by Amelia Schaffer

Created on: November 25, 2010

"Patience, or Bunthorne's Bride" was originally intended to be a satire of the clergy, based on Gilbert's ballad "The Rival Curates" (1867). Gilbert assumed that such an opera would not be well received—a good assumption, considering the later censorship of a much milder satire on the church in "Ruddigore."

Instead, Gilbert turned to Aestheticism, a movement which valued "art for art's sake" and was epitomized in the work and life of Oscar Wilde, as the subject for his satire. The opera, one of the most successful works by W.S. Gilbert and composer Arthur Sullivan, premiered on April 23, 1881 and was billed as "an entirely new and original aesthetic opera."

Characters

* Reginald Bunthorne, an Aesthetic poet (Baritone)
* Archibald Grosvenor, an Idyllic poet (Baritone)
* Patience, a milk maid (Soprano)
* Lieutenant the Duke of Dunstable (Tenor)
* Colonel Calverley, an officer of the Dragoon Guard (Bass)
* Major Murgatroyd, another officer (Baritone)
* The Lady Angela, a lovesick maiden (Mezzo-soprano)
* The Lady Saphir, the same (Soprano)
* The Lady Ella, the same (Soprano)
* The Lady Jane, the same (Contralto)

Synopsis

Act I—Outside Castle Bunthorne

The Lovesick Maidens sit and sigh over Bunthorne, who loves Patience, a milk maid. Patience arrives and mocks the Lovesick Maidens for their moaning. She tells them that the Dragoon Guard, the lovesick maidens' previous fiancés, are arriving; the Lovesick Maidens, however, scorn their former loves.

The Dragoons arrive. Lieutenant the Duke of Dunstable has joined them because he wishes to leave his wealth and rank and become more ordinary. Bunthorne arrives, and the Lovesick Maidens fawn over him. The Dragoons ask the Lovesick Maidens why they have rejected their former fiancés; the answer is that Bunthorne "idealized" them.

Bunthorne reads a poem, which Patience proclaims to be nonsense. Left alone, Bunthorne confesses: he is a fraud, and dislikes the Aestheticism he pretends to embrace. He expresses his love to Patience, even agreeing that his poetry is bad, but she rebuffs him.

Patience asks Angela to explain love to her, and Patience, who has never been in love, resolves to experience it immediately. Grosvenor, her childhood love, appears, reciting his Idyllic poetry. She expresses her love for him, but suddenly takes it back; it is not fare to keep him from everyone else.

Bunthorne has decided to raffle himself off. As the winning ticket is about to be drawn, however, Patience rushes in, declaring

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