William+S.+Gilbert+and+Arthur+Sullivan

=Gilbert and Sullivan=

This Victorian era partnership of librettist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900) consisted of two men who collaborated on 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, six years Gilbert's junior, composed the music, contributing memorable melodies that could convey both humour and pathos.

Gilbert was born in London on 18 November 1836. His father, William, was a naval surgeon who later wrote novels and short stories, some of which included illustrations by his son. In 1861, to supplement his income, the younger Gilbert began writing illustrated stories, poems and articles of his own, many of which would later be mined as inspiration for his plays and operas, particularly Gilbert's series of illustrated poems, "The Bab Ballads".

Sullivan was born in London on 13 May 1842. His father was a military bandmaster, and by the time Arthur had reached the age of 8, he was proficient with all the instruments in the band. In school he began to compose anthems and songs. In 1856, he received the first Mendelssohn Scholarship and studied at the Royal Academy of Music and then at Leipzig, where he also took up conducting. His graduation piece, completed in 1861, was a suite of incidental music to Shakespeare's //The Tempest//. Revised and expanded, it was performed at the Crystal Palace in 1862 and was an immediate sensation. He began building a reputation as England's most promising young composer, composing a symphony, a concerto, and several overtures, among them the "Overture di Ballo", in 1870.

Gilbert and Sullivan saw their first collaboration producing a Christmas entertainment, //Thespis//. Soon after, they saw much success with their production, //Trial by Jury//. With its critical acclaim, they were immediately in business to produce many further productions, including //The Sorcerer, H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Pinzance//, and //Iolanthe// (respectively).

Their operas have enjoyed broad and enduring international success and are still performed frequently throughout the English-speaking world. Gilbert and Sullivan 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. 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 founded the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, which performed and promoted Gilbert and Sullivan's works for over a century.

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Major Productions (with original London performances)
Thespis, or, The Gods Grown Old (1871) 63 performances Trial by Jury (1875) 131 performances The Sorcerer (1877) 178 performances H.M.S. Pinafore, or, The Lass That Loved a Sailor (1878) 571 performances The Pirates of Penzance, or, The Slave of Duty (1879) 363 performances The Martyr of Antioch (cantata) (1880) (Gilbert modified the poem by Henry Hart Milman) Patience, or Bunthorne's Bride (1881) 578 performances Iolanthe, or, The Peer and the Peri (1882) 398 performances Princess Ida, or, Castle Adamant (1884) 246 performances The Mikado, or, The Town of Titipu (1885) 672 performances Ruddigore, or, The Witch's Curse (1887) 288 performances The Yeomen of the Guard, or, The Merryman and his Maid (1888) 423 performances The Gondoliers, or, The King of Barataria (1889) 554 performances Utopia, Limited, or, The Flowers of Progress (1893) 245 performances The Grand Duke, or, The Statutory Duel (1896) 123 performances