Gilbert and Sullivan: Pioneers of Modern Musical | A Motley Pair (2/5)
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- čas přidán 29. 06. 2021
- Simon Butteriss explores how the D'Oyly Carte's Comedy Opera Company assembled for The Sorcerer, and how HMS Pinafore and Pirates of Penzance paved the way for the modern musical.
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Gilbert and Sullivan are synonymous for British operetta. This celebrated collaboration has been one of the most successful in music history and yet most music lovers outside the English speaking world just about know of "The Mikado". Of Sullivan's more serious work little or nothing is known and even in the UK almost non of it is performed today. But the operettas resulting from the collaboration with the gifted poet W. S. Gilbert have achieved fame through the D'Oylo Carte company and its successors, the Carl Rosa Opera Company. Time for a close look at what made this unique couple tick.
Simon Butteriss’s in depth look at the works of Gilbert & Sullivan is brought to life in this five part documentary, including commentaries from Michael Ball, Germaine Greer and Dr Jane Glover. Musical and dramatic excerpts illustrate the narrative in addition to some important archive footage and specially recorded performances by our own repertory company, including world renowned G&S soloists like, of course, Simon Butteriss himself.
Original title: "Gilbert and Sullivan - A Motley pair (2/5): The Very Models of the Modern Major Musical"
Written and presented by Simon Butteriss
Directed by Tony Britten
Produced by Capriol Films
© 2010, licensed by Poorhouse International - Zábava
Love your delightful phrase: "elderly nymphomaniac contralto roles."
Marvellous!
Have no idea why I did not see this before now. Wonderful! Anybody else think Butteriss resembles Jim Parsons?
This is so informative! Thank you so much!
Very interesting. Thanks.
The moment Jonathan Miller popped up, I just skipped his bits.
Past his sell-by date. Well past.
I saw the Miller directed production of The Mikado, with Dudley Moore and even Donald Adams. I'd read about it and so I knew what to expect. The key problem was the total lack of understanding Gilbert. A quote from Miller in an interview told of how he felt it should be re-set in this English seaside village because the satire was directed at the English, not the Japanese. What Miller could not comprehend is that the Japanese setting served two purposes. One, to play on the popularity of "things Japanese" in the culture of England at the time, but more importantly the absolute absurdity of displaying "Japanese" characters behaving exactly like the English. The thin veneer was the genius of piece. The very Topsy-Turveydom that Gilbert's effort was based upon was surgically removed from Miller's ENO production. It became a bunch of gags with modernized lyrics but there was no subtlety or intelligent humor left in the piece. And the Japanese language elements in the music were left untouched, rendering them meaningless in the Miller setting. Yes, as a business venture it was successful and made money, no doubt. But it's the kind of production that leaves me asking, is the problem that the producers don't have the imagination and talent to do anything original, so they have to corrupt some work created by genuine talent? Is that the best they have to offer?
Gilbert was an equal-opportunity satirist. There is a group of persons apparently devoid of a sense of humor that will never appreciate that.
oh geez satire always goes over some people's head. i heard bits of the famous songs on the Simpsons growing up and it clicks timeless biting satire. Classism, incompetence, corruption will probably always be with us and thats why i enjoy g&s and i suspect people will for generations to come. I mean picard is still singing it.
Miller: YES, Gilbert & Sullivan are extremely annoying: Patter songs that wnb't leave the mind (like Cole Porter), annoying silliness. But for all that,m they are delightful!