| Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian era partnership
of librettist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and composer Arthur Sullivan
(1842–1900). Together, they wrote fourteen comic operas between
1871 and 1896, of which H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance,
and The Mikado are among the best known.
Gilbert, who wrote the words, created fanciful topsy-turvy worlds
for these operas, where each absurdity is taken to its logical conclusion—fairies
rub elbows with British lords, flirting is a capital offence, gondoliers
ascend to the monarchy, and pirates turn out to be noblemen who
have gone wrong. Sullivan, seven years younger than Gilbert, composed
the music, contributing memorable melodies that could convey both
humour and pathos.
Producer Richard D'Oyly Carte brought Gilbert and Sullivan together
and nurtured their collaboration. He built the Savoy Theatre in
1881 to present their joint works—which came to be known as
the Savoy Operas—and he founded the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company,
which performed and promoted their works for over a century.
The Gilbert and Sullivan operas have enjoyed broad and enduring
international success and are still performed frequently throughout
the English-speaking world. The collaboration introduced innovations
in content and form that directly influenced the development of
musical theatre through the 20th century. The operas have also influenced
political discourse, literature, film and television and have been
widely parodied and pastiched by humorists.
  
|
Gilbert
Sullivan
|
