A Most Ingenious Paradox: The Art of Gilbert and Sullivan

written More Than A Century Ago And Initially Regarded Even By Their Creators As Nothing More Than Light Entertainment, The Fourteen Operas Of Gilbert & Sullivan Emerged Over The Course Of The Twentieth Century As The World's Most Popular Body Of Musical-theater Works, Ranking Second Only To Shakespeare In The History Of English-language Theater.

despite This Resounding Popularity And Proven Longevity, Most Books Written About The Duo Have Focused On The Authors Rather Than The Works. With This Detailed Examination Of All Fourteen Operas, Gayden Wren Fills This Void. His Bold Thesis Finds The Key To The Operas' Longevity, Not In The Clever Lyrics, Witty Dialogue, Or Catchy Music, But In The Central Themes Underlying The Characters And Stories Themselves. Like Shakespeare's Comedies, Wren Shows, The Operas Of Gilbert & Sullivan Endure Because Of Their Timeless Themes, Which Speak To Audiences As Powerfully Now As They Did The First Time They Were Performed.

Written Out Of An Abiding Love For The Savoy Operas, This Volume Is Essential Reading For Any Devotee Of These Enchanting Works, Or Indeed For Anyone Who Loves Musical Theater.

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new York Times Editor Wren Credits The Lasting Vitality Of The Works Of Gilbert And Sullivan To Their Universal Themes And The Humanity Of Their Characters. Those Who Would Credit The Brilliant Pairing Of Witty Language And Superb Music Will Dispute This, But Wren Substantiates His Claims With Detailed Arguments That Prompt A New Look At These Familiar Works. Although Many Books Are Available On The Lives Of Gilbert And Sullivan, The Operas, And Their Place In Victorian Life, There Are A Number Of Reasons To Purchase This One. Wren's Lengthy And Intimate Acquaintance With The Works As Performer, Director, And Teacher Allows Him To Write With Affection In An Uncluttered Style That Will Please Both The General Reader And The Scholar. Beginning Chapters Cover Each Man's Work Prior To Their Collaboration, With Subsequent Chapters Devoted To Each Gilbert And Sullivan Opera In Chronological Order And The Final Sections Treating Their Later, Separate Work And Their Legacy. Plot Summaries Are Given In An Appendix, And A Useful Bibliography Discusses The Relative Merits Of Each Work. Finally, Wren Illustrates Gilbert And Sullivan's Complex And Often Adversarial Relationship And Its Integral Role In The Success (or Failure) Of Each Opera. Highly Recommended For Academic And Public Libraries. Kate Mccaffrey, Onondaga Cty. P.l., Syracuse, Ny Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.