Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-11-17

Special Correspondence.
ONION, Nov 3.-Loyers 81 the
| Gilbert and sullivan operas the
world over must BE- envying Lon
donors heartily just now, for az
Americans probably have heard, the
famous series that included 'Pinafore'
and "rhe Mikado' Is about to be re-
vived in the metropolis, and moreover,
at the savoy. the scene OF their orig
inal triulnphs.
That sir Arthur Sullivan Is not alive
to conduct his world sung needles Is
matter ior regret, but ms famous col
laborator w $. Gilbert IS very much
alive. and. as of yore. Is to be I'm com
plete charge OF the rehearsals at the
Savoy Within the last few days
moreover, the greatest OF living liDret-
lists has broken his stern rule OF mo
interviews" and the result Is some UNI
commonly interesting and amusing IN
formation regarding the genesis OF the
most enchanting light operas ever
written. Mr. Gilbert by the way is
now exactly 10. and, as everybody
knows, is a prominent member OF the
English judiciary, whose members he
has so often held UP TO merriment.
GbEnAIS
he had to tell OF his partnership with
sullivan was the following, shedding,
as it does, mirthsOme light on ia
nous Savoy melody.
Speaking of The Mlkado' he said
1T was suggested TO US that it wouls
be a proper thing 10 introduce the
Mikado's entrance with appropriate
muSic A friend at the Japanese le-
CATION suggested Why not the Japan
csc national anthem, words and muslc|
A capital idea, thought You dictate
the words to me- | said, and hum the
air to Sullivan So IT was done and
that air and those words have been
song and played somewhere almost
nightly for many years In theaters and
respectable drawing-rooms, ana several
church baZars. But year or two after
| the production of The Mikado, a cor
respondent sent me a German news
| paper containing an interview with d
| Japanese diplomatist on the recent
| production of The Mikado, In Berlin.
Yes. said the diplomatist, there is
much TO admire In the accuracy of de-
I tail in gesture costume and scenery
| but | am quite at loss to understand
| why the author chose TO Introduce
! the sacred person of the Mikado with
! the music and the words of the most
! ribald song ever sung IN the most reck-
| less tea-houses of Japan A practical
! joke on the part of my legation friend.
| The words? No. | never had the eour-
age to get them translated. | prefer to
| remain in deliberate ignorance
| AS everyone knows it was Chinese
| sword. hanging in his study, that first
suggested "The Mkado' to Mr.. Gilbert,
and It Is interesting to hear that 1t was
thanks to the pictorial advertisement
| of a furnishing company that THE
| Woman of the Guard came TO be
written; this, by the way, being de-
| scribed by its author as his favorite OF
| all the Savoy operas.
Bored by waiting for train In an
| underground station" said Mr.. Gilbert
| II found myself gazing at this COM
| pany's poster which had beefeater
! as the central figure, ] thought beef
| eater would make a good picturesque
central figure for another Savoy onera
| and my first Intention was TO give II
modern setting with the characteristics
and development of burlesque--to maxi
It another 'sorcerer. But then l de
cided to make it romantic and dra
matte piece. and to put IL back mt
| Elzabethan times, ana as written y
became my favorIte,'
Possibly a good many people have