by Amelia Schaffer

Created on: November 25, 2010

"The Gondoliers, or The King of Barataria" was the last successful collaboration between humorist W.S. Gilbert and composer Arthur Sullivan. It premiered at the Savoy Theater on December 7, 1889. Although they wrote two subsequent operas—"Utopia, Limited" and "The Grand Duke"—their partnership had been irreparably strained.

The inspiration for Sullivan's music, which Alan Jefferson criticizes for the lack of "artistic originality and spontaneous flow" that is found in their previous collaborations, is drawn in part from Bizet's "

Carmen" and Mozart's "Don Giovanni" and "The Marriage of Figaro."

Characters

* The Duke of Plaza-Toro, a Grandee of Spain (Baritone)
* The Duchess of Plaza-Toro, his wife (Contralto)
* Casilda, their daughter (Soprano)
* Don Alhambra del Bolero, the Grand Inquisitor (Baritone)
* Luiz, the Duke's attendant (Tenor)
* Marco Palmieri, a gondolier (Tenor)
* Giuseppe Palmieri, a gondolier (Baritone)
* Tessa, a contadina (Mezzo-soprano)
* Gianetta, a contadina (Soprano)
* Inez, Luiz's mother and the Prince's nurse (Mezzo-soprano)

Synopsis

The story takes place in 1750.

Act I—The Piazetta, Venice

Marco and Giuseppe intend to choose brides from among the contadine. They decide to choose with a game of blind-man's bluff, but the women accuse them of peeking out from under their blindfolds.

The Duke arrives in a gondola with his wife, daughter and attendant. Casilda, it appears, was married to the son of the King of Barataria when they were infants. The King converted to Methodism, however, and the Grand Inquisitor kidnapped the young prince. The King is now dead, and the Duke wants to find Casilda's husband so that she can become Queen, despite Casilda's protests.

Left alone, Luiz and Casilda express their love for each other. She confesses the truth about her marriage, and Luiz realizes that the Prince's nurse was his own mother.

The Grand Inquisitor arrives and confesses that he left the Prince with a gondolier who mixed the child up with his own son. When Giuseppe and Marco enter with their new wives, the Grand Inquisitor reveals that one of them is the King of Barataria. Since they know not which, both men must leave for Barataria and share the rule until their nurse can sort out the matter.

Act II—The Palace of Barataria, Three Months Later

Marco and Giuseppe outline their countless duties as the rulers of Barataria. Their wives, Tessa and Giannetta, arrive and are welcomed. The Grand Inquisitor, however, warns the men that one of them is the King and therefore married to Casilda (though they cannot tell which), leading to a furious expression of jealousy by the women.

The Duke and Duchess enter with Casilda, who still protests the marriage. Feeling insulted by the improper welcome, the Duke lectures Marco and Giuseppe about proper etiquette for the royal court.

The Prince's nurse arrives and reveals, to everyone's surprise, that she kept the Prince hidden away by raising him as her own son, Luiz. The happy couple is crowned King and Queen, and the gondoliers are reunited with their own wives.

Sources:

* Jefferson, Alan. "The Complete Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Guide." New York: Facts On File, 1984.

* Sullivan, Arthur and W.S. Gilbert. "The Gondoliers" (vocal score).

* Upton, George Putnam. "The Standard Light Operas and Their Music." Chicago: A.C. McClurg, 1902.

(Originally published at Suite101.)

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