The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-08-05
WRITING AN OPERA.
W. s. Gilbert Tells How He Produces
Ctmie Libretto.

a. "~~O
poser Rust Work Hand In Hand-1Ir.
Gilbert's Laborious Methods-How He
Gets His Ideas For Popular Plots.
asked W. S. Gilbert what he consid-
cred the chief traits necessary to enable
one to become successful playwright
ssWell," he replied thoughtfully, that
opens up very large subject. They diff
fer vastly. In my own line should sum
them up as follows: In the first place,
the power of catching the public taste;
then thorough knowledge Of stagecraft
and gift for stage management, the
capacity to invent a plot, the power to
create characters, an eye for dramatic
situation and scenic effect, and finally
the faculty to write readily dialogue, Tyr
les and musical numbers"
81 believe, Mr. Gilbert" said, ''that
you have little OF no ear for music.
Don't you find this interferes with your
rhythmical nu1nbers?"
sit is quite true that have no ear for
music, but I have very sensitive ear
for rhythm; it is precisely the difference
between time and tune. I am very fond
Of music, but I don't know discord
when l hear one. On the other hand,
the slightest error in time, which would
probably escape musician, would jar
most gratingly onmy ear. My fondness
for music chiefly lies in hearing pieces
which are connected in my mind with
associations. I would rather hear an
unknown soprano singing song l knew
than Patti singing one did not know"
s.Where do your plots come from, Mr..
| GilbertY'
.ePlots? Good ,graciousi where do they
come from? | don't know. A chance
remark in conversation, little ACCT
dental incident, q trifing object, may
suggests train;of thought which devel-
OPS into startling plot. OF course l
am talking Of original plots. I don't
call adapting a play or translating a
play writing one Taking my own plots,
for instance, the sAIikado' was suggested
by Japanese swoed which hangs in my
study, sThe Yeomen of the Guard by
even more, unlikely incident. Ihad 20
minutes one day to wait at Uxbridge
station for a train, and Isaw the adver-
| tisement of the Tower Furnishing Com
pany,' representing number Of beef
eaters why, goodness only knows Tt
gave me am idea, and I wrote the play
originally as one-of modern life in the
Tower of London. Then it suddenly
occurred to me to throw the time Of it
back to that of Queen Elizabeth. Hav-
! ing got ones plot, the next step is to fit
in the characters, And the chief point
] in doing SO is to invent original charac-
| tiers.
1T write out the play as a story, just
as carefully as though it wereto be pub
lished in that form. then try to divide
| it into acts. I think two acts the right
number for comic opera. At least my
experimental that is 80 years old
teaches me SO. Sometimes, of course,
| the original story does not fall readily
into two acts, and so requires modifca-
ton. Well, put it by for fortnight
or more, and then rewrite the whole
thing without referring to the first copy.
| find that I have omitted some good
| things thao were in the first edition and
have introduced some other good things
that were not IN it. compare the two,
put them both aside and write it out
again. Sometimes I do this a dozen
times; indeed the general public has no
| idea of the trouble it takes to produce a
| play that seems to run so smoothly and
80 naturally.
zone must work up to good curtain.
IbeIieve very strongly in this, although
never take up any controv ersies, but sim.
ply go my own way on my own lines.
The last impression is always the strong.
est, and the audience will often pardon q
feeble, weafisome act for one dramatic
climax at its conclusion. lean generally
Judge now what will have good effect.
Sometimes, hut very rarely, it is spoiled
| by the interpreters. They always dc
their best, but occasionally they fail to
realize my intention. The fact is that
for comic opera many artists, especially
tenors and sopranos, are necessarily en-
! gagged who are singers rather than actors,
and it is not to be expected that care
| fully written comedy dialogue will re
ceive full justice ab their hands.
"Well, to go On with the writing Of
the play, nsxt sketch out quite roughly
| the dialogue and then ELL in the musical
numbers as I feel inclined. do not at.
tempt to write them in order, but just
as the humor takes me-one here, one
| there, sad oneswher feel depressed, q
bright one when am in q happy mood
When at last all those Of the first act are
done, it is semitic the composer to be SCI
to music, with a copy Of the rough
sketch of the dialogue to show him how
the different songs hang together.
generally like reading it over to the com
poser, SO as to give him ray idea OF ths
rhythm, which, as matter of course, hi
varies at his pleasure.
'sThere must be perfect good fellow
ship between the writer and composer
as there is much give and take to b
managed. Meters have to be changed
by the writer, or tunes altered by ths
composer, to fit in with some idea, some
intention, of the other partner. For IN
stance, the writer may have put theme
in one meter, and the composer has 6
tune in his head which will just suit tht
| theme Init will NOT fit fine scansion anl