The Best-Known Works of W.S. Gilbert

232 pp. Book and Lyrics of the Best-Known Gilbert & Sullivan Operas and the Bab Ballads. "The most popular of the light operas resulting from the collaboration of William Schwenk Gilbert and Arthur Seymour Sullivan are the three in this book, to-wit: "H.M.S. Pinafore," "The Mikado," and "The Pirates of Penzance." It is to one of these three, produced by school and college musical organizations, that most Americans owe an acquaintance with the joyous nonsense of the Savoyards. The wide public acquaintance with the Gilbert opera "libretti" is not matched by any similar knowledge of the "Bab Ballads," which had made their author and illustrator famous before he met Sullivan. During the 1860's Gilbert, then a young barrister, contributed a series of verses to "Fun," an English comic magazine, illustrated by himself over the signature "Bab." The best of these are included in this book with the three operas mentioned. For certain of the songs and arias of the operas, Gilbert later prepared illustrations in the spirit of the "Bab Ballads." Thus we are able to publish both operas and ballads with illustrations by the author."