Gilbert, Sir W(illiam) S(chwenck)

Gilbert, Sir W(illiam) S(chwenck), English playwright and creator, with Sir Arthur (Seymour) Sullivan, of the famous series of comic operas; b. London, Nov. 18, 1836; d. Harrow Weald, Middlesex, May 29, 1911 (of cardiac arrest following a successful attempt to rescue a young woman swimmer from drowning). He was given an excellent education (at Boulogne and at King’s Coll., London) by his father, who was a novelist. After a routine career as a clerk, Gilbert drifted into journalism, contributing drama criticism and humorous verse to London periodicals. His satirical wit was first revealed in a theater piece, Dulcamara (1866), in which he ridiculed grand opera. He met Sullivan in 1870, and together they initiated the productions of comic operas, which suited them so perfectly. Some plots borrow ludicrous situations from actual Italian and French operas; Gilbert’s librettos, in rhymed verse, were nonetheless unmistakably English. This insularity of wit may explain the enormous popularity of the Gilbert & Sullivan operas in English-speaking countries, while they are practically unknown on the Continent. Despite the fact that the targets of Gilbert’s ridicule were usually the upper classes of Great Britain, the operas were often performed at court. He was knighted in 1907. After 20 years of fruitful cooperation with Sullivan, a conflict developed, and the two severed their relationship for a time. A reconciliation was effected, but the subsequent productions fell short of their greatest successes. See the biography of Sullivan for complete details on the operas and a full bibliography.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire