W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911)
Author of The Complete Plays of Gilbert and Sullivan
About the Author
Born in London, William S. Gilbert served a term as a government clerk and was called to the bar as a barrister before being diverted into the bohemian world of Victorian comic journalism. He first achieved popularity as the author of several volumes of "Bab Ballads" (Max Beerbohm praised them as show more "silly"). Moving on to theater, Gilbert contributed to the current rage for travesties of opera and for one-act musical "entertainments" until a blank-verse burlesque of Tennyson's Princess Princess led to commissions and full-length comedies, both mythological and "modern." Still highly regarded by critics, some of these---perhaps Sweethearts (1874) and Engaged (1877)---should be investigated by today's readers and producers. As it is, their best memorial is the early work of George Bernard Shaw, who, although he polemically rejected their cynicism, was clearly influenced by Gilbert's comedies and their inversion of social values. By the time of Engaged, however, a second dramatic career had overtaken Gilbert. Collaboration with the composer Arthur Sullivan, begun in 1871 (Thespis), achieved theatrical success with Trial by Jury in 1875. In the comic operas that followed, Sullivan's generally allusive music enriched the sometimes shrill pessimism of Gilbert's wit. An unlikely jostle of theatrical parody, contemporary satire, intricate meters, and logical fantasy, the librettos have often been compared with the comedies of Aristophanes and have influenced English playwrights from Oscar Wilde to Tom Stoppard. Uncomfortable, often acrimonious, the partnership nevertheless lasted through 25 years and 13 Savoy operas (so called because many were staged by Richard D'Oyly Carte at his Savoy Theatre). Gilbert, whose merely theatrical connections (as opposed to Sullivan's serious musical credentials) held him back from formal honors, was knighted in 1907, only a few years before his death. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Disambiguation Notice:
see also Gilbert and Sullivan
Image credit: Courtesy of the NYPL Digital Gallery (image use requires permission from the New York Public Library)
Series
Works by W. S. Gilbert
The Plays and Poems of W. S. Gilbert, including The Complete Text of the Fourteen Gilbert & Sullivan Operas, Three… (2002) 32 copies
Best of Gilbert and Sullivan: Forty-Two Favorite Songs from the G&s Repertoire (1981) 20 copies, 1 review
The Lost Stories of W. S. Gilbert / Illustrated by Bab ; Selected and Introduced by Peter Haining (1982) 17 copies
Delphi Complete Works of Gilbert and Sullivan (Illustrated) (Delphi Series Eight Book 7) (2017) 9 copies
Selected operas: second series by Sir W.S. Gilbert; includes HMS Pinafore; The pirates of Penzance; Iolanthe ; and The… (1930) 9 copies
Original Plays By W.S. Gilbert, First Series: The Wicked World; Pygmalion & Galatea; Isolanthe, Others (1920) 7 copies
Gilbert & Sullivan: Highlights from The Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance, H.M.S. Pinafore, The Yeomen of the Guard,… (1996) — Librettist — 7 copies
The Immortal Gilbert & Sullivan Operas: volume 1 famous numbers from The Mikado, The Gondoliers & The Yeoman of the… (1900) — Librettist — 6 copies
Poems Of W. S. Gilbert 4 copies
British and American Playwrights: Plays- The Palace of the Truth / Sweethearts / Princess Toto / Engaged / Rosencrantz… (1982) 4 copies
Original plays. Second series 4 copies
Iolanthe [score] 4 copies
Words and Music Gilbert & Sullivan: The Mikado H.M.S. Pinafore Pirates of Penzance (1950) — Librettist — 3 copies
Pygmalion and Galatea 3 copies
Gilbert and Sullivan's The Gondoliers or The King of Barataria.Authorized by the D'Oyly Carte Company (1940) 3 copies
CROSSING BORDERS. TRANSCENDING CATEGORIES. Contemporary Art From Mata Ortiz, Mexico. (2000) 3 copies
The Triumph Of Vice 3 copies
Gilbert and Sullivan Highlights — Librettist — 3 copies
Original Comic Operas : 1st. series 3 copies
Foggerty's fairy and other tales 2 copies
H. M. S. PINAFORE OR THE LASS THAT LOVED A SAILOR Gilbert & Sullivan (complete vocal score) (1938) 2 copies
The Mikado 2 copies
The Mikado, and other operas — Librettist — 2 copies
Lost Bab Ballads 2 copies
Poor wand'ring one — Librettist — 2 copies
The Pirates of Penzance : highlights [sound recording] — Librettist — 2 copies
Gilbert & Sullivan : The Pirates of Penzance — Author — 2 copies
Finale (from PIRATES OF PENZANCE) — Librettist — 2 copies
Original Plays, Fourth Series 2 copies
Three Little Maids from School (from The Mikado) — Librettist — 2 copies
The yeomen of the guard : an opera of two acts : for Sol and orchestra with English text : vocal score (1985) 2 copies
Harold Dixon's Modern Arrangements of Gilbert and Sullivan's Famous Songs — Librettist — 1 copy
Pirates of Penzance Pinafore Mikado and Bab Ballads: The Light Operas of W. S. Gilbert (2011) 1 copy
The Complete Plays 1 copy
The Hidden Worlds 1 copy
The BAB Ballads, etc. 1 copy
Trial By Jury 1 copy
Savoyard Scrapbook 1 copy
Utopia Ltd (Record) 1 copy
Ruddigore record 2 (Record) 1 copy
The Yeomen of the Guard 1 copy
Ruddigore record 1 (Record) 1 copy
Iolanthe [operetta] — Author — 1 copy
Patience record 1 (Record) 1 copy
Patience record 2 (Record) 1 copy
The Mikado 1 copy
Captain Reece 1 copy
H.M.S. Pinafore retold 1 copy
Iolanthe retold 1 copy
Iolanthe and other operas 1 copy
The Yeoman of the Guard [sound recording] — Librettist — 1 copy
The Gondoliers + Trial by Jury [sound recording] — Librettist — 1 copy
The Mikado [score] — Librettist — 1 copy
Gilbert & Sullivan ROCK!: A "Poperetta" for Unison and 2-Part Voices (Kit), Book & CD (Book is 100% Reproducible) (2013) 1 copy
A nice dilemma (from TRIAL BY JURY) — Librettist — 1 copy
Mikado + Iolanthe + Gondoliers [vocal score] — Librettist — 1 copy
Gilbert and Sullivan Spectacular: Selections from Pinafore, Mikado, Pirates, Ruddigore — Librettist — 1 copy
Trial by Jury [libretto] 1 copy
G. SCHIRMER EDITION OF THE GONDOLIERS OR THE KING OF BARATARIA — Librettist — 1 copy
I am the very model of a modern Major-General! (from PIRATES OF PENZANCE) — Librettist — 1 copy
The Gondoliers + Cox and Box [sound recording] — Librettist — 1 copy
Poor Wand'ring One, song in the comic opera The Pirates of Penzance — Librettist — 1 copy
In a contemplative fashion (from THE GONDOLIERS) — Librettist — 1 copy
Regular Royal Queen (from THE GONDOLIERS) — Librettist — 1 copy
Take a pair of sparkling eyes (from THE GONDOLIERS) — Librettist — 1 copy
We're called gondolieri (from THE GONDOLIERS) — Librettist — 1 copy
Fair moon, to thee I sing (From HMS PINAFORE) — Librettist — 1 copy
As some day it may happen (from THE MIKADO) — Librettist — 1 copy
A wand'ring mistrel I (from THE MIKADO) — Librettist — 1 copy
When I was a lad (from HMS PINAFORE) — Librettist — 1 copy
Original Plays. First Series, Containing the Wicked World, Pygmalion and Galatea Charity, the Palace of Truth, the… (2016) 1 copy
Gilbert Before Sullivan. Six Comic Plays By W. S. Gilbert. Edited and with an Introduction By Jane W. Stedman (1967) 1 copy
Bad Ballads 1 copy
The Gondoliers 1 copy
HMS Pinafore 1 copy
The Palace of Truth 1 copy
HMS Pinafore or the Lass That Loved a Sailor, an Entirely Original Nautical Comic Opera in Two Acts (1900) 1 copy
Original Plays By W.S. Gilbert, Second Series: H.M.S. Pinafore; The Pirates of Penzance, Others. (1922) 1 copy
A Colossal Idea 1 copy
Gilbertiana 1 copy
Princess Ida Highlights 1 copy
Patience [2xVinyl] 1 copy
Associated Works
The Norton Anthology of English Literature, 4th Edition, Volume 2 (1979) — Contributor — 254 copies, 1 review
Masterpieces of Terror and the Unknown: A Treasury of Bizarre Tales Old and New (1993) — Contributor — 200 copies, 2 reviews
Lovers & Other Monsters: A Collection of Amorous Tales of Fantasy, Old and New (1993) — Contributor — 59 copies, 1 review
The world of law; a treasury of great writing about and in the law, short stories, plays, essays, accounts, letters,… (1960) — Contributor — 54 copies
The Dedalus Book Of English Decadence: Vile Emperors And Elegant Degenerates (Decadence from Dedalus) (2004) — Contributor — 53 copies
Iolanthe — Composer, some editions — 9 copies
H.M.S. Pinafore [operetta] — Original author — 2 copies
Ruddigore ; Cox and Box (CD) — Contributor — 1 copy
Cox and Box; Trial by jury — Contributor — 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Other names
- Gilbert, Sir William Schwenk
- Birthdate
- 1836-11-18
- Date of death
- 1911-05-29
- Burial location
- Church of St. John the Evangelist, Stanmore, England, UK
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- UK
- Birthplace
- London, England, UK
- Place of death
- Harrow Weald, Middlesex, England, UK
- Places of residence
- London, England, UK (birth)
Harrow Weald, Middlesex, England, UK (death) - Education
- King's College, London (1856)
- Occupations
- playwright
librettist
poet
illustrator
clerk (privy-council office)
barrister - Awards and honors
- Knighthood (1907)
- Disambiguation notice
- see also Gilbert and Sullivan
Members
Reviews
This is a selection of forty-four of the Bab Ballads. For the complete works, readers should seek 'The Bab Ballads, with which are included Songs of a Savoyard', first published in 1898
Lists
Favourite Books (1)
Plays I Like (1)
Awards
You May Also Like
Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 316
- Also by
- 36
- Members
- 4,268
- Popularity
- #5,888
- Rating
- 4.0
- Reviews
- 76
- ISBNs
- 303
- Languages
- 5
- Favorited
- 4
Bradley's volume contains the complete text of every one of the Gilbert/Sullivan operettas, complete with annotations in the margins, providing a useful contextual and historical overview. I recommend enjoying this alongside a music-biography of the works. The 20th anniversary edition contains impressive updates as well as including a couple of the early works previously excluded.