An Introduction to Gilbert & Sullivan presents

Who are Gilbert and Sullivan, and why are they famous? Librettist W. S. Gilbert and composer Arthur Sullivan collaborated on a series of fourteen comic operas in Victorian England between 1871 and These operas have enjoyed long - lasting success throughout the world, and have directly influenced the musical theater of the 20 th century and beyond. Their works have become known as the Savoy Operas, after the Savoy Theater in London, which was built by their producer, Richard D’Oyly Carte, to present their operas.

W. S. Gilbert William Schwenck Gilbert made a huge contribution to making the Savoy operas what they are - witty, dry, romantic, subversive, nonsensical and very funny. He directed the first productions and often contributed towards the costume and set designs. He also achieved much else, writing some of the funniest and most scandalous comedies of his day, writing and illustrating the Bab Ballads and building London's Garrick Theatre, amongst other things. He was knighted in 1907.

Arthur Sullivan W. S. Gilbert once described Arthur Sullivan as "incomparably the greatest English musician of the age." Besides contributing witty operatic parodies and a string of effervescent melodies to the Savoy operas, he wrote, among other works, cantatas, oratorios, concert overtures, incidental music to plays, numerous songs and a grand opera. He was the conductor of the Leeds Festival for almost twenty years and a friend of Queen Victoria and the royal family. He was knighted in 1883.

The Beginning Gilbert and Sullivan were hired by John Hollingshead of the Gaiety Theatre to create Thespis. Written in just five weeks, the show was crude and ineffective, but it impressed aspiring producer Richard D’Oyly Carte. Four years later, needing a one - act curtain raiser to share the bill with his production of Offenbach’s La Perichole, Carte convinced Gilbert and Sullivan to adapt one of Gilbert’s satirical poems.This became Trial by Jury, which became more famous than La Perichole. After the success of Trial, Carte convinced the team to attempt a full-length work, and The Sorcerer was born.

Producer Richard D’Oyly Carte & The Savoy Theatre

The Operas

Thespis or The Gods Grown Old (1871) The Gods on Mount Olympus are old and tired, so they decide to take a vacation on earth while a group of traveling actors take their place. Most of the music for this opera has been lost, so it is played today only in reconstructions using either other Sullivan music or original music. The general theme was used again in The Grand Duke, Gilbert & Sullivan’s final opera.

Main Characters The Gods: Jupiter, Apollo, Mars, Diana & Mercury The Actors: Thespis, Sillimon, Timidon, Tipsion, Preposteros, Stupidas, Sparkeion, Nicemis, Pretteia, Daphne & Cymon

Trial by Jury (1875) This opera centers around hijinks in the courtroom, as the bride sues the groom for breach of promise of marriage. The only one - act G & S opera, usually performed with another short opera.

Main Characters The Learned Judge Counsel for the Plaintiff Foreman of the Jury Usher Angelina, the Plaintiff Edwin, the Defendant

The Sorcerer (1877) With the help of a love potion, everyone in the village is in love – with the wrong person.

Main Characters Sir Marmaduke Poindexter Alexis, his son Dr. Daly, the vicar of Ploverleigh Notary John Wellington Wells, sorcerer Lady Sangazure Aline, her daughter, betrothed to Alexis Mrs. Partlet Constance, her daughter

H.M.S. Pinafore or, The Lass That Loved a Sailor (1878) The captain’s daughter and a common sailor on his ship fall in love. The first smash - hit G & S opera, and one of the “Big Three” most often performed today.

Main Characters Sir Joseph Porter, first lord of the Admiralty Captain Corcoran, of the H.M.S. Pinafore Ralph Rackstraw Dick Deadeye Josephine, the captain’s daughter Hebe, Sir Joseph’s cousin Little Buttercup

The Pirates of Penzance or The Slave of Duty (1880) A young pirate apprentice falls in love with Mabel, Major General Stanley’s daughter, while the rest of the pirate crew wants to marry the general’s other daughters. The second of the “Big Three” operas

Main Characters Major - General Stanley The Pirate King Samuel, his lieutenant Frederick Mabel Edith Isabel Kate Ruth, a pirate maid Sergeant of Police

Patience or Bunthorne’s Bride (1881) The county women are in love with two aesthetic poets while the poets are both in love with Patience, the village milkmaid. The local regiment of soldiers don’t see the point to aesthetics, but decide they had better give it a try to win the women’s love.

Main Characters Officers of the Dragoon Guards – Colonel Calverley, Major Murgatroyd and Lieutenant Dunstable, a duke Reginald Bunthorne, a poet Archibald Grosvenor, a poet Rapturous Maidens – Lady Angela, Lady Saphir, Lady Ella, Lady Jane Patience, a Dairy Maid Mr. Bunthorne’s Solicitor

Iolanthe or The Peer and the Peri (1882) Strephon, a shepherd, wants to marry Phyllis, a ward in chancery. Strephon, however, is half fairy, down to the waist. Phyllis sees Strephon with his mother, eternally 17, and jealously jilts him.

Main Characters The Lord Chancellor Earl of Mountararat Earl of Tolloller Private Willis of the Grenadier Guards Strephon, an Arcadian shepherd Iolanthe, a fairy and Strephon’s mother Fairies: Leila, Celia, Fleta Phyllis, an Arcadian shepherdess and ward in chancery

Princess Ida or Castle Adamant (1884) Princess Ida decides that Prince Hilarion and his friends are little more than monkeys in suits, so she retreats to Castle Adamant to run a women’s college. The men enter the castle dressed as women to seek Ida’s hand. The only three - act G & S opera

Main Characters King Hildebrand Hilarion, his son Cyril and Florian, courtiers King Gama Arac, Guron and Scynthius, Gama’s sons Princess Ida, Gama’s daughter Lady Blanche, a professor Lady Psyche, a professor Melissa, Lady Blanche’s daughter

The Mikado or The Town of Titipu (1885) The Mikado, emperor of Japan, has decreed that flirting is punishable by death. Because no one in Titipu wants to enforce this, Ko-Ko, a condemned tailor, becomes the Lord High Executioner – the reason being that he cannot behead anyone until he beheads himself. Nanki-Poo, a traveling minstrel, wants to marry Yum-Yum, Ko-Ko’s ward. The situation gets complicated when Ko-Ko is forced to execute Nanki-Poo. The third of the “Big Three,” and the most popular G & S opera

Main Characters Nanki-Poo, son of the Mikado, disguised as a wandering minstrel Ko-Ko, the Lord High Executioner of Titipu Pish-Tush The Mikado of Japan Yum-Yum, ward and lover of Ko-Ko Pitti-Sing & Peep-Bo, sisters to Yum-Yum Katisha, spurned promised bride of Nanki-Poo

Ruddigore or The Witch’s Curse (1887) None of the village girls stand a chance at marriage because all of the village lads love Rose Maybud, but are too shy to court her. Robin Oakapple also loves Rose, but as the wicked Baronet of Ruddigore he must commit one major crime a day or die in agony. The ghosts of his ancestors step out of their picture frames to confront him for not conscientiously carrying out his duty.

Main Characters Robin Oakapple, a young farmer Richard Dauntless, his half-brother Sir Despard Murgatroyd of Ruddigore, a wicked baronet Old Adam, Robin’s faithful servant Rose Maybud, a village maiden Mad Margaret Dame Hannah, Rose’s aunt Zorah and Ruth, professional bridesmaids Sir Roderic Murgatroyd, a ghost The Ghosts – Baronets of Ruddigore

The Yeoman of the Guard or The Merryman and his Maid (1888) Colonel Fairfax, imprisoned in the Tower of London and sentenced to die on false charges of sorcery, marries Elsie Maynard, a strolling singer. But then he escapes, causing complications. At the end, the jester Jack Point, who loves Elsie, dies of a broken heart. Or does he? The closest that G & S came to grand opera.

Main Characters Sir Richard Cholmondeley, Lieutenant of the Tower Colonel Fairfax, a prisoner Sergeant Meryll, of the Yeoman of the Guard Leonard Meryll, his son Jack Point, a strolling jester Wilfred Shadbolt, head jailer Elsie Maynard, a strolling singer Phoebe Meryll, Sergeant Meryll’s daughter Dame Carruthers, housekeeper to the Lieutenant Kate, her niece

The Gondoliers or The King of Barataria (1889) One of two just-married gondoliers is the King of Barataria, but no one knows which one. As Barataria needs a king to put down unrest in the country, they travel there to reign jointly, leaving their wives behind, until it can be discovered which one is the king.

Main Characters The Duke of Plaza Toro, a grandee of Spain Luiz, his attendant Don Alhambra del Bolero, the Grand Inquisitor Marco and Guiseppi Palmieri, brother gondoliers The Dutchess of Plaza Toro Casilda, her daughter Gianetta and Tessa, peasant girls

Utopia Limited or The Flowers of Progress (1893) Having a rather idealistic view of England and the English people, King Paramount of the South Seas island of Utopia decides that his people should adopt all English customs and fashions, and that the kingdom should be incorporated as a public company.

Main Characters Paramount I, King of Utopia Scaphio and Phantis, judges of the Utopian Supreme Court Tarara, the public exploder Calynx, the Utopian vice chamberlain Lord Dramaleigh, a British lord chamberlain Captain Fitzbattleax, of the 1st Life Guards Captain Sir Edward Corcoran, K.C.B., of the Royal Navy Mr. Goldbury, a company promoter Princess Zara, eldest daughter of King Paramount

The Grand Duke or The Statutory Duel (1896) Ludwig, an actor, replaces Rudolph, the miserly Grand Duke of Pfennig Halbpfennig, after “killing” Rudolph by drawing the ace in a statutory duel. After assuming all of Rudolph’s obligations, he finds himself with far more wives than he knows what to do with. At 3 hours and 15 minutes, the longest of the operas. Other than Thespis, the least-performed of the G & S operas.

Main Characters Rudolph, Grand Duke of Pfennig Halbpfennig Ernest Dummkopf, a Theatrical Manager Ludwig, his leading comedian Dr. Tannhauser, a notary The Prince of Monte Carlo The Princess of Monte Carlo, betrothed to Rudolph The Baroness von Krakenfeld, betrothed to Rudolph Julia Jellicoe, an English actress engaged to Ernest Lisa, an actress engaged to Ludwig

The Final Curtain At the time The Gondoliers was written, Gilbert and Sullivan were at the peak of their collaboration. A major quarrel between Gilbert and Carte led to bad feelings between Gilbert and Sullivan, however, which lasted several years. The two reunited for Utopia Limited and The Grand Duke, but these shows did not reach the level of success of their previous operas. The Grand Duke would be their last collaboration. The pair remained on cordial terms, and worked together on revivals of their works. Sullivan composed several more operas with other lyricists, including The Rose of Persia. Weakened by years of ill health, he died in 1900 at the age of 58. Gilbert enjoyed renewed health and popularity in the 20 th century, writing several new plays and operas, and was knighted in He died in 1911 while saving a young woman from drowning at his country home.

Legacy A century later, Gilbert & Sullivan’s work continues to entertain wherever English is spoken The Pirates of Penzance was a Broadway hit - and was adapted into two movies - in the 1980s G & S songs are heard in Raiders of the Lost Ark, Pretty Woman, Kate and Leopold, Chariots of Fire, The Princess Diaries 2, Peter Pan and many other films, and on such TV cartoons as the Simpsons, Family Guy and Animaniacs The movie Topsy Turvey (2000) is about Gilbert & Sullivan There are more than 200 Gilbert & Sullivan Companies performing the operas all over the world