Gilbert, Sullivan, and 14 Operas

Anyone who is a fan of comic opera knows the names of Gilbert and Sullivan. The collaboration between dramatist William Gilbert's and composer Arthur Sullivan began with Thespis (1871) and continued for 25 years, by which time they had written 14 comic operas (operettas) that became known as Gilbert and Sullivan operas. Creating delightful concoctions of many different styles, they drew upon, among other things, the traditional forms of opera, opera buffa, and English folklore. ( H.M.S. Pinafore is a good example of the latter, with its sailors' chantey, hornpipe dance, patriotic anthem, and unaccompanied glee).

The operas satirize British society in Gilbert and Sullivan's day--even when the action takes place in faraway lands or times. One should think of the characters not as Japanese ( The Mikado) or 18th-century Italian ( The Gondoliers), but as very distinctly British. Part of the satire may be lost on contemporary audiences, but the appeal of the charming scores and witty librettos is ageless.