Pirates Of Penzance Essay

The opera that we are going to review is the Pirates of Penzance, which was written by W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan. Before we continue we should learn a little about both W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan. Gilbert was born in London and had three younger sisters. Growing up, his parents did not get along and their marriage ended up ending in 1876. As a child, Gilbert amused himself by writing plays. He would write plays for school performances and he would also paint the scenery to go along with his plays. As Gilbert grew older, he continued writing. Oftentimes he would use the pseudonym “Bab,” since that was the nickname given to him when he was a baby. Of course, the road was not completely easy for Gilbert, and at times, he suffered intense criticism. But, as Gilbert grew older, he became more and more well known for his plays, which were often of the comedic nature.

Sullivan

This opera was the only Gilbert and Sullivan opera to have had its premiere in the United States, in particular, New York City. The opera, Pirates of Penzance quickly became very popular and was loved by many people. In fact, the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company in Britain performed this opera for over one hundred years. But that is not the only place that this opera was featured at. Other companies also performed this opera around and across the globe. Pirates also made its mark on Broadway, and to this day, Pirates of Penzance is one of the most popular operas that were ever performed by Gilbert and Sullivan. An interesting fact about the Pirates of Penzance is that it was writing to make fun of grand opera conventions, family commitments, and one’s sense of duty. It also has several comedic themes interwoven in the opera itself. Because of the comedic theme, Pirates of Penzance is known as an operetta. This, by definition, means that it is a short opera that is light and humorous, and has speaking in