THE AUTHENTIC GILBERT & SULLIVAN SONGBOOK
BY: W. S. GILBERT, A. S. SULLIVAN

-THE SONGS OF GILBERT & SULLIVAN, AS WITH MANY NEAR-LEGENDARY WORKS ADOPTED BY AN ENTHUSIASTIC, UNCRITICAL PUBLIC, HAVE NOT ALWAYS SURVIVED IN THE MOST RELIABLE FORM. A WORD GETS LOST OR BLURRED, A STROPHE IS DROPPED, AND THE SONG EVOLVES ALONG UNCONTROLLABLE LINES. FORTUNATELY MANY OF THE EARLY VOCAL SCORES AUTHORIZED BY SIR ARTHUR SULLIVAN STILL EXIST — AND ARE REPRINTED HERE, IN THE MOST COMPLETE AND AUTHENTIC ANTHOLOGY OF GILBERT & SULLIVAN CURRENTLY AVAILABLE.

-NINETY-TWO SONGS FROM ALL FOURTEEN OPERETTAS ARE REPRODUCED IN THE FORM SULLIVAN APPROVED. EACH NUMBER IN THIS COLLECTION — SOLO, CHORUS, PATTER SONG, BALLAD, ETC. — IS PRESENTED UNCUT, UNEDITED, IN THE ORIGINAL KEY, IN SULLIVAN`S ORIGINAL PIANO ARRANGEMENTS. THE MEMORABLE DITTIES FROM THE PAIR`S 25-YEAR COLLABORATION (1871–96) APPEAR, ALONG WITH MANY NOT SO WELL KNOWN, INCLUDING A PIECE FROM THEIR FIRST JOINT EFFORT, THESPIS (1871), THE ENTIRE SCORE OF WHICH HAS BEEN LOST EXCEPT FOR TWO NUMBERS.

CONTENTS INCLUDE:
-THESPIS 'LITTLE MAID OF ARCADEE'
-TRIAL BY JURY 'O GENTLEMEN, LISTEN I PRAY'
-THE SORCERER 'WELCOME JOY! ADIEU TO SADNESS!'
-HMS PINAFORE 'WHEN I WAS A LAD; HE IS AN ENGLISHMAN!'
-THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE 'POOR WAND`RING ONE; WITH CAT-LIKE TREAD'
-PATIENCE 'PRITHEE, PRETTY MAIDENS; SAD IS THAT WOMAN`S LOT'
-IOLANTHE 'OH FOOLISH FAY; WHAT I WENT TO THE BAR'
-PRINCESS IDA 'EXPRESSIVE GLANCES'
-THE MIKADO 'A WAND`RING MINSTREL I; THREE LITTLE MAIDS'
-RUDDIGORE 'I ONCE WAS A VERY ABANDONED PERSON'
-THE YEOMEN OF THE GUARD 'OH! A PRIVATE BUFFOON'
-THE GONDOLIERS 'I STOLE THE PRINCE'
-UTOPIA, LIMITED 'SOCIETY HAS QUITE FORSAKEN ALL HER WICKED COURSES'
-THE GRAND DUKE 'SO ENDS MY DREAM'

-MALCOLM BINNEY AND PETER LAVENDER COLLECTED THESE RARE, COMPLETE VOCAL SCORES SUITABLE FOR AMATEUR AND PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE OR READING; JAMES SPERO HAS ADDED COMPLETE TITLE AND PREMIERE INFORMATION AND A PLOT SYNOPSIS FOR EACH OPERETTA. GILBERT & SULLIVAN LOVERS AND ALL WHO DELIGHT IN AN IRRESISTIBLE LYRIC WILL FIND THE AUTHENTIC BEST IN ENGLISH LIGHT OPERA BETWEEN THESE STURDY COVERS.

DOVER ORIGINAL.