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Leslie Stuart

Leslie Stuart (15 March 1863 – 27 March 1928) born Thomas Augustine Barrett was an English composer of Edwardian musical comedy, best known for the hit show Florodora (1899) and many popular songs.

He began in Manchester as a church organist, for 14 years, and taught music while beginning to compose church music and secular songs in the late 1870s. In the 1880s, he began to promote and conduct orchestral and vocal concerts of popular and theatre music as "Mr. T. A. Barrett's Concerts". He began to focus his composition on music hall, including songs for blackface performers, such as "Lily of Laguna"; songs for musical theatre, such as pantomimes and London shows touring through Manchester; and ballads such as "Soldiers of the King". Stuart later campaigned against the interpolation of new songs into musical theatre scores and for better enforcement of musical copyrights.

In 1895, Stuart began to write songs for George Edwardes's London shows at the Gaiety Theatre and Daly's Theatre. His first full musical comedy score was Florodora in 1899. The show became an international hit, and its song "Tell me, pretty maiden", became a vaudeville standard. Other musical comedy successes followed, including The School Girl (1903), The Belle of Mayfair (1906) and Havana (1908). Of his later shows, only Peggy made much of an impact. By 1911, Stuart's gambling debts sent him into bankruptcy. Unable to adapt to changing musical tastes, he was no longer in demand as a composer, although he had some success as a piano sketch artist in variety theatre.

Birth and Death Data: Born March 15, 1863 (Southport), Died March 27, 1928 (Richmond)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1896 - 1941

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, lyricist, songwriter

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

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 134 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Berliner 924 7-in. Before June 1896 Louisiana Lou Artists vary Male vocal solo lyricist, composer  
Berliner 1476 7-in. 11/9/1897 Louisiana Lou Metropolitan Orchestra Orchestra composer  
Berliner 0639 7-in. Aug. 1899-Oct. 1899 The soldiers of the queen J. J. Fisher Male vocal solo composer, lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]24 7-in. 7/2/1900 Louisiana Lou Marie Romaine Female vocal solo lyricist, composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]55 7-in. 10/30/1901 In the shade of the palm Harry Macdonough Male vocal solo lyricist, composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]55 10-in. 2/3/1903 In the shade of the palm Harry Macdonough Male vocal solo lyricist, composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]194 7-in. 7/28/1900 Louisiana Lou Edward M. Favor Male vocal solo composer, lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]394 7-in. 1/10/1901 Selection from Florodora Metropolitan Orchestra Orchestra composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]624 7-in. 1/21/1901 Tell me, pretty maiden Vess L. Ossman Banjo solo composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]624 10-in. 2/27/1902 Tell me, pretty maiden Vess L. Ossman Banjo solo composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]706 7-in. 3/5/1901 Whistling S. H. Dudley Male vocal solo composer, lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]780 7-in. 5/6/1901 In the shade of the palm Herbert Goddard Baritone vocal solo lyricist, composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]780 10-in. 7/24/1902 In the shade of the palm Herbert Goddard Baritone vocal solo lyricist, composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]906 7-in. 7/10/1901 Queen of the Philippine Islands Grace Spencer Female vocal solo lyricist, composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]913 7-in. 7/17/1901 Louisiana Lou American Quartet Male vocal quartet lyricist, composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]913 10-in. 3/18/1902 Louisiana Lou American Quartet Male vocal quartet lyricist, composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]1078 7-in. 11/1/1901 Sextette from Florodora Christopher H. H. Booth Piano solo composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]1078 10-in. 11/1/1901 Sextette from Florodora Christopher H. H. Booth Piano solo composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]1088 7-in. 11/9/1901 Tact S. H. Dudley Male vocal solo, with piano composer, lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]1088 10-in. 11/9/1901 Tact S. H. Dudley Male vocal solo, with piano composer, lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]1095 7-in. 11/14/1901 Sextette from Florodora Metropolitan Orchestra Orchestra composer, lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]1095 10-in. 11/14/1901 Sextette from Florodora Metropolitan Orchestra Orchestra composer, lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]1120 7-in. 12/2/1901 I want to be a military man Metropolitan Orchestra Orchestra composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]1362 7-in. 4/16/1902 Tell me, pretty maiden Harry Macdonough ; Grace Spencer Female-male vocal duet composer, lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]1362 10-in. 4/16/1902 Tell me pretty maiden Harry Macdonough ; Grace Spencer Female-male vocal duet composer, lyricist  
(Results 1-25 of 134 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Stuart, Leslie," accessed March 18, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104028.

Stuart, Leslie. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 18, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104028.

"Stuart, Leslie." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 18 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104028

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