William S. Gilbert Biography
English Librettist, Playwright, Poet and Illustrator
The life and works of William S. Gilbert, of Gilbert and Sullivan comic operetta partnership. Among others, they're famous for The Mikado and H.M.S. Pinafore.
Sir William Gilbert, librettist, playwright, poet and illustrator, collaborated with Sir Arthur Sullivan on successful comic operettas. Some of their famous works include H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado.
Gilbert's lyrics are often exuberant and full of humour with brilliant rhyme and rhythm. Anyone who has seen any of the G&S operettas can attest to it and recall the fun long after the show is over.
Early Life of Gilbert
William Schwenck Gilbert was born on November 18, 1836, in Strand, London, a son of a retired naval surgeon who later became a novelist and a short story writer. He had an ordinary upbringing apart from an unusual episode when he was kidnapped in Italy, at the age of two, by a gang who demanded a ransom for his release.
He studied at King's College London. He took training as an artillery officer and was taught military science with hopes of participating in the Crimean War. He did not graduate until it was over, at which point he still joined the militia and stayed being a member for twenty years.
Career in Law
After his military training, Gilbert worked in a government bureau. Thanks to his aunt who bequeathed an inheritance, Gilbert pursued an interest and became a barrister. He did work as a barrister at the age of 28, but this was short-lived as he failed to attract significant briefs. Before leaving his law practice, he married an army officer's daughter.
The Witty Writer and Illustrator
Gilbert's talent for wit and caustic sarcasm became the primary source that led him to a successful career and fame. At 25, he contributed dramatic criticism and humorous verses to Punch and Fun British magazines. He illustrated cartoons and sketches which he simply signed with his boyhood nickname "Bab." Notably, many of the characters in the Gilbert and Sullivan operettas were modeled on some of his "Bab" characters.
The Gilbert and Sullivan Musical Partnership
The years 1868 until 1875, he was 32 to 39, were fruitful ones as two of his plays profited him great rewards. It was also the time when he collaborated with composer Arthur Sullivan on Thespis.
The Gilbert-Sullivan partnership which began in 1871 spanned twenty-five years producing operettas or light operas, known as "Savoy Operas," usually performed at the Savoy Theatre in London's Strand. They scored their first success with Trial by Jury under Richard D'Oyly Carte's management at the Royalty Theatre. The last one, The Grand Duke, was premiered in 1896.
Final Years
After Sir Arthur Sullivan's death in 1900, Gilbert's efforts to fill the gap proved unsuccessful. William S. Gilbert was knighted by Edward VII in 1907. He died on May 29, 1911, aged 75, while attempting to save a drowning woman.
List of Works by Gilbert and Sullivan
- Trial by Jury, 1875
- The Sorcerer, 1877
- H.M.S. Pinafore, 1878
- The Pirates of Penzance, 1879
- Patience, 1881
- Iolanthe, 1882
- The Mikado, 1885
- Ruddigore, 1887
- The Yeomen of the Guard, 1888
- The Gondoliers, 1889
- The Grand Duke, 1896
Sources:
Biographical Dictionary, New Edition, edited by Una McGovern, Chambers (2002)
The Grove Concise Dictionary of Music, edited by Stanley Sadie, Macmillan (1994)
Victorian songs & Music by Olivia Bailey, Caxton Editions (2002)
