Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-18
The Foreign Stage.

LONDON November S-Lovers OF the
Gilbert and Sullivan operas the world over
must be envying Londoners heartily Just
now for as Americans probably have heard.
the famous series that included "Pnafore'
and The Mikado'' Is about to be revived In
the metropolis, and moreover, at the Savoy,
the scene of their original triumPhs.
That Sir Arthur Sullivan is not alive to
conduct his world-sung melodies Is matter
for regret, but his famous collaboration, w.
S. Gilbert is very much alive, and, as OF
yore is to be In complete charge of the re-
hearsals at the Savoy. Within the last few
days moreover. the greatest of living
librettists has broken his stern rule of mo
Interviews" and the result is some uncom-
monty interesting and amusing information
regarding the genesis of the most enhancing
light operas ever written. Mr.. Gilbert, by
the way, Is now exactly seventy. and as
everybody knows, Is a prominent member
of the English judiciary whose members he
has often held up to merriment
Perhaps the most piquant story that he
had to tell of his partnership with Sullivan
the following, shedding, as ii does,
mirthsome light on famous Savoy melody.
Speaking of 1.-THE Mikado," he said: 1T
was suggested to us that it would be
proper thing to introduce the Mikado's en-
trance with appropriate music. A friend at
the Japanese legation suggested, Why not
the Japanese national anthem. words and
musc?' capital idea, l thought. You die
tate the words to me- l said, and hum the
air TO Sullivan So 1t done, and that
air and those words have been sung and
played somewhere almost nightly for many
years in theaters and respectable drawing
rooms. and several church baZars. But
year or two after the production of The
Mkado a correspondent sent me German
newspaper containing interview with a
Japanese diplomatist on the recent produc-
tion of The Mikado' in Berlin. Yes said
the .diplOmatiSt, there is much to admire in
the accuracy of detail in gesture, costume
and scenery; but 1 am quite at a loss to un-
derstand why the author chose to introduce
the sacred person of the Mikado with the
music and the words of the most ribald
song sung in the most reckless tea
hoaSeS of Japan. practical joke on the
part of my legation friend. The words? No,
i never had the courage to get them trans
lated. l prefer to remain in deliberate ig-
norance.'
As every one knows, 1t was a Chinese
sword hanging in his study, that first sug-
gested The Mikado' to Mr.. Gilbert, and it
is Interesting to hear that it was thanks to
the pictorial advertisement of furnishing
company that THE Yeomen of the Guard
came to be written this. by the way, being
described by its author as his favorite of all
the Savoy operas
Bored by waiting for a train In an
underground station" said Mr. Gilbert ct
ter. which had a beefeater as the central
figure. I thought beefeater would make
good picturesque central figure for an
other Savoy opera, and my first intention
to give 1t a modern setting with the
characteristics and development of bur-
1eSque--to make 1t another 'Sorcerer' But
then | decided to make it a romantic and
dramatic piece. and to put it back into
Elizabethan times. and as written 1t became
my favorite.''
ma hayyo
dered what w. s. Gilbert thinks of modern
musical comedy. The veteran librettist was
asked II he saw In its popularity any
change in public taste since the days of
Savoy operas, and replied as follows:
All l can say is that people seem to
like it. 1t has its merits, and at all events
have nothing to say against it. My own
artistic sense. however. is opposed to leav-
Ing comedians to do exactly as they please
in using the authors libretto as a sort of
skeleton framework on which to hang their
own eccentricities. 1 have never myself
permitted any unauthorized gagging as I
don't care to be credited with the humor
of other people"
He added the rather surprising informa-
ton that despite all the performances of
his operas in London and the provinces
during the last thirty years. he has never
seen u performance from the front of the
house. incidentally. Mr.. Gilbert dismissed
as unlikely the possibility of his ever COL
laborating In any more operas. There
are of course, many excellent composers"
different style of piece. Sullivan and I
always worked together in perfect har-
mony. We valued each others contrbu-
tions. and, where IL was necessary each
gave in to the other. 1 fully appreciated
the value and Importance of his music
and whenever i could modify my views
to meet any wish of his. l always did so.
and he would do the same for me- Our
work was absolutely amicable and harmo-
NOUS throughout. i never once had an
angry or an Irritating word with him in
81 fIa
Whatever difference there was between us
arose entirely outside the productions"
AS AM instance of our care for details"
Gilbert added, II may mention the uni
forms in 'Ruddigore.' They were most ex-
act to the period, 1872. We even had the
buttons OF the Hussars' uniforms-there
were four uniforms. each costing s675-
cast from special die so to show three
cannons above the motto 'Ubique, instead
OF one as Worn now and the sealed uni
forms at the war office were placed at our
disposal 1t was not done to satisfy the
publc-they would know nothing about tt
but merely to please our own sense. fas-
tidious If you like. of having everything as
II should be-"
Mr.. Gilbert says. by the way, that he
really hasn't the faintest idea what GIL
bertian" means.
"of course I've heard the word" he said.
"and have taken it to have some appIica-
tiou to my own methods of work But I
can't get outside OF my own skin so to
speak. to judge whether and In what way l
come up to the 'Gilbertian' standard I
never write with any intention of produc-
Ing certain recognizable effects. but sup
pose there Is a general note running
through mans work which others recog-
nlze as characteristic Of him, though ne
, himself is unconscious of it,
Unfortunately, not one of the famous
Original cast at the Savoy can be secured
fo- the coming revival OF the operas Most
OF these who are living have definitely re-
.rel Of ha est Rnfi nd Rar
ton. the original Pooh Bah. Is now filling a
long engagement at Wyndham's and cannot
be freed. and George Grossmth. the Lord
High Executioner of the great days." now