A most ingenious paradox : the art of Gilbert and Sullivan / Gayden Wren.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Wren, Gayden, 1961-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Gilbert, W. S. (William Schwenck), 1836-1911--Criticism and interpretation.

Gilbert, W. S.

Sullivan, Arthur, 1842-1900. Operas.

Sullivan, Arthur.

Gilbert, W. S. (William Schwenck), 1836-1911.

Criticism and interpretation.

Physical Description:

x, 396 pages : illustrations, music ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : Oxford University Press, 2001.

Summary:

The Mikado. H.M.S. Pinafore. The Pirates of Penzance. Princess Ida. Written more than a century ago and initially regarded even by their own creators as nothing more than light entertainment, these and ten other operas by Gilbert & Sullivan today represent the world's most popular body of musical-the-ater works. During the past century, only Shakespeare's plays were produced more often.

Currently there are more than two hundred professional and amateur companies performing primarily or exclusively the works of Gilbert & Sullivan in North America, and dozens more such groups in Great Britain, Australia, South Africa, the Caribbean, and elsewhere. There are Gilbert & Sullivan newsletters, websites, and associations. "Savoyards" gather at international conferences to discuss the works and their creators, delighting in arcane trivia. The 1999 feature film Topsy-Turvy, directed by Mike Leigh, only added to the legions of Gilbert & Sullivan fans.

What accounts for the astonishing popularity of these operas? In A Most Ingenious Paradox: The Art of Gilbert & Sullivan, Gayden Wren pursues this question through a lively, richly detailed consideration of all fourteen works. His book -- the first in fifty years to concentrate on the operas themselves rather than on biography or performance history -- offers a bold new perspective. To understand the operas' remarkable longevity, Wren suggests, we must look beyond their brilliant lyrics, witty dialogue, and catchy music. Like Shakespeare's comedies, the operas of Gilbert & Sullivan endure because of strikingly resonant stories, characters, and themes.

Along with illuminating chapters on operas from Thespis (1871) to The Grand Duke (1896), Wren includes a section on the artistic legacy of Gilbert & Sullivan. We learn that Cole Porter, Ira Gershwin, and even Samuel Beckett were passionate fans. In a treat for devotees of contemporary musical theater, Wren shares what Stephen Sondheim, Stephen Schwartz, Sir Timothy Rice, Frank Wildhorn, and other leading lights told him in interviews and letters when asked about Gilbert & Sullivan's art and influence.

Written out of an abiding love for the Savoy operas, A Most Ingenious Paradox will bring great pleasure to any fan of Gilbert & Sullivan, or, indeed, anyone who loves musical theater. The book is also sure to interest scholars, students, and anyone involved in a Gilbert & Sullivan production.

Contents:

Gilbert before Sullivan

Sullivan before Gilbert

Thespis

Trail by jury

The sorcerer

H.M.S. Pinafore

The pirates of Penzance

Patience

Iolanthe

Princess Ida

The mikado

Ruddigore

The Yeomen of the guard

The gondoliers

Utopia, limited

The grand duke

Gilbert after Sullivan, Sullivan after Gilbert.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 349-375) and index.

ISBN:

0195145143

OCLC:

46634431