Opera Scotland

Arthur Sullivan Suggest updates

Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan.

Born London, 12 May 1842.

Died London, 22 November 1900.

English composer.

Sullivan was by far the most successful British composer of light music and operetta in the nineteenth century and for many decades afterwards. His father was a military musician, and Sullivan's musical career began as a choirboy. He studied in Germany, and his youthful orchestral music was highly regarded, including a symphony, a cello concerto, several choral pieces and incidental music for The Tempest. Even after his great success in partnership with Gilbert he continued to produce occasional serious music, including a large-scale cantata The Golden Legend, and incidental music for Macbeth, composed for Sir Henry Irving. His grand opera Ivanhoe was also a success in its day, with 160 consecutive performances followed by a provincial tour, though it has not been staged since.

Works performed in Scotland are shown in bold:-

01   Kenilworth (Birmingham 1864) (Chorley)

02   Cox and Box, or The Long-lost Brothers (London 1866) (Burnand)

03   The Contrabandista, or The Law of the Ladrones (London 1867) (Burnand)

04   The Prodigal Son (Worcester 1869) (cpsr)

05   On Shore and Sea (London 1871) (Taylor)

06   Thespis, or The Gods Grown Old (London 1871) (Gilbert) (music lost)

07   The Light of the World (Birmingham 1873) (cpsr & Grove)

08   Trial by Jury (London 1875) (Gilbert)

09   The Zoo (London 1875) (Stevenson, as 'Bolton Rowe')

10   The Sorcerer (London 1877) (Gilbert)

11   HMS Pinafore, or The Lass that Loved a Sailor (London 1878) (Gilbert)

12   The Pirates of Penzance, or The Slave of Duty (New York & Paignton 1879) (Gilbert)

13   The Martyr of Antioch (Leeds 1880) (Gilbert)

14   Patience, or Bunthorne’s Bride (London 1881) (Gilbert)

15   Iolanthe, or The Peer and the Peri (London 1882) (Gilbert)

16   Princess Ida, or Castle Adamant (London 1884) (Gilbert)

17   The Mikado, or The Town of Titipu (London 1885) (Gilbert)

18   The Golden Legend (Leeds 1886) (Bennett)

19   Ruddigore, or The Witch’s Curse (London 1887, as “Ruddygore”; rev Toye Glasgow 1920) (Gilbert)

20   The Yeomen of the Guard, or The Merryman and his Maid (London 1888) (Gilbert)

21   The Gondoliers, or The King of Barataria (London 1889) (Gilbert)

22   Ivanhoe (London 1891) (Sturgis)

23   Haddon Hall (London 1892) (Grundy)

24   Utopia Limited, or The Flowers of Progress (London 1893) (Gilbert)

25   The Chieftain (London 1894) (Burnand)

26   The Grand Duke, or The Statutory Duel (London 1896) (Gilbert)                                           

27   The Beauty Stone (London 1897) (Comyns Carr & Pinero)

28   The Rose of Persia, or The Story-teller and the Slave (London 1899) (Hood)

29   The Emerald Isle, or The Caves of Carrig-Cleena (unfin, comp German; prod London 1901) (Hood)