Gilbert and Sullivan

Cultural  

1. Two Englishmen of the nineteenth century who wrote many witty operettas satirizing society of the Victorian period (see satire). W. S. (William Schwenck) Gilbert wrote the song lyrics and spoken dialogue, and Arthur Sullivan wrote the music. Their works include H.M.S. Pinafore, The Mikado, and The Pirates of Penzance.

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Gilbert and Sullivan

He built the Savoy Hotel and Savoy Theatre and produced the first operettas from Gilbert and Sullivan.

From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2025

Ed says he only realised much later that "she was singing to me songs from Gilbert and Sullivan", the Victorian-era duo Lee "adored" all her life.

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2025

He was the composer half of Gilbert and Sullivan, the Lennon-McCartney of sprightly operettas, back when operettas were both the movies and the pop music of their day — the must-see shows, the must-sing songs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 6, 2024

Wilson recently conducted two performances of the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta “Princess Ida” on period instruments, with “tiny trombones and cornets and gut strings and everything.”

From New York Times ● Aug. 3, 2023

“Well he hasn’t got religious mania, and he isn’t running around in a circle spouting Gilbert and Sullivan, so I suppose he’s normal.”

From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov