An Entirely Original Comic Opera in two Acts Entitled The Gondoliers, or, The King of Barataria

by Arthur Sullivan, W.S. Gilbert

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Genres: Humor, Music, Plays

54 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1889

About the author

Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan was an English composer. He is best known for his series of 14 operatic collaborations with dramatist W. S. Gilbert, including such enduring works as H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado. Sullivan composed 23 operas, 13 major orchestral works, eight choral works and oratorios, two ballets, incidental music to several plays, and numerous hymns and other church pieces, songs, and piano and chamber pieces. The best known of his hymns and songs include "Onward Christian Soldiers" and "The Lost Chord".

Reviews

[Bettie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bettie's Books

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I have said in my other reviews of Gilbert & Sullivan, I read this as part of The Complete Plays of Gilbert and Sullivan on my Kindle while watching the YouTube video.

The Gondoliers is the first of the 14 operettas in which W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan collaborated. The style is more of a traditional opera than some of their later works but the plot has the "topsy turvy" style for which they became famous.

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always loved the hilarious poem "The Duke of Plaza-Toro," but it was only recently that I caught on to the fact that it came from a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta. It's very fitting that I found "that unaffected, undetected, well-connected nobleman" and his Duchess to be by far the funniest characters in the play. Good fun!

[Amy Meyers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of their best. They both worked harder on it than their others, after Sullivan rejected working any more with Gilbert and wanted to do more serious stuff. He was convinced to try again, and Gilbert let him have more control, so this has about the longest stretch of music, 18 minutes, at the beginning—according to the notes in our edition.

We read the complete annotated opera in the brick of a book edited by Ian Bradley, and we read all the annotations too, and listened to each song after reading the words so we could know what they were really saying. It will be a wonderful family memory.

Gilbert is so hilarious. Do any of his lyrics top “The Duke of Plaza-Toro”? “In enterprise of martial kind when there was any fighting / He led his regiment from behind, he found it less exciting…” Of course his plots are unbelievable and repetitive, but this is one of the best regardless.

And of course Sullivan—what a musician. He can do ballads, arias, recitatives, choruses, etc., all masterfully portraying Gilbert’s lyrics. Who is more to be praised for the success of these operas? I’m sure it’s not an easy choice to just pick Gilbert as the answer; surely he wouldn’t have been a success without Sullivan.

[Konstantin R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

[rating = B]
Like their H.M.S. Pinafore, the second Act is much better than the first (actually, there are several interesting similarities with Pinafore that are too similar...). Anyway, this is a later work and seems that the lyrical madness so wonderful in their earlier stuff has drained away. Oh it does pain me to say this for I love Gilbert and Sullivan, but this "Operetta" is one you could pass on. The Second Act, however, was a bit more spirited in music and lyrics and revived my hopes. This is a basic tale of love and circumstances being magically repaired by a mysterious twist (that wasn't so mysterious) at the end. I do not think I will watch this again, but I may look over some of the later songs now and then.

[Greg Kerestan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the point in the Gilbert and Sullivan canon where they begin to lose steam notably, to the point of recycling the "babies switched at birth" plot from Pinafore wholesale. The influence of Italian opera is starting to sink in, and not for the better- nothing here is as memorable or as witty as their previous shows.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think The Gondoliers has to be my favourite Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera and it holds a special place in my heart as it was the first G & S show that I performed in. I have been in two productions in the female ensemble and I have also played Inez. (Dream role is The Duchess.) I find the music delightful and uplifting as well as the storyline.

[Derek Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliantly witty lyrics matched by a sparkling, inventive score. A work of two masters!