The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-02-04
THE GONDOLIERS.
Gilbert : sullivan's Latest
Comic Opera.
4 VERY CRITICAL re-
TAosght to he Hardly Up 70 the ssand-
Ard Of Ferner works BY the
Same Asfhers.

ard Of Former works BY the
Same AstAers-
New York World.
The frst act Of THE Gondoiiersr opens
on the Piazxetta, Venice. near the ducal
palace, with = bevy at girls (contadine)
singing chorus and fiourishing bouquets
They are ioyously ANTICIPATING the approach
OF the jolly gondoliers Who are 10 make
choice Of them for brides While they
are singing Antonio, Francesca. Georgio
and other gondoliers arrive and proceed to
join in the chorus and then select their
brides The men are biindfolded and .
game Of blindmans ban ensues. in which
Marco and Giuseppe catch Giannetta and
Tessa, to whom they are already pledged.
and then the whole group 50 OF to their
boats singing.
No sooner are they OF than there arrives
with flourish Of trumpets the Duke Of
Plaza Toru, the duchess. their daughter
Casiida and their attendant Lux. who car
ries drum. The family party has come
from Spain to SEQ the Grand Inquisitor.
and TO inform him that Casilda, when six
months old. Was married by proxy to the
infant SON and heir Of his majesty, the king
Of Barafaria.
1t appears that shortly after this cere-
mony the misguided monarch abandoned
the creed Of his forefathers and became =
Wesleyan Methodist OF the most higoted
and peTsecuting type. and rs the grand in
quisitOr determined that the Innovation
should not BE- perpetuated in Barataria, ne
caused the infant 70 be stolen and conveyed
TO Venice.
As the Methodist monarch and his Wes-
leyan court were all killed in an insurrec-
ton, and the infant son il now king, the
Duke of Plaza Zorro has come to insist
that his daughter shall be queen Of Bara-
taria.
As Casilda is already in love with LUX,
the dukes attendant who beats the drum,
there is some affectionate CONSERVATION on
her part, which she speedily SURPRISES in
obedience to the dictates OF q stern political
necessity. When. however, II becomes
necessary to find the young king Of Bara-
taria. the grand Inquisitor Informs them
that he Is somewhere in Venice plying the
trade of = gondolier.
stole the prince and brought him here
And left him, gayly prsttling
With highly respectable gond0lief,
Who promised the royal babe to rear,
And leach him the trade OF timoneer
With his own beloved brathns.
Both Of the babes were strong and stout,
And, considering eli things. clever,
OF that there is no manner Of doubt
No probable. possible shadow Of doubt
No possible doubt whatever.
As these two babes have grown up to-
gether, il il impossible for the grand in
quisitor TO say which one IL the king. He
arranged to have the young men reign
jointly. The act ends with IN ensemble, In
which Marco and Giuseppe are about to
leave their newly welded wives and en-
bark to become first kings Of Barataria.
a PAIR or KINGS.
The second act is at the court Of Bara-
taria, where the two young men are jointly
reigning and where their wives arrive in
search Of them. The chorus explains the
order Of government:
OF happiness the very pith
In Barataria you may -;
monarchy that's tempered with
Republican equality.
This form Of government We and
The beau ideal of its kind
A despotism strict, combined
With absolute equalityl
Marco and Giuseppe:
Two kings, OF undue pride bereft,
Who act in perfect unity,
whom you can order right and left
With sbsolute impunity.
Who put their subjects at their ease
By doing all they can TO pleased
And thus. 10 earn their bread and cheese,
Seize every opportunity.
The difficulty Of determining which of
the kings il is that Was married to Casilda
delays proceedings and complexities mat
tiers. Everything awaits the arrival Of the
old foster-mofher who can identify the
king. Casilda is in suspense and the two
kings. who already have wives. are much
distressed But when the nurse comes to
the front she proclaims Luiz 70 be the king
and Casiida is happy, the gondoliers 90
home with their wives.
Once more goHdolierf,
Both skiifui and wary,
Free from this quandary
contented we are
From Royalty dyipg,
Our gondoIas plying
And uerriiy crying
Our '.prsm<. "stdlff'
The humor Of this fable is furnished by
the absurdity Of it, and IL incidental TO the
the mixed relations. the complication of
Identities. the double marriage Of some
body and the buriesque dignity mingled
with poverty OF the Spanish Don. There
are traces OF satire on yalty, on republi-
canism, on the conventional kinglv busi-
ness and on rank generally, but IL IL in
touch-and-go vein. Each character IL given,
il not bit motif. at least . descriptive
verse. and the duke Of Plaza Toro tells us
plainly what kind OF dignitary he 10.
In enterprise Of martial kind.
When there was any lighting,
He led bic regiment from behind
He found IL less exciting.
But when away his regiment ran,
His place wAs 81 the fore. o.
Tia. celebrated,
Cultivated.
underrated
Nobieman.
The Duke OF Piaxa-Toro,
In the erst and foremost fight. ha, hal
You always foan1 that knight. IA, hal
That celebrated,
Cultivated
Tnderasef
EobIemAn.
The Duke OF Plaza Toro!
wkea 10 evaae Destrnefion's hand.
To hide they all proceeded.
No soldier tn that gallant hAnd
Hld bali - well o. he did
He tsy concealed throughout the var,
And 80 preserved his gore. o.
That unaffected,
rfaaetecses.
wesl-eonaeesed