Born:
May 13, 1842
Birthplace:
London
Died:
November 22, 1900 in London
Also Known As:
Sir Arthur Sullivan, a British conductor, teacher and composer whose collaborations with librettist William Schwenk Gilbert helped establish the English operetta.
Type of Compositions:
Sullivan is most known for his
operettas.
Influence:
His father was bandmaster at the Royal Military College. Sullivan won the Mendelssohn Scholarship which enabled him to study at the Royal Academy of Music. Among his teachers there were Sir John Goss and W. Sterndale Bennett. Afterward, he studied at the Leipzig Conservatory where he met
Grieg and
Liszr. He returned to England in 1861 and became church organist at St. Michael’s. In 1866, he was appointed Professor of Composition at the Royal Academy of Music.
Notable Works:
Sullivan's works include "The Tempest," "Kenilworth cantata," "L’Île enchantée," "In Memoriam," "Overtura di Ballo," "The Prodigal Son," "The Light of the World," "The Martyr of Antioch," "The Golden Legend," "Ivanhoe," "Cox and Box" (libretto by Sir Francis Cowley Burnand), "Contrabandista" (libretto by Sir Francis Cowley Burnand), "Haddon Hall" (libretto by Sydney Grundy), "The Chieftain," "The Beauty Stone" (libretto by J. Comyns Carr and Sir Arthur Wing Pinero) and "The Rose of Persia" (libretto by Basil Hood).
The Savoy Operas:
Gilbert and Sullivan's collaborations were hugely successful. Their famous works are collectively known as the "Savoy Operas," these are operettas that were (mostly) produced in London's Savoy Theatre. These include "Patience," "Thespis," "Trial by Jury," "The Sorcerer," "H.M.S. Pinafore," "The Pirates of Penzance," "Iolanthe," "Princess Ida," "The Mikado," "Ruddigore," "The Yeomen of the Guard," "The Gondoliers," "Utopia Limited" and "The Grand Duke."
Interesting Facts:
Sir Arthur Sullivan was knighted in 1883. He wrote the music to the hymn "Onward! Christian Soldiers" with lyrics by Sabine Baring-Gould.
Related Video:
Listen to the overture of Arthur Sullivan's "
The Pirates of Penzance" courtesy of YouTube.
