Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-03-17


beside Patience as triumphant topical sat
ire; less known but no less skllful "sor-
cerer" and "Yeomen Of the Guard" and,
finally, that last word in operetta THE Mi
kado"
Just why? Well, you may put 1t down to
a number of things-according to your own
temperament and the diversity OF Gilbert 8
accomplishments-bu the chief OF these for
many of us is satire.
The King of "Patter"
or course there is remarkable technique
behind it. As a dramatist he moved his
story forward with a theatrical sureness that
brought theatrical climax to the comedy. AS
a versfer he had probably no equal, and it
was in his verse that his satire most shone.
a bit of that song of the Major General
in The Pirates Of Penzance" demonstrates
his technical command completely:
I am the very pattern of modern Major
General.
i've information vegetable animal and mineral;
l know the kings OF England, and | quote the
fights historical,
From Marathon to Waterloo, in order cate.
gorical;
I'm very well acquainted too, with matters
I understand equations, both the simple and
Quadratical
About binominal theorem I'm teeming with a
lot O. news
Gilbert was capable of the most amazing
stunts in rapid versifcation In the fastest
of "patter" he could achieve both sense and
nonsense. And he could put a particularly
trenchant point with an aptness of phrase
that was nothing if not poetic.
Added unto all this WAS that divine quality
Of satirc laughter. lie could even poke fun
at his own art at the customary procedure
of operetta.
Gilbert was never guilty or the pretense at
love which passes for romance in every one
of our musical comedies. If he waXed sem
timental he knew 1t and promptly pushed
it to burlesque. lie could do this in Victo-
rian England, and in those days when nobody
doubted the wisdom or humanity of any
armed act of John Bull he could poke fun
at narrow patriotism with his "Plnafore"
song, He is an Englishman." lie could
even bring a pirate band into submission by
the simple eXpedient of invoking Queen Vic.
toria's name But that could also make him
do many years without his knghthood.
"Pinafore" Up to Date
There were other things that Gilbert
laughed at and in our modern phrase "got
away with it," That civilian Lord of the Ad-
who furnished the material for his
first success, "Pinafore," was one of them.
And If it very nearly laughed the amateur
sailor out of office it has just as sharp sting
for certain similar tendencies in Washington
today. We smile at another man besides Sir
Joseph Porter, *. c. r., when we hear him
say: "IIum this over at your leisure 1t
is song ! have composed for the use OF
the royal navy. 1t is designed to encourage
independence of thought and action in the
lower branches of the service" We don't
need the poet of the New York Tribune to
point the moral with
When I was a youth | pondered some
on the terrible effects of the demon rum.
never dallied with the dread highball,
And I never bought bottle of champagne at
all.
kept away from guzzling men
Till now l am the ruler of the U. S. N.
There is this live satire everywhere in Gill
bert, but nowhere is it richer or sharper or
more two edged than in "Iolanthe," which