The Gondoliers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Gondoliers |
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The Gondoliers, Act 1
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| Written by | W. S. Gilbert (lyrics and book) Arthur Sullivan (music) |
| Date of premiere | 7 December 1889 |
| Place of premiere | Savoy Theatre London, England |
| Original language | English |
| Subject | Republicanism |
| Genre | Operetta |
| Setting | Venice and Barataria in the 18th century |
The Gondoliers; or, The King of Barataria is a fun and lively operetta (a light opera with spoken parts) created by the famous duo Gilbert and Sullivan. It has two parts, called acts. This show was their twelfth of fourteen operettas together.
The Gondoliers first opened at the Savoy Theatre in London on December 7, 1889. It was a huge hit and ran for 554 performances! The story is about two gondoliers (people who row boats in Venice). One of them is secretly the long-lost heir to the throne of a faraway land called Barataria. But the big question is: which one?
Contents
How The Gondoliers Began
After finishing their previous operetta, The Yeomen of the Guard, Arthur Sullivan wanted to write more serious music. He was tired of light operas. But W. S. Gilbert reminded him that their funny, light operas were what made them so successful.
Their manager, Richard D'Oyly Carte, made a deal with Sullivan. He promised Sullivan could write a grand (serious) opera if he kept writing the light ones. Sullivan agreed. The serious opera he would write later was called Ivanhoe.
Creating the Music and Story
Gilbert suggested that their new light opera should be set in Venice, Italy. This would give Sullivan a chance to write bright and colorful music. Sullivan even traveled to Venice to get a feel for the place.
When he returned to England, Gilbert sent him the lyrics for the new opera as he finished them. Sullivan, however, took his time. He was busy planning his grand opera, Ivanhoe. But by the fall of 1889, Sullivan focused completely on The Gondoliers. He worked hard and finished the music by December 2. Just five days later, on December 7, The Gondoliers opened to a very excited audience. The newspapers loved it!
A Big Hit: The Gondoliers' Success
The Gondoliers was an instant success in London. It played for 554 shows, which was a lot! It also made more money than any other Savoy opera during its first run. People loved the music so much that 20,000 copies of the sheet music were sold right away. Within a few days, over 70,000 copies of different musical arrangements were sold.
The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, which performed Gilbert and Sullivan's works, started touring the show. The first tour began on February 19, 1890, in Preston, England. The Gondoliers was almost always part of their touring shows. It was only left out in the last two seasons before the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company closed in 1982.
Main Characters in the Story
Here are some of the main characters you'll meet in The Gondoliers:
- The Duke of Plaza-Toro: A funny Spanish nobleman.
- Luiz: The Duke's helper.
- Don Alhambra del Bolero: The Grand Inquisitor, who is a very important judge.
- Marco Palmieri: A Venetian Gondolier.
- Giuseppe Palmieri: Another Venetian Gondolier.
- The Duchess of Plaza-Toro: The Duke's wife.
- Casilda: The Duke and Duchess's daughter.
- Gianetta: A young woman from Venice.
- Tessa: Another young woman from Venice.
- Inez: The King's foster-mother (the woman who raised him).
There is also a lively group of gondoliers, young women, soldiers, and pages.
What Happens in the Opera
The story of The Gondoliers is full of fun and mistaken identity. Marco and Giuseppe are two happy gondoliers in Venice. Everyone believes that one of them is the true King of Barataria, but nobody knows which one!
To solve this problem, it's decided that both Marco and Giuseppe will rule Barataria together. They will share the crown until the real king's identity is finally revealed. Things get even more complicated because a Princess has been promised in marriage to the King of Barataria.
In the end, the two gondoliers get to marry their sweethearts from Venice, Gianetta and Tessa. The Princess then discovers that her father's drummer boy is actually the long-lost heir to the throne of Barataria! She is very happy about this, because she has always loved him. And so, everyone lives happily ever after!
Images for kids
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Barrington and Pounds as Giuseppe and Marco
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The gavotte scene: 1890 advertisement for a touring company
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The Entr'acte expresses its pleasure that Gilbert and Sullivan are reunited.
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W. H. Denny as The Grand Inquisitor
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Pounds as Marco, Act II
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"At charity dinners, the best of speech-spinners, I get 10% of the takings!"
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"Try we life-long"
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Savoy Theatre, 1881
