“THEY WILL LIVE AS LONG AS THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE IS SPOKEN”: THE FIRST NIGHT GILBERT AND SULLIVAN, WITH FACSIMILES OF ALL THE OPERAS’ OPENING NIGHT PROGRAMS
GILBERT AND SULLIVAN. The First Night Gilbert and Sullivan. [New York]: Limited Editions Club, 1958. Quarto, original half red velvet, green morocco spine label. Accompanied by a carton of facsimiles of opening-night programs. Housed in original gold-covered cardboard slipcase.
Limited edition, one of an unnumbered limitation, of this generously illustrated volume of W.S. Gilbert’s immortal comic libretti in their original forms, accompanied by a portfolio of facsimile opening night programs from all the Gilbert and Sullivan operas.
“In 1877, already a noted playwright, [W.S. Gilbert] met the composer Sir Arthur Sullivan—with whom his name was ever afterwards to be linked. With the producer Richard D’Oyly Carte, who leased the Savoy Theater in London, they began the series of operettas with which their names are immortally identified… Both Gilbert and Sullivan labored under the delusion that their independent work was of more value than what they did together. But Sullivan… is best remembered as the composer of The Mikado and H.M.S. Pinafore. And… the brilliant songs which [Gilbert] wrote for the operas will live as long as the English language is spoken” (Kunitz & Haycraft, 247-48). This handsome volume presents the libretti of all of Gilbert and Sullivan’s collaborations as they debuted on their opening nights. Accompanied by a gold-covered cardboard carton of 27 facsimiles of first-night programs and related materials. LEC 291.
Slipcase lightly rubbed. A fine production.