The New York herald., 1879-11-06

be frank with you we had rather the ordeal
but if it is always as pleasant this wen be happy
to have it done every day.
GILBERT AND SULLIVAN sKErcHED.
The appearance and manner of the two famous
Engishmen greatly belle the published accounts
which have found their way across the ocean and
which represented more especially Mr.. Gilbert a
man of austere apd naughty temperament. On the
contrary two moro amiabe. modest simple good
humored and vivacious could not easily be
imagined. They fairly brm over with animation,
high spirits and the jolliest kind Of bo,,honie
and it would appear to the most Indifferent
observer that they must shed gladness upon
any company in which they happened to be-.
Mr.. Gilbert is fine. welmade. robust man appar-
emily of 46. above the medium stature. with the
brightest and rosiest of faces. auburn mrstache
and short "mutton-chop" whskers. tipped. only
slightly, with iron gray. large and clear blue eyes.
and forehead of high. massive. and intellectual
cast His voice has hearty, deep ring, and his ut
teranco is quick and erky-as though he almost
tired of keeping up this business of saying funny
things. which everybody more less expects of
him. Mr.. Sullivan is quite different In his appear
ance gentle feeling and tender emotion are as
strongly expressed cold glittering keen-edged
intellect is in that of Mr.. Gilbert He is short
round and plump. with very heshy neck. and
dark his coltbordteur is fair with of won
aerfui .,nSy mobility and sensitiveness in which
able meaning, with eyes which only the
Germanic adjective of soulful" would fifty
describe and the full. sensuous lips of Of i'm
passioned nature. With all this Mr.. Sullivan. who
keeps u monocle dangling over one eye while the
other wrinkles nerrily at you and whose dark whis-
kers and hair have amorosial curl is also some-
thing OF polished man OF fashion.
FRorHY TRIFLE.
The conversation of turned first upon
"Pinafore" and Gilbert and Sullivan agreed III ex
pressing their surprise at its enormous success in
"It is rather hard" said Gilbert with great good
humor. "when one has done for years serious work
. work, at least aiming to be soto find after all
that frothy trae like this should have so far ex-
ceeded in its success the work which has held in
far more serious estimation. For really had no
idea that it would be such extraordinary success
you know
Mr. Sullivan coMially chimed in with this senti-
ment and alluded to his oratorios and other compo-
sitions of more classical and ambitious STYLE
which he was constrained to acknowledge had not
met with anything like the popular success that
'.Under what inspiration was it composea-cham-
payne Bass ale?'
MIR. Sullivan laughed and replied that during most
Of the time in which he wrote the of the
'pinafore he was seriously ill., and often in great
pain when he composed the merriest melodies in
that tuneful little work
.Did these striking airs occur to you sponta-
neously, or did you have to search for them as it
were?'
"Oh. it's a great mistake to suppose that the
music of an opera bubbles up like spring." was
like the miner for his gold. 1t won't do for the
miner to expect the gold to come up spontaneously.
Ho has to dig deep for 1t, and we. also have to
dig for musical treasures"
s'And tho words" the reporter queried. turning to
the author. "How was it that they were SO closely
welded to the musical idea?
"Weli. have been working together har-
moniously for the last years" Mr..
Gberts reply, 'and have learned to understand
each other thoroughly that even the fantest sug-
aestion of the meets with q ready and sympa-
tthetic response from the other In all this period
,,f ctixyoc qrafin has
Cured that We have disagreed to the in which
idea should be carried out. be it either POLITICALLY
Did you expect these familiar quotations from
'Pinafore to become the popular catchwords which
..Never," was Mr.. Gilberts serious and emphatic
reply v
''WeI very seldom" the author laughingly an
swered, "ss once innocently said before to gentle
man who asked mo the same question and who
laughed uproariously no thought it SO funny.
But seriously speaking had no idea that these
few jocular expressions would pass into the small
currency of daily conversation. Had sat down
with the mechanical effort to coin popular catch
word probably should have failed completely"
''And how is it that 'Piuafo.p has not been
tryg'
Mr.. Sullivan took up this question and replied =
'Oh. it has been very great success. In London it
has been running 500 nights, and it was played at
four theatres at the same time. In the provincial
theatres it has been continual attraction for the
last year ana half more"
And added Mr.. Gilbert. remember that 1t is
the only operate work by native author and COM
poser which kept the British boards three
weeks"
oRAroRIo AND opEnETrA
The conversation then turned on the plans OF the
British visitors.
"How long do you expect to stay?"
'Just as long you (ineaning the American pub
c) will tolerate u.s." Mr.. Gilbert dryly replied. 1--WE
expect to stay about three months in New York and
then visit tho other chief cities.'
"You will open with Pnafore,' presume.
Yes on the 1st Of December, at the Fifth Avenue
Theatre. Mr.. Sullivan said. 1--WE have heard that
it has been done excellenty here; but of course we
should like to have 1t done according to our own
ideas. exactly originally intended it to be
DONE Mr.. Gilbert is wonderful stage manager. and
there rnany fine telling points of stage business
which he will introduce and which. / sure,
must be new to the American public. On the 23d OF
this month shall be in Boston conducting my ora
care your plans for this country separate from
those of Mr. Sullivan" Mr.. Gilbert was asked.
"Not in the least" was the authors reply, "but
don't intend to help him conduct his oratorios.'
what works will you produce besides Pima
'.we intend to give Trial by Jury and the 'Sor-
cerer. which. We are told were never done here
they were originally intended to be done"
be called, believer
.'The name is not yet fixed upon." Mr. Gilbert
said, shall probably not decide upon 1t until
ready to produce it, 1t was just the with
Pinafore.' We actually had the printed handbills
ready before we finally decided upon the name"
"And as to the story of tho six burglars making
love to the six daughters of the proprietor of the
house they break intois that really the basis of the
1--WE originally mapped that out for little one
act piece like Trial by Jury. and very likely shall
1t In tho present work. But cannot tell you
any thing about the plot. because to tell the
truth. the piece is not yet thoroughly elaborated.
The second act is written and the first isn't. But
the treatment of the new opera will be similar to
that OF Pinafore'-namely. to treat thoroughly
farcical subject in thoroughly serious manner.
That has been my idea all along. Ii q
man. say, comes upon the stage dressed up gro-
tesquely as clown nobody is surprised II he per-
forms antics and stands upon his head. 1t is
cfedo n IN nObOdy will lauOh "A him. m
man comes in looking like dgnihed Wall street
banker or lofty British deacon and suddenly
proceeds to stand upon his head every body will
laugh at the absurdity of the performance"
tits the story of q modern Zampa," Mr.. Sullivan
broke in; "of pirates and escapades OF 200 years
ago, which. il dressed up i'll our modern clothes.
must very absurd
''Its burlesquo upon the serious meiodrama' %
Mr.. Gilbert explained, "and its absurdites and its
farccal aspects treated seriously the ridicu
lous improbablties of grand opera are treated ser
ously in 'Pinafore.
AMERICAN PIECE OF BUSINESS
"One of the funniest things I'm that way" sug-
gested the reporter, "is the in which Ralph.
aff hal M IN In call Nj da,vav