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The Complete Plays of Gilbert and Sullivan

W. S. Gilbert

  • Drama
  • Book language: English
  • 885 pages

This collection gathers the librettos of the fourteen comic operas created by W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan between 1871 and 1896. Their witty verses and satirical plots gently mock Victorian society, law, and love, while the music makes them enduring favourites. It is a lively introduction to these works, including The Gondoliers and other familiar titles.

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Text source: gutenberg.org · The work is in the public domain.

Opening of the book

THE 14 GILBERT AND SULLIVAN

PLAYS

By William S. Gilbert and Sir Arthur

Sullivan

William S. Gilbert and Sir Arthur Sullivan collaborated on 14 operas in the period from 1871 to 1896.

THE GONDOLIERS
OR
THE KING OF BARATARIA
Libretto by William S. Gilbert
Music by Arthur S. Sullivan
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
THE DUKE OF PLAZA-TORO (a Grandee of Spain)
LUIZ (his attendant)
DON ALHAMBRA DEL BOLERO (the Grand Inquisitioner)
Venetian Gondoliers
MARCO PALMIERI
GIUSEPPE PALMIERI
ANTONIO
FRANCESCO
GIORGIO
ANNIBALE
THE DUCHESS OF PLAZA-TORO
CASILDA (her Daughter)
Contadine
GIANETTA
TESSA
FIAMETTA
VITTORIA
GIULIA
INEZ (the King's Foster-mother)

Chorus of Gondoliers and Contadine, Men-at-Arms, Heralds
and
Pages
ACT I
The Piazzetta, Venice
ACT II
Pavilion in the Palace of Barataria
(An interval of three months is supposed to elapse
between Acts I
and II)
DATE
1750
ACT I
Scene.— the Piazzetta, Venice.  The Ducal Palace on the
right.
Fiametta,
Giulia,
Vittoria,
and
other
Contadine
discovered, each
tying a bouquet of roses.
CHORUS OF CONTADINE.
List and learn, ye dainty roses,
Roses white and roses red,
Why we bind you into posies
Ere your morning bloom has fled.
By a law of maiden's making,
Accents of a heart that's aching,
Even though that heart be breaking,
Should by maiden be unsaid:
Though they love with love exceeding,

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Contents

  1. THE 14 GILBERT AND SULLIVAN PLAYS
  2. THE GONDOLIERS
  3. ACT I
  4. ACT II
  5. THE GRAND DUKE
  6. ACT I.
  7. ACT II.
  8. H.M.S. PINAFORE
  9. ACT I
  10. ACT II
  11. IOLANTHE
  12. ACT I
  13. ACT II
  14. THE MIKADO
  15. ACT I.
  16. ACT II.
  17. THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE
  18. ACT I
  19. ACT II
  20. PRINCESS IDA
  21. ACT I.
  22. ACT II
  23. ACT III
  24. RUDDIGORE
  25. ACT I
  26. ACT II
  27. THE SORCERER
  28. ACT I.
  29. ACT II
  30. THESPIS

and 13 more chapters

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