houses, meeting

Domenico Cimarosa Domenico Cimarosa (; 17 December 1749 – 11 January 1801) was an Music of Italy, Italian composer of the Neapolitan School and of the Classical period (music), Classical period. He wrote more than eighty operas, the best known of which is ''Il ...

, Fenaroli's favourite pupil, at one. Hamilton gained him a meeting with the

King King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...

and

Queen of Naples The following is a list of rulers of the Kingdom of Naples, from its first Sicilian Vespers, separation from the Kingdom of Sicily to its merger with the same into the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Kingdom of Naples (1282–1501) House of Anjou ...

, for whom he sang, and with Hamilton (a vulcanologist) he witnessed the August 1779 eruption of

Vesuvius Mount Vesuvius ( ) is a Somma volcano, somma–stratovolcano located on the Gulf of Naples in Campania, Italy, about east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. It is one of several volcanoes forming the Campanian volcanic arc. Vesuv ...

. At Naples the male soprano Giuseppe Aprile (1732–1813) (also a teacher of Cimarosa) offered him free tuition during a festival visit to

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

in Spring 1780. Kelly went first to

Gaeta Gaeta (; ; Southern Latian dialect, Southern Laziale: ''Gaieta'') is a seaside resort in the province of Latina in Lazio, Italy. Set on a promontory stretching towards the Gulf of Gaeta, it is from Rome and from Naples. The city has played ...

, where he sang a ''salve regina'' under Aprile, who continued to give him daily lessons and dinners: then to

Palermo Palermo ( ; ; , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The ...

, where he studied several hours a day as his voice dropped to a tenor. He was soon singing the tenor arias which formed the original repertoire of Giacomo Davide and

Giovanni Ansani Giovanni Ansani (11 or 20 February 1744 – 15 July 1826) was an Italian tenor and composer. Life and career Giovanni Ansani was born in Rome, Italy on either 11 or 20 February 1744. In 1770, he was singing at Copenhagen. About 1780 he came to L ...

(1744–1826). With Aprile he visited many noble houses and made his first regular Festival appearance at the Chiesa Grande, Palermo, in a motet of Gennario Maro. Aprile taught him the work of

and other Italian poets and, their season ended, told him he was now ready to sing in any theatre in Europe. He wrote letters of introduction to Andrea Campigli, impresario of the

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

Teatro La Pergola, and obtained Kelly's place on a ship for

Livorno Livorno () is a port city on the Ligurian Sea on the western coast of the Tuscany region of Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of 152,916 residents as of 2025. It is traditionally known in English as Leghorn ...

. "Under his care and patronage," said Aprile, "you cannot fail of success because you have the peculiar distinction of being the only public scholar I ever taught." At Livorno, Kelly first met

Stephen Stephen or Steven is an English given name, first name. It is particularly significant to Christianity, Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; he is w ...

and

, who, aged 15, was then prima donna of the comic opera there. Stephen Storace helped him mount a concert, and with funds he went on to

Pisa Pisa ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Tuscany, Central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for the Leaning Tow ...

, met the tenor Giuseppe Viganoni (1754-1823), appeared at the theatre with soprano Clementina Baglioni, and dined with the violinist Soderini. At Florence, Campigli gave him a spring season as first comic tenor at the Teatro Nuovo, and at Lord Cowper's house he heard

Pietro Nardini Pietro Nardini (12 April 1722 – 7 May 1793) was an Italian composer and violinist, a transitional musician who worked in both the Baroque and Classical era traditions. Life Nardini was born in Livorno and at the age of 12 became a pupil o ...

play

Tartini Giuseppe Tartini (8 April 1692 – 26 February 1770) was an Italian composer and violinist of the Baroque era born in Pirano in the Republic of Venice (now Piran, Slovenia). Tartini was a prolific composer, composing over a hundred pieces for the ...

's sonata. He made a successful debut in '' Il francese in Italia'', coached by the actor-tenor Filippo Laschi), opposite the charming Signora Lortinella (called "Ortabella"), and Andrea Morigi as primo buffo. He was in lodgings with the composer (1755–1826): the male soprano (a famous ''cantabile'' singer) gave Kelly some lessons.Thal (ed.) 1972, p. 73. The offer of a five-year contract from Linley for

Theatre Royal, Drury Lane The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and listed building, Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) an ...

, arranged by Stephen Storace, was blocked by Kelly's father. After the Florence contract Campigli offered him six months as primo tenore in

Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...

, and he travelled via

making many musical acquaintances, but found the project had collapsed. Out of money, he still managed to attend operas and concerts and met the singer and actress

Benini Benini is an Italian surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bull Benini (1921–2015), United States Air Force chief master sergeant * Clarice Benini (1905–1976), Italian chess player * Fides Benini (1929–1993), Italian former sw ...

, who took him on an autumn tour to

Graz Graz () is the capital of the Austrian Federal states of Austria, federal state of Styria and the List of cities and towns in Austria, second-largest city in Austria, after Vienna. On 1 January 2025, Graz had a population of 306,068 (343,461 inc ...

. He appeared in

Pasquale Anfossi Pasquale Anfossi (5 April 1727 – February 1797) was an Italian opera composer. Born in Taggia, Republic of Genoa, he studied with Niccolò Piccinni and Antonio Sacchini, and worked mainly in London, Venice and Rome. He wrote more than 80 ope ...

's ''

La vera costanza ' (''True Constancy''), Hob. 28/8, is an operatic dramma giocoso by Joseph Haydn. The Italian libretto was a shortened version of the one by Francesco Puttini set by Pasquale Anfossi for the opera of the same name given in Rome in 1776. The sto ...

'', and for the Carnival opposite Benini in Grétry's '' Zémire et Azor''. He returned to Venice for Easter and was recruited for a

Brescia Brescia (, ; ; or ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the region of Lombardy, in Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes Lake Garda, Garda and Lake Iseo, Iseo. With a population of 199,949, it is the se ...

production of Cimarosa's ', which he rehearsed and began performing with Ortabella, but the jealous sponsor-manager became murderous, and Kelly escaped to

Verona Verona ( ; ; or ) is a city on the Adige, River Adige in Veneto, Italy, with 255,131 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region, and is the largest city Comune, municipality in the region and in Northeast Italy, nor ...

, slipping out of the theatre in mid-performance. After a benefit concert at Verona, at

Treviso Treviso ( ; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the Veneto region of northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Treviso and the municipality has 87.322 inhabitants (as of December 2024). Some 3,000 live within the Venetian wall ...

he met the 'greatest reputed dilettante singer in Europe', Teresa de Petris. She invited Kelly to sing with her in Anfossi's new oratorio, and her consort Count Vidiman engaged him for four months, sending him first to

Parma Parma (; ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmesan, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,986 inhabitants as of 2025, ...

and

Colorno Colorno ( Parmigiano: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Parma, within the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna. It is located about northwest of Bologna and approximately north of Parma. Colorno borders the following municipalitie ...

to present himself to the

Archduchess Archduke (feminine: Archduchess; German: ''Erzherzog'', feminine form: ''Erzherzogin'') was the title borne from 1358 by the Habsburg rulers of the Archduchy of Austria, and later by all senior members of that dynasty. It denotes a rank within ...

, for whom he sang and played billiards for a week. He returned to Venice in October for Vidiman, where Nancy Storace was appearing in an opera of

Vicente Martín y Soler Anastasio Martín Ignacio Vicente Tadeo Francisco Pellegrin Martín y Soler (2 May 175430 January or 10 February 1806) was a Spanish composer of opera and ballet. Although relatively obscure now, in his own day he was compared favorably with his ...

. When his contract was completed, through Countess Rosenberg he (and Storace) received an invitation to join an Italian company then being assembled to occupy a permanent residency at the court of Emperor

Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II (13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from 18 August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg monarchy from 29 November 1780 until his death. He was the eldest son of Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Francis I, ...

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

Austria, 1783–1787

At Vienna Kelly presented himself to the Court composer

Antonio Salieri Antonio Salieri (18 August 17507 May 1825) was an Italian composer and teacher of the classical period (music), classical period. He was born in Legnago, south of Verona, in the Republic of Venice, and spent his adult life and career as a subje ...

, whose '' La scuola de' gelosi'' was to be staged first. He had a successful debut. The theatre was in the palace, and the Emperor attended performances and many rehearsals. Kelly was friendly with Salieri and with the actors

Friedrich Ludwig Schröder Friedrich Ludwig Schröder (3 November 1744 – 3 September 1816) was a German actor, Actor-manager, manager, dramatist and prominent freemasonry, masonic leader. He was born in Schwerin. Shortly after his birth, his mother, Sophie Charl ...

and . He went to

Eisenstadt Eisenstadt (; ; ; or ; ) is the capital city of the Provinces of Austria, Austrian state of Burgenland. With a population of 15,074 (as of 2023), it is the smallest state capital and the 38th-largest city in Austria overall. It lies at the foot o ...

to visit

for three days. In Vienna he met the composers Wanhal and

Dittersdorf Dittersdorf is a municipality in the district Saale-Orla-Kreis, in Thuringia, Germany. On 1 December 2010 it absorbed the former municipality Dragensdorf.Wolfgang and

Constanze Mozart Maria Constanze Cäcilia Josepha Johanna Aloysia Mozart (née Weber; 5 January 1762 – 6 March 1842) was a German soprano, later a businesswoman. She is best remembered as the spouse of the composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who from the eviden ...

. He often dined with Mozart and invariably lost at billiards to him: he became close friends with Mozart's young English pupil Thomas Attwood. Kelly sang opposite Nancy Storace in this company. In 1785, they were performing Stephen Storace's opera '' Gli sposi malcontenti''. After she lost her voice for a time he sang in three operas with Mmes Cortellini,

Antonia Bernasconi Antonia Bernasconi (1741–1803) was a German operatic soprano, originally from the Holy Roman Empire. She appeared in opera houses in Vienna, Milan, Venice, Naples and London. Life Bernasconi was born in Stuttgart in 1741; her father, named Wagel ...

and Laschi, and won applause humorously modelling a character on the mannerisms of

da Ponte Da Ponte or dal Ponte is a topographic byname/surnameIris Shagrir, "The Medieval Evolution of By-naming: Notions from the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem", ''In Laudem Hierosolymitani'' (Shagrir, Ellenblum & Riley-Smith, eds.), Ashgate Publishing, 2007, ...

in performances witnessed by that writer. He and one Calvasi played the two Antipholus roles in Storace's '' Gli equivoci'', based on ''

The Comedy of Errors ''The Comedy of Errors'' is one of William Shakespeare's early plays. It is his shortest and one of his most farcical comedies, with a major part of the humour coming from slapstick and mistaken identity, in addition to puns and word play ...

''. Paisiello's ''

The Barber of Seville ''The Barber of Seville, or The Useless Precaution'' ( ) is an ''opera buffa'' (comic opera) in two acts composed by Gioachino Rossini with an Italian libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was based on Pierre Beaumarchais's French comedy ' ...

'' was presented with Nancy Storace: Kelly and Mandini alternated in the role of the Count. When Paisiello came to the court Kelly witnessed his meeting with Mozart. The poet

Giovanni Battista Casti Giovanni Battista Casti (29 August 1724 – 5 February 1803) was an Italian poet, satirist, and author of comic opera librettos. Life He was born in Acquapendente near Viterbo. He entered the priesthood after studying at the seminary of Montefiasc ...

also arrived, and in 1784 with Paisiello produced a new opera ''

Il re Teodoro in Venezia ''Il re Teodoro in Venezia'' is a 1784 comic opera by Giovanni Paisiello to a libretto Giovanni Battista Casti. Premiered at the Burgtheater Vienna, it was revived for Carnival in Parma in 1788.Gilles Bertrand Histoire du carnaval de Venise: XIe-XX ...

''. The cast included Mandini,

Francesco Benucci Francesco Benucci (c. 1745 – 5 April 1824) was an Italian bass singer of the 18th century. He sang a number of important roles in the operas of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Antonio Salieri and other composers. Life Historical background and early ...

, , Laschi, Storace and Viganoni, and Kelly took the buffo role of ''Gaforio'', which became his nickname thereafter. In each year the Italian company attended the Emperor to

Laxenburg __NOTOC__ Laxenburg (Central Bavarian: ''Laxnbuag'') is a market town in the district of Mödling, in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. Located about south of the Austrian capital Vienna, it is chiefly known for the Laxenburg castles, which, be ...

for three months. In Vienna, Joseph had two operas staged for the benefit of visiting potentates, ''

Iphigénie en Tauride ''Iphigénie en Tauride'' (, ''Iphigenia in Tauris'') is a 1779 opera by Christoph Willibald Gluck in four acts. It was his fifth opera for the French stage. The libretto was written by Nicolas-François Guillard. With ''Iphigénie,'' Gluck too ...

'' and '' L'Alceste''. Kelly played in both, being Pylades to Bernasconi's Iphigénie and the Oreste of the tenor

Valentin Adamberger Valentin Adamberger, also known by his Italian name Adamonti, (22 February 1740 or 6 July 174324 August 1804) was a German operatic tenor. His voice was universally admired for its pliancy, agility, and precision, and several composers of note, s ...

, in all of which they were coached by

Gluck Christoph Willibald ( Ritter von) Gluck (; ; 2 July 1714 – 15 November 1787) was a composer of Italian and French opera in the early classical period. Born in the Upper Palatinate and raised in Bohemia, both part of the Holy Roman Empire at ...

in person. In 1786, three operas were being rehearsed, one by Righini, one Salieri's '' La grotta di Trofonio'' (to a text by Casti), and one Mozart's ''

The Marriage of Figaro ''The Marriage of Figaro'' (, ), K. 492, is a ''commedia per musica'' (opera buffa) in four acts composed in 1786 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with an Italian libretto written by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It premiered at the Burgtheater in Vienn ...

''. Kelly took his most famous premiere role as Don Curzio (the stuttering role), and also Don Basilio, with Storace as Susanna. He was on most friendly terms with Mozart, and was the first to hear the duet "Crudel, perche finora?" played over by Mozart while the ink was still wet. Kelly argued with Mozart, who wished him not to stutter in the concerted ensembles. Kelly insisted, threatening to walk out, and carried it off to Mozart's great satisfaction. With new offers pending for Drury Lane, Kelly had one more Laxenburg season, and then obtained a year's leave to visit home and his ailing mother. Yet he remained until February 1787 at Vienna, appearing in Paisiello's ', before setting off with Nancy and Stephen Storace and their mother, and Thomas Attwood, all together in a carriage for England. He and Mozart parted in tears of friendship. They stopped in Munich, Augsburg and Stuttgart, where Kelly went to the top of the spire with Ignace Pleyel. They witnessed some of the greatest theatrical artists performing in Paris, before arriving in London in mid-March.

Old Drury Lane, 1787–1791

In London, Kelly and Stephen Storace met at once with Thomas Linley and his daughters ( Mrs. Sheridan and Mrs. Tickell), and saw John Kemble and Mrs Crouch in ''

Richard Coeur de Lion Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic language">Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and ...

''. Kelly's Drury Lane debut was in Dibdin's '' Lionel and Clarissa'', introducing an original duet which Storace orchestrated. He was then Young Meadows in Arne's ''

Love in a Village ''Love in a Village'' is a ballad opera in three acts that was composed and arranged by Thomas Arne. A pastiche, the work contains 42 musical numbers of which only five were newly composed works by Arne. The other music is made up of 13 pieces bo ...

'', adding a Glück song in English, and next appeared at Theatre Royal opposite Mrs Crouch, who was his stage partner for many years. He became a friend of

John Philpot Curran John Philpot Curran (24 July 1750 – 14 October 1817) was an Irish orator, politician, and lawyer celebrated for his defence of civil and political liberty. He first won popular acclaim in 1780, as the only lawyer in his circuit willing to repr ...

. His entry to oratorio for Dr Arnold was delayed, but he sang in the May 1787

Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel ( ; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well-known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concerti. Born in Halle, Germany, H ...

commemoration at

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British m ...

.Thal (ed.) 1972, p. 161. In June, with Mrs Crouch in Dublin he played Lionel, and was first bacchanal in ''

Comus In Greek mythology, Comus (; , ''Kōmos'') is the god of festivity, revels and nocturnal dalliances. Cup-bearer of the god Dionysus, he was represented as a winged youth or a child-like satyr. His mythology occurs only in later antiquity. Duri ...

'', introducing the (

Martini Martini may refer to: * Martini (cocktail), a drink made with gin and vermouth, garnished with an olive or a lemon twist * Martini (vermouth), a brand of vermouth * Martini (surname), an Italian surname * Martini (automobile company), a Swiss auto ...

) duet 'O thou wert born to please me.' Then the pair led at

York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...

in these works, for

Tate Wilkinson Tate Wilkinson (27 October 173916 November 1803) was an English actor and manager. Life He was the son of a clergyman and was sent to Harrow. His first attempts at acting were badly received, and it was to his wonderful gift of mimicry that h ...

, also giving Arnold's '' Maid of the Mill'' and Sheridan's '' The Duenna'' at

Leeds Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...

, and ''Love in a Village'' there and at

Wakefield Wakefield is a cathedral city in West Yorkshire, England located on the River Calder. The city had a population of 109,766 in the 2021 census, up from 99,251 in the 2011 census. The city is the administrative centre of the wider Metropolit ...

. This summer tour set the pattern for future years. For their London season commencing in September Linley revived his '' Selima and Azor'', and Dittersdorf's '' Doctor and Apothecary''. In summer 1788, they toured in

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

Chester Chester is a cathedral city in Cheshire, England, on the River Dee, Wales, River Dee, close to the England–Wales border. With a built-up area population of 92,760 in 2021, it is the most populous settlement in the borough of Cheshire West an ...

, Manchester,

Worcester Worcester may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England ** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament * Worcester Park, London, Engl ...

and

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

, and Kelly decided not to return to Vienna. His oratorio work with Mme Mara began, and she played Mandane in ''Artaxerxes'' for him. Engaged as principal tenor of the Ancient Concerts under

Joah Bates Joah Bates ( – 8 June 1799) was an English musician. Life Joah Bates was baptized at the parish church in Halifax on 8 March 1740 O.S. (8 March 1741 N.S.). He was the son of Henry Bates, an innkeeper and parish clerk. He received his early ...

, he sang

's "Deeper and deeper still", and brought fresh humour to "Haste thee, nymph" (coached by Linley) to the delight of the royal audience. "In singing sacred music I was aware of its value, and fagged at the tenor songs of Handel with unremitting assiduity", he wrote. In October 1788, he sang ''Richard Coeur de Lion'' for Sheridan in London, and in ''

Messiah In Abrahamic religions, a messiah or messias (; , ; , ; ) is a saviour or liberator of a group of people. The concepts of '' mashiach'', messianism, and of a Messianic Age originated in Judaism, and in the Hebrew Bible, in which a ''mashiach ...

'' with Mme Mara at

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of the county of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. It lies by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. The population of the Norwich ...

Festival. With her he often performed the recitative "And Miriam the prophetess took a timbrel" from ''

Israel in Egypt ''Israel in Egypt'', HWV 54, is a biblical oratorio by the composer George Frideric Handel. Most scholars believe the libretto was prepared by Charles Jennens, who also compiled the biblical texts for Handel's ''Messiah''. It is composed enti ...

''. Kelly played Macheath for the first time in April 1789, with Mrs Crouch (Polly) and Marie Therese De Camp (Lucy). With Mrs Crouch, La Storace, Mme Mara and Dr Arnold he assisted a large Handel concert at

Little Stanmore Little Stanmore was an ancient parish of Middlesex which is today the residential area of Canons Park in the London Borough of Harrow, England. The parish included the western part of the town of Edgware. Toponymy The name 'Stanmore' means "po ...

(the former home of the

Duke of Chandos The Dukedom of Chandos was a title in the Peerage of Great Britain, named for a fief in Normandy. The Chandos peerage was first created as a barony by Edward III in 1337; its second creation in 1554 was due to the Brydges family's service to Mar ...

, where at St Lawrence's the organ had been played by Handel). Kelly scored a great hit in Storace's ''The Haunted Tower'', delivering a ringing top B in the evergreen "Spirit of my sainted sire". In August 1790, he spent some weeks with Mr and Mrs Crouch in Paris, seeing Grétry's ''La Caravane'' and ''Raoul Barbe-bleu'', which they were to perform in English versions. They began 1791 at Drury Lane with Stephen Storace's '' The Siege of Belgrade'' (incorporating a Martini scena), and his version of Salieri's ''Cave of Trofonio'' ( Prince Hoare text) was given. On 4 June, they performed '' The Country Girl'' and '' No song, no supper'' (Storace) for the very last night of the Old Drury Lane Theatre, which was then closed and demolished.

Later life

Appearing in London at

Drury Lane Drury Lane is a street on the boundary between the Covent Garden and Holborn areas of London, running between Aldwych and High Holborn. The northern part is in the borough of London Borough of Camden, Camden and the southern part in the City o ...

in 1787, Kelly enjoyed great success, and thenceforth was the principal English-language tenor at that theatre. In 1793, he became acting manager of the King's Theatre, and he was in great demand at concerts. His relationship with Anna Maria Crouch, whom he shared for a time with the

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales (, ; ) is a title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the History of the English monarchy, English, and later, the British throne. The title originated with the Welsh rulers of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd who, from ...

, added to his notoriety. In 1826, he published his entertaining ''Reminiscences'', written with the assistance of

Theodore Hook Theodore Edward Hook (22 September 1788 – 24 August 1841) was an English Intellectual, man of letters and composer and briefly a civil servant in Mauritius. He is best known for his practical jokes, particularly the Berners Street hoax in ...

. He combined his professional work with conducting a music shop and a wine shop, but with disastrous financial results. He died at

Margate Margate is a seaside resort, seaside town in the Thanet District of Kent, England. It is located on the north coast of Kent and covers an area of long, north-east of Canterbury and includes Cliftonville, Garlinge, Palm Bay, UK, Palm Bay and W ...

, aged 64.

Compositions

There is no reliable register of Kelly's compositions. In his ''Reminiscence'' he lists 62 works for various London theatres, which he had "composed and selected". This means that he often mixed his own music with that of other composers or arranged works by others to suit his purposes. In these cases, therefore, the share of his original contribution is not at all clear and may vary a lot. In a number of cases, Kelly merely wrote the melody and "relied on professional assistants in matters of orchestration and technique." It is claimed that the first ''Cinderella''

Pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment, generally combining gender-crossing actors and topical humour with a story more or less based on a well-known fairy tale, fable or ...

in England was the 1804 production at Drury Lane, for which the music was by Michael Kelly.Russell A. Peck (John Hall Deane Professor of English at the University of Rochester) ''A Cinderella Bibliography'' (online)
/ref> An 1801

comic opera Comic opera, sometimes known as light opera, is a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending and often including spoken dialogue. Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a ne ...

'' The Gypsy Prince'', written in collaboration with

Thomas Moore Thomas Moore (28 May 1779 – 25 February 1852), was an Irish writer, poet, and lyricist who was widely regarded as Ireland's "National poet, national bard" during the late Georgian era. The acclaim rested primarily on the popularity of his ''I ...

, was not successful. Some of his original operas are: *''Blue Beard, or Female Curiosity'' (libretto by George Colman the Younger), "''Grand Dramatic Romance''"; London, Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, 16 January 1798. *''

Pizarro Francisco Pizarro, Marquess of the Atabillos (; ; – 26 June 1541) was a Spanish ''conquistador'', best known for his expeditions that led to the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire. Born in Trujillo, Spain, to a poor family, Pizarro chose ...

'' (

), musical play; London, Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, 24 May 1799. *''Love Laughs at Locksmith'' ( George Colman the Younger), comic opera; London, Theatre Royal, Haymarket, 25 July 1803. Kelly also wrote many songs, one of the best-known being ''The Woodpecker'' to words by

Recordings

Recordings of Kelly's music are extremely rare. They can be found on one 1971 LP and two CDs issued in 2011 and 2012. *''Michael Kelly & Mozart'', performed by Sasha Abrams (S), Dan Klein (tenor), Peter Alexander (piano): Decca Ace of Diamonds SDD 273 (LP, 1971). Contains the songs: ''Cara son tuo così'', ''Soffri che intraccia'', ''The Woodpecker'', ''Placa gli sdegni tuoi'', ''Rui seize thee'', as well as the Kelly/Mozart collaboration ''Grazie agl'inganni tuoi''. *''Entertaining Miss Austen. Newly discovered music from

Jane Austen Jane Austen ( ; 16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817) was an English novelist known primarily for #List of works, her six novels, which implicitly interpret, critique, and comment on the English landed gentry at the end of the 18th century ...

's family collection'', performed by Amanda Pitt (soprano), John Lofthouse (baritone), David Owen Norris (piano)
Dutton Epoch CDLX 7271 (CD, 2011)
Contains the songs: ''The Wife's Farewell'', ''The Husband's Return''. *''English and Scottish Romantic Songs'', performed by Gudrún Ólafsdóttir (mezzo) and Francisco Javier Jáuregui (guitar)

Contains the song ''Flora McDonald'' in a 19th-century arrangement with guitar by C.M. Sola.

References

Sources

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kelly, Michael (tenor) 1762 births 1826 deaths 18th-century British male opera singers 18th-century Irish classical composers 18th-century Irish male opera singers 19th-century British male opera singers 19th-century Irish male opera singers 19th-century Irish memoirists Irish opera composers Irish operatic tenors Irish male opera composers Singers from Dublin (city) Composers from Dublin (city) Pupils of Venanzio Rauzzini Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's singers