Who are Gilbert and Sullivan?
Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (1836–1911) was an English librettist and playwright who also directed his own games. Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan (1842–1900) was an English composer and conductor. Together they are known as Gilbert and Sullivan and are responsible for the group of operettas that have been very successful during their lives and are still popular today. Their first cooperation was Thespis, which was presented in the 1871 Christmas season. It was commissioned and produced by Richard d'Oyly Carte, which continued production of 12 Operettes Gilbert and Sullivan, and brought the overall works of Gilbert and Sullivan to fourteen.
• court by jury - 1875
• magician - 1877
• HMS Pinafore or Lass that loved the sailor - 1878
• pirates of pension or slave - 1879
• Patience or Buntthorne's Bride - 1881
• iolanthe or
• princess ida or Adamant Castle - 1884
• Mikado or the city of titip - 1885
• Ruddigore or witch curse - 1887
• yeoman guards or Merryman and his maid - 1888
• gondoliers or king of Barataria - 1889
• Utopia (Limited) or progress flowers - 1893
• Grand Duke or Duel Statutors - 1896
operas from 1875 to 1889 are the closest identification with pairing Gilbert and Sullivan. They satirize culture, education, melodrama genre and human nature in general.
The relationship between partners was not always easy. Gilbert and Sullivan argued and Gilbert and Carta argued, and Gilbert ended with Carte defending after Gondoliers were organized. Three invented, led to the last two joint efforts in cooperation with Gilbert and Sullivan.