The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-11-16
THE AUTHORS or PINArORE.
What They Look Like and What They
Think Of THOR Own Plays,

Tho Gnnnrd steamer EothnIn which ar-
rived ut quarantine yesterday morning at 3
o'clock, brought among hcr passengers two Of
tho brightest and ceverest EnElishmcn or
our day; two Brltons who have probably con
trbuted moro to the Innocent amusement ami
pleasure Of ths American pnoplo than my
others Arthur Sullivan md VIM. =. Gilbert
ono tho composer and the other the author Of
"Ucr Majeaty's Ship pinafore." 1t was a Bit
tcr cold morning. Tho two famous represen-
tatives of English comic opera were still ut
breakfast. delightfully."- cnsconeed amid a bevy
of charming American young ladies.
II have come hern from the Ucrnld 20 greet
you upon your arrival on American soil. p
said tho reporter.
Mr. Gilbert laughed and amiably intro
fluced his comrade In arms, MI. Sullivan.
They led the writer to the stateroom below.
which was IN state Of bewiderlng confusion.
Tho reporter however, found a seat on large
cigar box containing, according 70 Mr.. Sulll-
vans statement. not loss than 800 cigars while
tho composer crouehed upon another box and
Mr.. Gilbert rested himself ~ well aa he could
against the sharp wooden edge OF his berth.
1--WE hhh been warned by Edmund Yates
ana othera Tint wa should bp interviewed"
said Mr.. Sullivan. after tho conversation had
boon In progress In tho most Informal fashion
for some little time. ''and, to be frank with
YOU, we had rather dreaded the ordeal but IT
1t II always as pleasant III this VOL be happy
to have II done every day.
GILBERT AMI SULLIVAN RkE'TrIiED.
The appearance and manner Of tho two
famous Englishmen greatly hells tho pub
lished accounts which have found their why
across the ocean and which represented more
especially Mr.. Gilbert M man OF anstero
tam, In In {raTt
two more amiable. modest. simple. good hui
mored and vvacous mon could not easily be
imagined. They fairly brlm over with ami
nation high spirits and the jolliest kind of
bonhomf and IL would appear To tho most
Indifferent observer that they must Shed
Radnoss upon any company In which they
happened to be. Mr., Gilbert IL u iine we'll
made robust man apparently of l5. above the
medium stature with tho brightest and TO-
siest OF faces. an auburn mustache. and short
"mutton-chop" whiskers, tipped. only slight
~, with iron gray large aud clear blue eyes,
ana IL forehead Ut high, massive and
intellectual cast His voice has hearty.
deep ring, and his utterance IL quick
tired Of keeping up this business of saying
funny things, which everybody. more OF less.
expects Of him. Mr.. Sullivan Is quite DIFF
ferent. In his appearance gentle feeling and
tender emotion are al strongly expressed us
cold. glittering keen-edged intellect Is In that
or Mr.. Gilbert. Heis short round and plump,
with u very leshy neck, and IA dark rs his
collaboration IL fair. with face Of wonderful
mobility and senslttveness, In which the
slightest emotion plays with unmstakable
meaning. with eyes which only the Germanic
adjective or "soulful" would fifty describe,
and the full, sensuons lips Of q man Of I'm
FASHIONED nature. With all this Mr.. Sullivan.
who keeps q monocle dangling over ono eye,
while the other wrinkles merrily at you, and
whose dark whiskers and hair have an am
brosal curl. Is also something Of u polished
man or fashion.
A FRoTHy TRIFLE.
The conversation of course turned first
upon "Pnafore," and Gilbert and Sullivan
agreed In expressing their surprise at its
enormous success In this country.
1T IL rather hard, said Gilbert with great
good humor. when one has done for years
serious work-a work, at least, aiming to be
soto find that after all u frothy trfe like this
should have SO far exceeded In Its success the
work which one has held Ia far more serious
estimation. For we really had no idea that
1t would be- such an extraordinary success,
you know
Mr. Sullivan cordially chimed In with this
sentiment, and alluded to his oratorios and
other compositions Ut a more classical and
ambitious style, which he was constrained to
acknowledge had not met with anything like
the popular success that "Pnafore" had en-
ioyed.
i'Under what inspiration was 1t composed
cham payne or Bass ale2
Mr. Sullivan laughed and replied that dur
ing most OF the time In which he wrote the
score of the "Pinafore' he was seriously Ill,
and was often ID great pain when he com
posed the merriest melodies In that tuneful
little work
did these striking airs occur to You spon
taneouslv. or did You have 70 search for them,
az 1t were2'
ooh It's great mistake to suppose that the
music of an opera bubbles VI like spring,
was the composers reply. 1--WE have to dig
for music like the miner for his gold. 1t
won't 10 FOR the miner to expect the gold 10
come up spontaneously. He has to dig deep
for II, and % We, also, have to dig for our mu-
steal treasures
And the Words" the reporter Queried,
turning to the author. How was II that they
were SO closely welded to the musical ideaE'
We'll. We have been working together har-
moniously for the last seven years." was Mr..
Gilberts reply, "and have learned to under
stand each other 30 thoroughly that even the
faintest suggestion OF the one meets with
ready and sympathetic response from the
other In all this period Of active co-opera-
ton 1t has never even once occurred that we
have disagreed as to the way In which an idea
should be carried out, be 1t either POLITICALLY or
unsteady"
ibid you expect these familiar quotations