Gilbert, Sir William Schwenck

Gilbert, Sir William Schwenck (1836-1911), English playwright and librettist, born in London, and educated principally at the University of London. Although trained as a lawyer, Gilbert turned early to writing, producing humorous poetry, later published as the Bab Ballads (1868 and 1872), and several comedies, including the Palace of Truth (1870), which won him popular success, Pygmalion and Galatea (1871), Sweethearts (1874), and Engaged (1877). His plays avoided Realism and social relevance, made popular at that time by the plays of Oscar Wilde, but revealed a profoundly pessimistic view of human nature, later lightened when presented in the form of comic opera. He is best known for his long association, from 1871 to 1896, with the English composer Sir Arthur Sullivan. Their collaboration resulted in the creation of 14 operettas, which were produced by the noted theatrical manager Richard D'Oyly Carte; they rank among the best and most popular works ever written in this genre. In his librettos Gilbert created fantastically absurd characters and paradoxical stage situations and employed pointed, though never bitter, social and political satire. Known as the Savoy operas (after the London theatre that was built to stage them), they include Thespis (1871), Trial by Jury (1875), The Sorcerer (1877), H.M.S. Pinafore (1878), The Pirates of Penzance (1879), Patience (1881), Iolanthe (1882), Princess Ida (1884), The Mikado (1885), Ruddigore (1887), The Yeomen of the Guard (1888), The Gondoliers (1889), Utopia, Limited (1893), and The Grand Duke (1896). Gilbert also collaborated with other English composers, notably with Sir Edward German on the operaFallen Fairies, or the Wicked World (1909).