{\b Sir William Schwenck Gilbert}.

{\b Date of Birth}.: November 18 1836

{\b Date of Death}.: May 29 1911

{\b Works}.

English playwright, humorist and parodist, most famous for his collaborations 
with Arthur Sullivan on the 'Gilbert and Sullivan' operas. Gilbert started 
writing for satirical magazines under the name 'Bab' in the 1860's. His verses 
were collected and published in 1869 as Bab's Ballads. His first two stage 
successes were Dulcamara, or the Little Duck and the Great Quack (1866) and 
The Palace of Truth (1870). 
After joining forces with Sullivan in 1871 he produced a score of  successful 
light operas including HMS Pinafore (1878), The Pirates of Penzance (1879) and 
The Grand Duke (1896).

{\b Featured Works}.

'The Yarn of the Nancy Bell', 'Blue Blood', 'A Nightmare from Iolanthe', 
'Captain Reece', 'The Bumboat Woman's Story'.

{\b General Comment}.

Sir William Schwenck Gilbert was born in London where he later studied at 
King's College. After a spell as a clerk in the Privy Council Office (1857-62) 
he took up law and was called to the bar in 1864. His lack of success as a 
barrister meant that he was forced to survive on money received from 
contributions to satirical magazines such as Punch and Fun. His humorous 
verses, written under the nickname 'Bab', soon became notorious and in 1866 he 
wrote his first drama, the burlesque Dulcamara. Other dramas followed, 
establishing Gilbert's reputation as a skilled humorist. His rhyming and 
metrical talents coupled with his eye for the absurd identified him as a 
unique talent. These skills found their ideal vehicle in the 'comic opera', a 
genre which Gilbert was to explore in the next phase of his career.

Gilbert met Arthur Sullivan in 1869 and they produced their first opera 
Thepsis in 1871. The partners then met the impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte and 
it was under his management at the Royalty Theatre that they were to produce 
the string of dazzlingly successful operas for which they are chiefly 
remembered. Their first success was Trial by Jury (1875) and they continued to 
collaborate over the next twenty years.Gilbert and Sullivan ended their 
partnership after the unsuccessful Savoy opera The Grand Duke in 1896. 
Gilbert's solo operas include Fallen Fairies (1909), and his last production 
The Hooligans (1911).