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Asimov's Annotated Gilbert and Sullivan
A century ago lyricist William Schwenck Gilbert and composer Arthur Seymour Sullivan met and formed a legendary partnership, out of which some of the world's best-known and -loved musical theater was created. Including such perennial favorites as H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance, and The Mikado, the operettas of Gilbert and Sullivan have endured and increased in popularity to this day. Now renowned author and long-time G & S fan Isaac Asimov brings his masterful wit and understanding to a complete annotation of these classic works.
Lucid, authoritative, and thoroughly entertaining, ASIMOV'S ANNOTATED GILBERT & SULLIVAN offers a fresh and illuminating interpretation of the artists' fourteen famous operettas. Here, Dr. Asimov skillfully guides the reader through every word, reference, and innuendo that needs clarification. With enthusiasm and insight, he identifies all the major characters, describes specific settings, and brings to light pertinent background information, such as when and where each play opened, how it was received by critics and audiences at the time, how its title was derived, and more.
Like Asimov's Annotated Don Juan, Asimov's Annotated Paradise Lost, and Familiar Poems Annotated, this meticulously detailed volume provides a wealth of information essential for a full appreciation of the timeless works. Beautifully illustrated and written in the good doctor's inimitable style, ASIMOV'S ANNOTATED GILBERT & SULLIVAN at last makes the endearing charm of the world's favorite operettas accessible to armchair music lovers and seasoned theater aficionados alike.
(Description from inside the book jacket flaps.)
Lucid, authoritative, and thoroughly entertaining, ASIMOV'S ANNOTATED GILBERT & SULLIVAN offers a fresh and illuminating interpretation of the artists' fourteen famous operettas. Here, Dr. Asimov skillfully guides the reader through every word, reference, and innuendo that needs clarification. With enthusiasm and insight, he identifies all the major characters, describes specific settings, and brings to light pertinent background information, such as when and where each play opened, how it was received by critics and audiences at the time, how its title was derived, and more.
Like Asimov's Annotated Don Juan, Asimov's Annotated Paradise Lost, and Familiar Poems Annotated, this meticulously detailed volume provides a wealth of information essential for a full appreciation of the timeless works. Beautifully illustrated and written in the good doctor's inimitable style, ASIMOV'S ANNOTATED GILBERT & SULLIVAN at last makes the endearing charm of the world's favorite operettas accessible to armchair music lovers and seasoned theater aficionados alike.
(Description from inside the book jacket flaps.)
1056 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1988
1 person is currently reading
84 people want to read
About the author
Isaac Asimov
4,354 books28k followersWorks of prolific Russian-American writer Isaac Asimov include popular explanations of scientific principles,
The Foundation Trilogy
(1951-1953), and other volumes of fiction.
Isaac Asimov, a professor of biochemistry, wrote as a highly successful author, best known for his books.
Asimov, professor, generally considered of all time, edited more than five hundred books and ninety thousand letters and postcards. He published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey decimal classification but lacked only an entry in the category of philosophy (100).
People widely considered Asimov, a master of the genre alongside Robert Anson Heinlein and Arthur Charles Clarke as the "big three" during his lifetime. He later tied Galactic Empire and the Robot into the same universe as his most famous series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those that Heinlein pioneered and Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson previously produced. He penned "Nightfall," voted in 1964 as the best short story of all time; many persons still honor this title. He also produced well mysteries, fantasy, and a great quantity of nonfiction. Asimov used Paul French, the pen name, for the Lucky Starr, series of juvenile novels.
Most books of Asimov in a historical way go as far back to a time with possible question or concept at its simplest stage. He often provides and mentions well nationalities, birth, and death dates for persons and etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Guide to Science, the tripartite set Understanding Physics, and Chronology of Science and Discovery exemplify these books.
Asimov, a long-time member, reluctantly served as vice president of Mensa international and described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs." He took more pleasure as president of the humanist association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, an elementary school in Brooklyn in New York, and two different awards honor his name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_As...
Isaac Asimov, a professor of biochemistry, wrote as a highly successful author, best known for his books.
Asimov, professor, generally considered of all time, edited more than five hundred books and ninety thousand letters and postcards. He published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey decimal classification but lacked only an entry in the category of philosophy (100).
People widely considered Asimov, a master of the genre alongside Robert Anson Heinlein and Arthur Charles Clarke as the "big three" during his lifetime. He later tied Galactic Empire and the Robot into the same universe as his most famous series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those that Heinlein pioneered and Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson previously produced. He penned "Nightfall," voted in 1964 as the best short story of all time; many persons still honor this title. He also produced well mysteries, fantasy, and a great quantity of nonfiction. Asimov used Paul French, the pen name, for the Lucky Starr, series of juvenile novels.
Most books of Asimov in a historical way go as far back to a time with possible question or concept at its simplest stage. He often provides and mentions well nationalities, birth, and death dates for persons and etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Guide to Science, the tripartite set Understanding Physics, and Chronology of Science and Discovery exemplify these books.
Asimov, a long-time member, reluctantly served as vice president of Mensa international and described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs." He took more pleasure as president of the humanist association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, an elementary school in Brooklyn in New York, and two different awards honor his name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_As...
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 11, 2017
Asimov explains the outdated language and historical context of the Gilbert and Sullivan plays such as the Mikado and The Pirates of Penzance. His unique sense of humor makes the plays more comprehensible and fun to read and watch!
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December 15, 2022ML49 S9 A1 1988 Music Library. Also Sullivan's, and Gilbert's /Annotated Gilbert and Sullivan/.
May 25, 2020
Mikado *** -- This has consistently been one of Gilbert and Sullivan’s most popular operas. Yet, I expected it to be, uh … more Japanese. The tale could have taken place anywhere in England if not for a few capricious laws. Even as it is, it could easily have been place in any exotic location like India or Afghanistan, Bermuda, etc. There is literally nothing that makes this place Japanese except one Japanese song.
In the production, Gilbert sought authenticity in the Japanese setting, costumes, movements and gestures of the actors. To that end, he engaged some of the Japanese at the Knightsbridge village to advise on the production and to coach the actors. But very little of this comes through in the story. It is Japanese in spectacle.
That aside, the book is light-hearted, humorous and sly in typical Gilbert fashion. But there’s nothing really remarkable in the love story. It’s a fun read, but not much more.
In the production, Gilbert sought authenticity in the Japanese setting, costumes, movements and gestures of the actors. To that end, he engaged some of the Japanese at the Knightsbridge village to advise on the production and to coach the actors. But very little of this comes through in the story. It is Japanese in spectacle.
That aside, the book is light-hearted, humorous and sly in typical Gilbert fashion. But there’s nothing really remarkable in the love story. It’s a fun read, but not much more.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews