Comment on Gilbert & Sullivan's 'Savoy Operas'
If an American Anglophile may be allowed an opinion on English Icons, the G&S operettas are the first thing that comes to mind when I think of English musical theater. Then, of course, comes Handel's works, Purcell's and Britten's. (The latter not always favorably.) I am an unapologetic and unreconstructed G&S Savoyard of the rabid variety and went into mourning for a month when the old D'Oyly Carte Opera Company folded. But, as others have pointed out, love 'em or hate 'em, they embody English humor: satirical, witty and triumphantly eloquent. I note that Alice in Wonderland is an icon. Gilbert was at least as great a master of Topsy Turvydum as Lewis Carroll and deserves no less recognition. Sullivan is the greatest native English composer between Purcell and Elgar and his tunes are still familiar to millions around the world. Because of the sheer richness of English literary history and the impressive flowering of musical creativity that occurred in England in the late 19th and 20th centuries, there is some justification for the debate about the iconic status of G&S. However, Gilbert may not have been Shakespeare and Sullivan was not Vaughan Williams but they are English geniuses all the same.
Comment on Gilbert & Sullivan's 'Savoy Operas' posted 2007-09-10 by Dan Longiaru from Craryville, New York, United States
Comment on Gilbert & Sullivan's 'Savoy Operas'
Though people either love or loathe them (as can be seen by the voting) the G&S operettas are iconic - for they are quintessentially English. The ability to laugh at ourselves is exemplified by Gilbert's sharp wit, and many of Sullivan's tunes are as catchy as those of Lloyd-Webber or the Beatles; though the stories are unbelievable and the characters a shade dated now, they have survived because their Englishness, especially in their humour, runs true.
Comment on Gilbert & Sullivan's 'Savoy Operas' posted 2006-11-23 by John Rivers-Vaughan from Hove, Sussex
Comment on Gilbert & Sullivan's 'Savoy Operas'
Tedious, twee and pretentious - not what I want to remember England by.
Comment on Gilbert & Sullivan's 'Savoy Operas' posted 2006-11-10 by Alex from Burnley
Comment on Gilbert & Sullivan's 'Savoy Operas'
Having joined a Gilbert & Sullivan society in the Early 90s and performing in all the usual ones (all except Grand Duke and Utupia) After taking a few years off to have a family, and seeing this years production of "Patience" by the same society. I realised how much these operettas meant to me, how clever the writing and music is, and how much of this cleverness I had missed when I had been in this particular Operetta in 1996. I feel that the thing that distinguises G & S from similar shows is the way that the music and lyrics fit together so beautifully, my personal favourites highlighting this are "If we're weak enough to tarry" from Iolanthe & "So please you sir" from The Mikado, but there are many many more.
Comment on Gilbert & Sullivan's 'Savoy Operas' posted 2006-08-03 by Ian Castle from Huddersfield
Comment on Gilbert & Sullivan's 'Savoy Operas'
I've just produced 'The Gondoliers' (Milborne Port Opera) and have performed all the operas except Utopia (we'll do it one day). I am far from being an 'anorak' but I am continually amazed at the relevance of Gilbert's plots. So much of what he pokes fun at is still relevant today - perhaps with a slight update. The music is wonderful - beautifully orchestrated.
Comment on Gilbert & Sullivan's 'Savoy Operas' posted 2006-04-28 by Geoff Allan from Somerset, UK
Comment on Gilbert & Sullivan's 'Savoy Operas'
The Savoy Operas of Gilbert & Sullivan are quintessentially English, they embody all that is unique about the English sense of humour:- irony, a willingness to send oneself up, and, of course, poking fun at the establishment, be it the House Of Lords or aestheticism! The music is some of the finest ever written by an English composer. The words have given us so many phrases that are still in common usage today - "Let the punishment fit the crime" etc. The stories in general are timeless and the jokes can (and should be) updated Koko's "Little List" from The Mikado is often updated to include current affairs. Let us not forget that Gilbert was a satirist. The influence of Gilbert & Sullivan on modern composers from Cole Porter to Andrew Lloyd Webber can not be underestimated. It could also be said that rap such as that of Eminem can be traced back to the Patter songs made famous by Gilbert & Sullivan such as the "Nightmare song" from Iolanthe. It is a great shame that G&S is not more popular in this country as it is hugely successful in the USA and Australia.
Comment on Gilbert & Sullivan's 'Savoy Operas' posted 2006-04-28 by April Pardoe from northampton
Comment on Gilbert & Sullivan's 'Savoy Operas'
They are everything that is awful about this country - twee, unfunny, out of date, and musically tedious. Please do not include them and let the boring G&S "anoraks" win. Once you've heard one , you've heard them all and you certainly don't want to see more than one.
Comment on Gilbert & Sullivan's 'Savoy Operas' posted 2006-02-08 by Mike Painter from York
Comment on Gilbert & Sullivan's 'Savoy Operas'
The quirky, satirical wit of W. S. Gilbert and the churchy, up-beat music of Arthur Sullivan form a combination that is intensely, irredemably English. Whether parodying English institutions (the Navy, the House of Lords, the Police) or simply indulging in topsy-turvyism and clever wordplay, these Victorian operas have never quite lost their appeal, and enjoy perpetual popularity with amateur and professional performing groups alike.
Comment on Gilbert & Sullivan's 'Savoy Operas' posted 2006-02-02 by Christopher Outen from Oxford
Comment on Gilbert & Sullivan's 'Savoy Operas'
Yes, these are quintessentially English. Poking fun at ourselves to mirth, merriment and a great tune.
Comment on Gilbert & Sullivan's 'Savoy Operas' posted 2008-07-01 by Stephen Hartland from Edgbaston, Birmingham