Gilbert, W. S. (William Schwenck).

The Story of the Mikado. Illustrated by Alice B. Woodward.

First edition. London, Daniel O’Connor, 1921. 25 cm. XI, 114 pages. 6 leaves of plates. Illustrations (including colour frontispiece) in black and white. Original illustrated hardcover. Fair condition with signs of external wear. Noticeable staining to the front cover, rubbing of the spine, foxing on inside and selective pages and a tear on page 8.

OME of those who owe many a delightful hour to the genius of Sir William S. Gilbert may be interested in hearing how this book came to be written. In the pre-war days, that now seem so dim and distant, it occurred to his publisher that the story of “The Mikado,” told afresh by its author, would be welcomed by many of his admirers.
Sir William Gilbert accepted the project with even more than his usual geniality, and many talks about it with him will always be remembered by those who had the good fortune to be present. (Amazon)

The Mikado, or, The Town of Titipu is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen operatic collaborations. It opened on 14 March 1885, in London, where it ran at the Savoy Theatre for 672 performances, which was the second longest run for any work of musical theatre and one of the longest runs of any theatre piece up to that time. Before the end of 1885, it was estimated that, in Europe and America, at least 150 companies were producing the opera.
The Mikado remains the most frequently performed Savoy Opera, and it is especially popular with amateur and school productions. The work has been translated into numerous languages and is one of the most frequently played musical theatre pieces in history.
Setting the opera in Japan, an exotic locale far away from Britain, allowed Gilbert to satirise British politics and institutions more freely by disguising them as Japanese. Gilbert used foreign or fictional locales in several operas, including The Mikado, Princess Ida, The Gondoliers, Utopia, Limited and The Grand Duke, to soften the impact of his pointed satire of British institutions. (Wikipedia)

• Keywords: Drama · Drama – Rare · Eastern Philosophy · Eastern Philosophy and Culture · Erik Haugaard Collection · Japanese Theatre · Orient · Oriental Literature · Oriental studies
• Language: English
• Inventory Number: 44585AB

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