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The Savoy Operas
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698 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1926
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About the author
W.S. Gilbert
720 books35 followersBritish playwright and lyricist Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (18 November 1836 – 29 May 1911) wrote a series of comic operas, including
Her Majesty's Ship Pinafore
(1878) and
The Pirates of Penzance
(1879), with composer Sir Arthur Sullivan.
This English dramatist, librettist, poet, and illustrator in collaboration with composer Sullivan produced fourteen comic operas, which include The Mikado , one of the most frequently performed works in the history of musical theatre.
Opera companies, repertory companies, schools and community theatre groups throughout and beyond the English-speaking world continue to perform regularly these operas as well as most of their other Savoy operas. From these works, lines, such as "short, sharp shock", "What, never? Well, hardly ever!", and "Let the punishment fit the crime," form common phrases of the English language.
Gilbert also wrote the Bab Ballads , an extensive collection of light verse, which his own comical drawings accompany.
His creative output included more than 75 plays and libretti, numerous stories, poems, lyrics and various other comic and serious pieces. His plays and realistic style of stage direction inspired other dramatists, including Oscar Wilde and George Bernard Shaw. According to The Cambridge History of English and American Literature , the "lyrical facility" of Gilbert "and his mastery of metre raised the poetical quality of comic opera to a position that it had never reached before and has not reached since."
This English dramatist, librettist, poet, and illustrator in collaboration with composer Sullivan produced fourteen comic operas, which include The Mikado , one of the most frequently performed works in the history of musical theatre.
Opera companies, repertory companies, schools and community theatre groups throughout and beyond the English-speaking world continue to perform regularly these operas as well as most of their other Savoy operas. From these works, lines, such as "short, sharp shock", "What, never? Well, hardly ever!", and "Let the punishment fit the crime," form common phrases of the English language.
Gilbert also wrote the Bab Ballads , an extensive collection of light verse, which his own comical drawings accompany.
His creative output included more than 75 plays and libretti, numerous stories, poems, lyrics and various other comic and serious pieces. His plays and realistic style of stage direction inspired other dramatists, including Oscar Wilde and George Bernard Shaw. According to The Cambridge History of English and American Literature , the "lyrical facility" of Gilbert "and his mastery of metre raised the poetical quality of comic opera to a position that it had never reached before and has not reached since."
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 29, 2019
"H.M.S. Pinafore" I saw performed a day ago at the Highfield Theatre (a British spelling affectation, since it’s on Cape Cod), and a decade ago from the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, directed by Joe Dowling, on PBS. Having seen several Guthrie productions when working on my doctorate at U Minnesota, I grouped that version with outstanding others, like the Uncle Vanya I saw there decades ago, one of the first to capture the Chekhovian pathos with comedy. Gilbert’s no Chekhov, and vice-versa. Not much pathos in Pinafore, though the most famous song issues from “Sweet Little Buttercup,” the former Nanny, now street-marketer of “laces, tabaccy and polonies” (bologna).
Rather the opposite of pathos, summed up in this comic rhyme, in the patrician Capt.’s advice on the tars, the common sailors,
“Though foes they could thump any,
Are hardly fit company,
My daughter, for you.”(111*)
Tri-syllabic rhymes are always comic, and they all seem the best of their sort.
Our local performance in Falmouth (famous for Katherine Lee Bates, writer of “America the Beautiful”) had performers from university music programs in Oklahoma and Iowa, Wisconsin, one local from BU. We Americans lack the class-consciousness on which the whole plot of Pinafore depends, the changeling in the crib where the child raised to aristocratic Captain was of low birth—“hardly fit company” of his own daughter!
But Gilbert knew the Victorian limits of the this changeling theme, not making the Lord of Admiralty of low birth. Rather, almost as amusing in English Class Society, Sir Joseph is a bourgeoise workaholic, beginning as an office boy in an attorney’s firm,
“I cleaned the windows and I swept the floor,
And I polished up the handle of the big front door.
I polished up that handle so carefullee
That now I am the Ruler of the Queen’s Navee!”(95)
And my personal favorite, as the father of an attorney daughter,
“Of legal knowledge I acquired such a grip
That they took me into the partnership.
And that junior partnership I ween
Was the only ship I had ever seen.
But that kind of ship so suited me
That now I am the Ruler of the Queen’s Navee!”(96)
As for others of the fourteen works in this volume, the Major-General’s song in Pirates of Penzance features “fourteeners,” which can be subdivided into ballad form, but that gives them an entirely different effect. Say the Major-General’s as fast as possible (see the Stratford, Ontario version on Youtube):
“I am the very model of a modern major-General,
I’ve information vegetable, animal and mineral,
I know the Kings of England, and I quote the fights historical,
From Marathon to Waterloo, in order categorical,
I’m very well acquainted too with matters mathematical
I understand equations, both the simple and quadratical…”(133)
Fourteeners were common in Shakespeare’s period, though I don’t recall his using the form—or perhaps I recall noting it once, to my surprise. Chapman’s Iliad, Keats’s source, is written in rhymed fourteeners; and Brooke’s Romeus and Juliet, Shakespeare’s source, is in Poulter’s measure, an iambic hexameter followed by a fourteener. (A critic in 1575 called it the commonest form of verse then.)
Another favorite of mine is a dance piece from Iolanthe,
“Tripping hither, tripping thither,
Nobody knows why or whither;
Why you want us we don’t know,
But you’ve summoned us, and so
Enter all the little fairies…”(221)
We Americans miss out on the great jokes on class structure, though we can certainly enjoy the political jokes, when the Admiral talks about becoming a politician:
“I grew so rich that I was sent
By a pocket borough into Parliament.
I always voted at my party’s call
And I never thought of thinking for myself at all.
I thought so little they rewarded me
By making me the Ruler of the Queen’s Navee.”(96)
A “pocket borough” was a Parliamentary seat controlled by one person or family; they were abolished more than once, in 1832 and 1867 Reform Acts, showing their persistence. Gerrymandering in the US is our version of pocket boroughs, that and simply buying votes, maybe by ads, maybe by social media, as Russia did.
*Pagination from my Norton paper edition, 1976.
Rather the opposite of pathos, summed up in this comic rhyme, in the patrician Capt.’s advice on the tars, the common sailors,
“Though foes they could thump any,
Are hardly fit company,
My daughter, for you.”(111*)
Tri-syllabic rhymes are always comic, and they all seem the best of their sort.
Our local performance in Falmouth (famous for Katherine Lee Bates, writer of “America the Beautiful”) had performers from university music programs in Oklahoma and Iowa, Wisconsin, one local from BU. We Americans lack the class-consciousness on which the whole plot of Pinafore depends, the changeling in the crib where the child raised to aristocratic Captain was of low birth—“hardly fit company” of his own daughter!
But Gilbert knew the Victorian limits of the this changeling theme, not making the Lord of Admiralty of low birth. Rather, almost as amusing in English Class Society, Sir Joseph is a bourgeoise workaholic, beginning as an office boy in an attorney’s firm,
“I cleaned the windows and I swept the floor,
And I polished up the handle of the big front door.
I polished up that handle so carefullee
That now I am the Ruler of the Queen’s Navee!”(95)
And my personal favorite, as the father of an attorney daughter,
“Of legal knowledge I acquired such a grip
That they took me into the partnership.
And that junior partnership I ween
Was the only ship I had ever seen.
But that kind of ship so suited me
That now I am the Ruler of the Queen’s Navee!”(96)
As for others of the fourteen works in this volume, the Major-General’s song in Pirates of Penzance features “fourteeners,” which can be subdivided into ballad form, but that gives them an entirely different effect. Say the Major-General’s as fast as possible (see the Stratford, Ontario version on Youtube):
“I am the very model of a modern major-General,
I’ve information vegetable, animal and mineral,
I know the Kings of England, and I quote the fights historical,
From Marathon to Waterloo, in order categorical,
I’m very well acquainted too with matters mathematical
I understand equations, both the simple and quadratical…”(133)
Fourteeners were common in Shakespeare’s period, though I don’t recall his using the form—or perhaps I recall noting it once, to my surprise. Chapman’s Iliad, Keats’s source, is written in rhymed fourteeners; and Brooke’s Romeus and Juliet, Shakespeare’s source, is in Poulter’s measure, an iambic hexameter followed by a fourteener. (A critic in 1575 called it the commonest form of verse then.)
Another favorite of mine is a dance piece from Iolanthe,
“Tripping hither, tripping thither,
Nobody knows why or whither;
Why you want us we don’t know,
But you’ve summoned us, and so
Enter all the little fairies…”(221)
We Americans miss out on the great jokes on class structure, though we can certainly enjoy the political jokes, when the Admiral talks about becoming a politician:
“I grew so rich that I was sent
By a pocket borough into Parliament.
I always voted at my party’s call
And I never thought of thinking for myself at all.
I thought so little they rewarded me
By making me the Ruler of the Queen’s Navee.”(96)
A “pocket borough” was a Parliamentary seat controlled by one person or family; they were abolished more than once, in 1832 and 1867 Reform Acts, showing their persistence. Gerrymandering in the US is our version of pocket boroughs, that and simply buying votes, maybe by ads, maybe by social media, as Russia did.
*Pagination from my Norton paper edition, 1976.
February 8, 2023
Love these but it really helps if you can sing along. If you don't know the music, doubt these would be enjoyed as much.
July 26, 2018
Was searching for penguin classics to get my hands on as I have always been a fan of them and own several of the orange spine ones and have been trying to get more black spine ones. This popped up as a suggestion. I also am a fan of Gilbert and Sullivan being the young age of 32. I was first introduced to Gilbert and Sullivan when i was probably 10 or 11 when one evening I was staying up late as it was summer vaca and turned on disney channel. When I turned it on George Rose was signing the Modern Major General patter song from Pirates of Penzance. I immediately got hooked at the fast paced singing. I didn't than know what it was until a few nights later it was on again and mom was flipping through channels and I happened to see it at the same spot it was on when I watched it. I asked her what it was she told me and I than once we went to a music store purchased with birthday money the recording of the Pirates of Penzance. Since that time I am lucky enough to live in a place where about 2 hrs away the do a light opera festival. I have seen each G&S show at least once except Trial by Jury, The Grand Duke, and Utopia Limited. I am glad that this book is available. I couldn't help but humming the songs in my head when reading the text to these operettas. I did see Topsy Turvy and although I liked Mike Leigh's introduction I wish we were able to get more about the lyricist and composer. I do have biographies on these two so wasn't near as important as some might need to have them but also would have been interesting to see what the first night of the operettas were like in the introduction as well. All in all a great reference and must have for any Gilbert and Sullivan fan.
June 11, 2017
The Gilbert and Sullivan canon is, at its best, unimpeachable as a work of literature and musical theatre (I won't get into the argument over whether or not it is opera, or whether or not it is musical theatre- even Gilbert and Sullivan seemed unsure by the end of their career). The Gilbert and Sullivan canon is, at its worst, derivative and pompous, though never quite "hacky." Over the course of twelve works, give or take, G&S laid the foundation for what would become musical theatre as we know it, filled with comic characters, satire, plot-based numbers, motivated dancing and such features as patter songs and intertwined medleys. Though they took a few shows to find their bearings, and lost steam towards the end of their career together, their best work is pure genius. The Delphi Classics edition contains a huge wealth of what is, essentially, bonus material, such as the two partners' solo works and collaborations with other artists. These, aside from Gilbert's "Bab Ballad" poetry collections (a series of comic poems and sketches, essentially a dry run for his Sullivan collaborations), are interesting but inessential. You can skip them if you like- most everyone does.
November 10, 2018
Often uproarious, this book is a gem. I suggest you read it while listening to recordings of the plays to get the full measure of the talent involved in creating these treasures. If you like the parodies of Monty Python, you will love Gilbert and Sullivan. Such wit! I only wish that the public had an appreciation of opera instead of the aversion usually elicited by the genre. If they only knew the enjoyment derived, they would demand the frequent performance of these comedies!
September 13, 2023
While "The Mikado" remains a problematic piece for its colonial/racist stereotypes, it is hard to deny the lyrical inventiveness and sheer exuberant wordplay of Gilbert & Sullivan's light operas for the theater:
"Man will swear and Man will storm-
Man is not at all good form-
Man is of no kind of use-
Man's a donkey--Man's a goose-
Man is coarse and Man is plain-
Man is more or less insane-
Man's a ribald--Man's a rake-
Man is Nature's sole mistake!"
-from Princess Ida
"Man will swear and Man will storm-
Man is not at all good form-
Man is of no kind of use-
Man's a donkey--Man's a goose-
Man is coarse and Man is plain-
Man is more or less insane-
Man's a ribald--Man's a rake-
Man is Nature's sole mistake!"
-from Princess Ida
February 26, 2020
H.M.S. Pinafore — Gilbert (10/07)
Pirates of Penzance — Gilbert (10/07)
Pirates of Penzance — Gilbert (10/07)
May 6, 2007
I started getting into Gilbert & Sullivan operettas after viewing The Pirates of Penzance movie on TV. OMG. Funniest musical. I bought the soundtrack and then viewed Topsy-Turvy (a retelling of how G&S got to creating The Mikado). I bought that album as well. I have since bought another three G&S operettas (the recorded albums) but I found some of the singing made it difficult to understand the lyrics. Lyrics, of course, help you understand the gist of the play/musical/whatever. So I bought this book which has the collected works of G&S printed clearly. You can watch the play and follow right along. You can listen to the album and follow right along. YAY!! I now know the lyrics to these operettas and enjoy singing them out loud in my car in traffic. (I get a lot of funny looks.)
September 8, 2015
This is a collection of all the Gilbert and Sullivan operas performed at the Savoy Theatre with the original D'Oyly Carte company. It is perhaps lacking an introduction and some biographical information, but nevertheless reading Gilbert's lyrics provided several highly amusing evenings next to my record player. I also recommend the Sky Arts five-part series 'Gilbert and Sullivan: A Motley Pair' which delves into the story behind each opera and the gradual rise and fall of Gilbert and Sullivan's working relationship.
December 3, 2014
4 stars for the content but only 3 stars for this particular Kindle edition (from Project Gutenberg) which suffered from formatting problems.
This book contains the 14 operas that Gilbert and Sullivan collaborated on. I have rated the individual plays/operettas separately.
This book contains the 14 operas that Gilbert and Sullivan collaborated on. I have rated the individual plays/operettas separately.
June 4, 2009
The plays are almost as good as the albums and better than some stage presentations I have seen.
October 6, 2011
No Savoyard should be without this. This is the version I own, but anyone who's done G&S needs a copy of the librettos. Such fun.
December 27, 2011
always fun to watch and work on! I was Chorus in Mikado and still remember the whole experience with happy memories!
December 12, 2016
A delightful collection of the full texts from all the Savoy operas. A must for any G&S fan!
December 27, 2016
Didn't get as far as I wanted, but will definitely be picking it up again. Great study material for potential playwrights.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews