W. S. Gilbert

Sir William Schwenck Gilbert ( born November 18, 1836 in London, England, † May 29 1911 in London) was an English author, playwright and librettist. Together with the composer Arthur Sullivan, he wrote 14 comic operas, the operettas of Jacques Offenbach face equal in wit and esprit.

Life

Gilbert was the son of a Navy doctor who was traveling with his family a lot in Europe. At the age of two years was W.S. Gilbert kidnapped in Italy by muggers and released against a ransom. He pointed out early inclinations to theater and literature, wrote little poems and pieces that were presented in private. Gilbert but decided for the time being for a different life.

After finishing school, he pursued a career as an officer and then studied military science with the aim to participate in the Crimean War. The war ended, however, before he could finish the study. Gilbert joined then in the militia, to which he remained faithful 20 years.

After completing his military career, he worked in an administrative office and completed training as a lawyer on the side ( Barrister, barrister at the higher courts ). In parallel, he regularly wrote poems and ballads. Gilbert had already shown from an early age the tendency to cut wit and sarcasm, and this talent should take him to glory and greatness. Since 1861 he published theater reviews and lampoons anonymously in the popular magazine FUN. Some of his works contained drawings and sketches by him with " Bab. " signed. Some of the characters from the later operas are after the " Bab. " Caricatures sketched. 1869 appeared the Bab Ballads as a book.

Gilbert in 1867 he married the daughter of an army officer, Lucy Agnes Turner.

1871 began the most productive period of Gilbert, on behalf of those he could give up his job as a lawyer. He published two comedies, which brought him great financial success, on the other hand, he met the composer Arthur Sullivan know, he provided the libretto for an opera called Thespis. This brought the two still have no greater popularity, nonetheless outlasted their cooperation 25 years and a total of 14 comic operas, which were all successes (see Gilbert and Sullivan ). The last opera, The Grand Duke was first performed in 1896. Then they both went their own ways without much success.

Gilbert was knighted by Edward VII in 1907. He died at the age of 74 of a heart attack as he tried to rescue a young woman in a lake of his private land from drowning.

Works ( libretti )

  • Ages Ago ( with Fred Clay, 1869)
  • Our Home Iceland ( with Thomas German Reed, 1870)
  • Thespis (1871 )
  • Pygmalion and Galatea (1871 )
  • Trial by Jury ( 1875)
  • The Sorcerer (1877 )
  • H.M.S. Pinafore (1878 )
  • The Pirates of Penzance ( 1879)
  • Patience or colored horn Bride ( 1881)
  • Iolanthe (1882 )
  • Princess Ida (1884 )
  • The Mikado (1885 )
  • Ruddigore (1887 )
  • The Yeomen of the Guard (1888 )
  • The Gondoliers (1889 )
  • Haste to the Wedding ( with Grossmith, 1892)
  • The Mountebanks ( with Alfred Cellier, 1892)
  • Utopia Limited ( 1893)
  • The Grand Duke ( 1896)

Film

The life of William Gilbert and his artistic collaboration with Arthur Sullivan treated the Oscar- winning British film released in 1999 Topsy Turvy, Mike Leigh.

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