Build a Gilbert and Sullivan Library

I've often been asked the question "Where should I start ?" by G&S fans who are looking to build a basic library of Gilbert and Sullivan books. It's a tricky question, because any list of "Recommended Gilbert and Sullivan Books" must, perforce, be subjective. However, I've made a choice, which I've outlined below. The list contains thirteen books, and I've tried to list them in an order of priority. Again, that's subjective, but have a look down the list, and by all means disagree with my order of ranking. Indeed, I'd be glad to hear from anyone who thinks I've missed a particular book. Or do you think I've listed a book which isn't a "must" ? Either way, let me know by sending an e-mail to library@savoyardbooks.com

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If you're starting from scratch, then you really ought to begin with The Gilbert and Sullivan Book, by Leslie Baily. It's a general biography of the pair. It was written in 1952, following the author's BBC radio biography of G&S. There was a revised edition published in 1956, and another in 1966. It really should stand first and foremost on your shelves, the Gilbert and Sullivan Bible !!

Your next choice should be a good edition of the texts of the operas. By far and away the best buy is Ian Bradley's Complete Annotated Gilbert and Sullivan. It contains the texts of all but Thespis, with the actual libretto written on each right-hand page, and copious notes on all sorts of matters (obscure references, alternative text readings, and the like) on each left-hand page. It's a veritable tome (as is The Gilbert and Sullivan Book), and isn't portable at rehearsals, but it's the best work of reference which exists for questions about the texts. It's available both in hardback and paperback.

Once you've armed yourself with the above two giants, it's probably time to look at more detailed biographies of Gilbert and Sullivan. Arguably the twentieth century's greatest Sullivan scholar was Professor Arthur Jacobs, and his Arthur Sullivan is an excellent, deep work of scholarship. It's well-researched, with many extracts from Sullivan's own diaries.

What Professor Jacobs did for Sullivan, Professor Jane Stedman has done for Gilbert, in her book W S Gilbert : a Classic Victorian and His Theatre. This is far and away the most comprehensive biography of Gilbert. Both these books deal with far more than just the Savoy Operas - they go into considerable detail about their subjects' lives.

Next, I feel that a copy of the text of The Bab Ballads by Gilbert will give a good insight into the poems which Gilbert contributed to the magazine Fun. Many of these contain the germ of a Savoy Opera, and are entertaining pieces of poetic nonsense in their own right.

Now we turn to the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, specially formed by Richard D'Oyly Carte to produce the works of Gilbert and Sullivan. An out-of-print book which is well worth searching for to add to your collection is The D'Oyly Carte Picture History, by Robin Wilson (son of British Prime Minister Sir Harold Wilson) and Frederic Lloyd (former general manager of The D'Oyly Carte). This book is a veritable feast of D'Oyly Carte photographs, from the very earliest days right up to the old company's demise in 1982.

Well, now we're more or less half way through - six books on our "wanted" list, with another seven to go.

So now (in my opinion only) we go back to biography - and to a book which comes close to rivalling Leslie Baily's Gilbert and Sullivan Book. I refer to Gilbert & Sullivan : The Illustrated Lives of the Great Composers, by Alan James, with opera synopses by Andrew Codd. It has many photographs which were missed by Leslie Baily, and has much factual information which augments Baily's work. If you can't wait for your copy of The Gilbert and Sullivan Book, then buy this one.

Harry Benford's Gilbert and Sullivan Lexicon (in Which Is Gilded the Philosophic Pill) comes next - a handy dictionary to explain all the odd G&S references which may still elude you. It's just come out in its third edition (April 1999).

For a better insight into what the real W S Gilbert was like, you'll need to see some of his original letters - and that, courtesy of W. S. Gilbert: His Life & Letters, by Sidney Dark and Rowland Grey. Here we have Gilbert at his most personal, with many letters showing the human side of a dramatist who sometimes appears forbidding. Find out in this book just what a friendly fellow he was - though the barbs for which he is famous are still in evidence.

For personal reminiscences of both Gilbert and Sullivan, you need to add Gilbert & Sullivan: Interviews & Recollections (edited by Harold Orel) to your collection. This includes many first-hand recollections of the two great men, and also includes Gilbert's Autobiography, written in 1883 for The Theatre.

Now a book of reference to partner The D'Oyly Carte Picture History mentioned above. By Maurice Farrar, The Gilbert and Sullivan Alphabet of Artistes: A Performance Record of D'Oyly Carte Personnel, 1875-1982 gives a comprehensive run-down of all D'Oyly Carte performing personnel, with particular attention being paid to the early days.

Next comes a contribution from a former chorus-master of the D'Oyly Carte, William Cox-Ife. His W S Gilbert : stage director confines itself to the Gilbert and Sullivan operas, but in that, it is excellent in its analysis of how Gilbert developed his techniques for stage direction, and how he derived an all-controlling definition of the rôle of the stage director in Victorian times.

Our last volume. Well, returning almost to the start of our library, you should add a copy of The first night Gilbert and Sullivan : containing complete librettos of the 14 operas, exactly as presented at their première performances : illustrated with contemporary drawings, by Reginald Allen. Again, it's out of print, but rounds off your collection with a book which has the libretti exactly as presented at each of their opening nights, enabling you to compare and contrast the state of the operas at present with their original formats.

So, how much would such a collection cost you to acquire ? Well, that's difficult to say, given the fact that some books are out of print - how much those copies would cost depends upon Amazon.com and their second-hand book service. There are no exact figures available, and I'd hate you to hold me to the figures given - they're approximations only. The cost depends partly upon whether you're based in the USA or the UK - or further afield, because, of course, one of the considerations must be shipping costs. Also, whether you order a hardback copy of some of the items available, or whether you order a paperback copy can make a big difference to how much you have in outlay. However, the cost of the library (as I've given it) would be approximately $450 plus shipping costs (if you live in the US) or £300 (plus shipping costs) if you live in the UK.

Remember that you can't "mix-and-match" orders from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk - they are separate companies, and you must keep your orders separate.

To let us know what you think of our suggestions for building a Gilbert and Sullivan Library, send an e-mail to library@savoyardbooks.com