Gilbert and Sullivan have long been a household name in the UK. The majority of music lovers up and down the land are likely to be able to name at least one of their theatrical, musical creations - whether it is "A Modern Major-General" from The Pirates of Penzance, or "We Sail The Ocean Blue" from H.M.S. Pinafore.
Sir Arthur Sullivan (1842 - 1900)
Arthur Sullivan, son of a bandmaster, was a chorister at the Chapel Royal, won a scholarship to the Leipzig School of Music, became a London church organist and had won fame as the composer of music to Shakespeare's Tempest by the age of twenty. Sullivan wrote several religious choral works, and many of his hymn tunes achieved some measure of popularity: Onward! Christian Soldiers being the most well-known. He wrote songs, oratorios, grand opera and sacred music, but he gained his greatest successes when he collaborated with playwright and humorist W.S. Gilbert to write the immensely popular "Savoy" operas, including H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado.
Sir William Gilbert (1836 - 1911)
Gilbert was born in London, the son of a retired naval surgeon. After initially being educated in France, Gilbert later returned to London and was head boy at the Great Ealing School. It was during this time that Gilbert began writing plays and pantomimes for school performances. Gilbert's playwright career was professionally launched after being recommended to write a Christmas piece for the theatre in only two weeks. He successfully proceeded to write Dulcamara, or Little Duck and the Great Quack, which gave him instant recognition and subsequent commissions. According to Allingham, writing for the Victorian Web, Gilbert's "partnership with Arthur Sullivan began in 1871, when the librettist and composer collaborated on Thespis, or The Gods Grown Old, which premiered on 23 December".
The Musical Partnership of Gilbert and Sullivan
From that moment in 1871 Gilbert and Sullivan began their historic twenty-five year collaboration. After creating numerous operettas together, Sullivan began to tire of writing the same kind of music and their relationship began to deteriorate. During the run of The Gondoliers, a violent quarrel further damaged their brilliant collaboration and it was the final operetta to be a success financially.
Main Works by Gilbert and Sullivan
- Thespis (1871)
- Trial by Jury (1875)
- Sorcerer (1877)
- H.M.S. Pinafore (1878)
- Pirates of Penzance (1880)
- Patience (1881)
- Lolanthe (1882)
- Princess Ida (1884)
- Mikado (1885)
- Ruddigore (1887)
- Yeomen of the Guard (1888)
- Gondoliers (1889)
- Utopia Limited (1893)
- Grand Duke (1896)
Gilbert and Sullivan's creations have enjoyed an enduring success and productions are still gathering worldwide attendance.
Sources
- Grout, D (2005) A History of Western Music. W.W. Norton and Co. London.
- Sir William Schwenck Gilbert: A Brief Biography. Victorian Web. Information retrieved 14th April 2011
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