It is said that one either loves or loathes Gilbert and Sullivan. Fortunately, I love Gilbert and Sullivan, although, it is quite some years since I saw any of the operettas performed, amateur or professional. It was, therefore, a pleasure to be able to review The Cambridge Companion to Gilbert and Sullivan. Each of the 15 chapters is by a different author, and, initially, I had assumed that the work must have come about as the result of some Gilbert and Sullivan conference, but I was unable to find what inspired the creation of this work. David Eden, one of the editors, and a former Chairman of the Sir. Arthur Sullivan Society does not say either. Of course, this is not a detraction in any way, simply, an unanswered question. Along with fellow editor, Meinhard Saremba, Eden does make it clear that the book has a fundamentally musical approach (more Sullivan and Gilbert than Gilbert and Sullivan) and that its aim is to provide a deeper understanding of the place of the Savoy Operas in the wider operatic context, which he seeks to achieve through the contributions of inter‐disciplinary research.
The book is divided into four parts. Part I – Background examines the historic, cultural, and artistic background. This part examines the Savoy Opera and its discontents and the well‐documented disputes between Gilbert and Sullivan as well as the famous Carpet Quarrel where Gilbert tried unsuccessfully to have the Savoy Theatre taken into receivership over a dispute for front‐of‐house carpets which ended in open court. Meinhard Saremba has contributed a chapter in this part, which deals with the popular misconceptions of Gilbert and Sullivan, one of the myths covered is that the works are the librettist's operas as there are numerous books and essays that spread the fallacy that Sullivan had provided nothing more than a musical complement for Gilbert's literary brilliance, and that, in consequence, they have too often been treated as “plays with music” instead of comic operas. In fact, all his life, Sullivan was searching for the ideal librettist and the suggestion that Sullivan simply did what Gilbert told him is misleading.
Part II – Focus – looks at relevant aspects and details of the operas and examines their stylistic elements as well as the patter songs and the word‐music relationship.
In Part III – Reception – the educational and practical aspects of the operas as well as their perception in countries other than England are investigated. Within this section, Mike Leigh writes a personal journey explored through Topsy‐Turvy, the 1999 film about the creation of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado in 1884 and 1885, and which Leigh wrote and directed. Part III looks also at the amateur scene, which is also enthusiastically keeping Gilbert and Sullivan alive; America; and translated versions throughout Europe.
Part IV – Into The 21st Century – comprises a single fascinating chapter by David Russell Hulme in which he carries out detailed textual detective work in the laborious process of rediscovering the originals of the Savoy Operas. He also provides an outlook on future perspectives relating to Gilbert and Sullivan and its performance.
There are four appendices covering who wrote the overtures (not necessarily Sullivan); a detailed list of the stage and choral works of Arthur Sullivan and W.S. Gilbert; modern editions of their work; and Sullivan's archetypes of English opera. The book also includes detailed notes, an extremely full bibliography, and detailed index.
This is a work written by academics who are all experts in Gilbert and Sullivan and the editors are to be commended for editing the work of all these different authors into a very readable whole. The book is nicely laid out with legible font and good spacing, and the use of space, and it beautifully illustrated with line drawings, photographs, and musical scores.
While I may have placed some emphasis on the academic nature of this work, it is nonetheless very readable, and it will be of great interest to those who wish to delve deeper into the works of Gilbert and Sullivan, or, Sullivan and Gilbert, and should appear on the shelves of music libraries and anywhere that music is taught, and, indeed it is one for the shelf of the public library. It is also a book would be appropriate for any library that deals with the history of the Victorian era in Great Britain. This is an excellent book which is well recommended.
