Review (PDF) The Complete Gilbert & Sullivan: Librettos From All Fourteen Operettas (Complete & Unabridged)
With over 200 line drawings by the author. This ultimate book for the millions of Gilbert & Sullivan fans across the country offers the complete text and lyrics of all the operettas of this most original, creative and much-loved musical team. Now both veteran and new fans can catch all the nuances of the quick moving wit, satire and wisdom often missed during performances and on recordings. This book covers all of this dynamic duo's plays including: Thespis, Trial by Jury, H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance, The Sorcerer, Patience, Utopia, Limited, The Grand Duke, Iolanthe, Princess Ida, The Mikado, Ruddigore, The Yeomen of the Guard and The Gondoliers. Delightful illustrations by W. S. Gilbert adorn the pages, and an introduction by Deems Taylor brings new insight to the text.
Hardcover: 711 pages
Publisher: Black Dog & Leventhal (January 9, 1998)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1579120377
ISBN-13: 978-1579120375
Product Dimensions: 5.7 x 2.3 x 8.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #353,841 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #10 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Sheet Music & Scores > Composers > Gilbert #12 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Sheet Music & Scores > Composers > Sullivan #54 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Sheet Music & Scores > Forms & Genres > Musicals
If you are a Savoyard, or even if you know what that means, this jumbo collection is one you will treasure. With a preface by esteemed music critic, Deems Taylor, and illustrations by W. S. Gilbert himself, the complete librettos from all fourteen Gilbert & Sullivan operettas is the perfect companion at a great low price. You'll find yourself humming the Arthur Sullivan melodies as you read "I polished up the handles so carefully," "Let the punishment fit the crime," and "I'm called little Buttercup, Sweet little Buttercup." In one attractive volume are the complete and unabridged texts of "The Mikado," "The Pirates of Penzance, "H.M.S Pinafore," and the eleven other operettas that set a world standard for intelligent musical theatre.
When I compare this edition of the libretto to the Ian Bradley edition of the collected librettos (Oxford), I find that this has more weak points compared to the Bradley book. Of course, both books suffer from inaccuracies in the libretto, but here is a more serious case. Also, the print of the book is a little bit hard to read, because of its age from many years ago. The Bradley book seems to be easier. Yet even despite these shortcomings I am happy to know that you can still sing along to ANY G&S song in here, or find your favourite passage, be it from MIKADO, PIRATES or PINAFORE, or any other opera. But this book still has two advantages to it - containg the librettist's drawings, and its cheaper price compared to the Bradley book. As well as the libretto for the never-before-heard THESPIS opera. Overall, while I am prepared to recommend this to the true Savoyard, I am not really prepared to recommend this to a beginner, except those who cannot afford to spend more money on the Bradley book. Still, this edition is an easy one with which you can live.
I'm a G&S fan. I recently purchased (from ) the complete D'Oyly Carte recordings from the 1950's, and these librettos give me the words I can't catch from the singing (especially the choruses). Also, you can read all the dialog between the songs, which are not included on many recordings. All together a treasure for the G&S aficionado.
The best collection of all fourteen libretti (including "Thespis", "Utopia Limited", and "The Grand Duke") of which I know. The introduction by the esteemed Deems Taylor is excellent. The book arrived carefully packed and promptly.
I was introduced to G&S by my sixth-grade teacher, mr Miller, who was more interested in music than teaching, and later came to a bad end. I did not, but survived to read the complete libretti (not "librettos"). Gilbertian humour suited my taste, and Sullivan's music was delightful. I used to listen to recordings. There was a time when I could sing from memory a number of the songs, such as "The Duke of Plaza Toro."
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