It is said, Gilbert and Sullivan’s ‘The Mikado’ is always being performed somewhere in the world.
Whether this is true or not is difficult to say, as the origins of the statement are elusive. However, The Mikado is one of the most successful Savoy Operas and one of the most performed pieces of musical theatre.
Our upcoming concert will mark the final summer concert conducted by our musical director, John Forsyth. We will be performing a celebration of pieces we have loved performing with him over the years.
Out of a portfolio built from 25 years as Musical Director, 5 pieces from The Mikado made it into the program.
Let’s have a little look at some reasons why that might be.
One of our choir members said that she felt the endurance of The Mikado was partly down to the clever words that Gilbert wrote, and the fact that the operetta is satirising something. She also remembered being in the chorus as a teenager and has never forgotten the words or the tunes.
On the surface, the libretto itself is very silly, for want of a better adjective. However, these fun phrases are cleverly imbued with political and societal commentary.
Gilbert used a fantastical Japanese setting to thinly veil his satirical mockery of British society in Victorian England. This was largely due to the relatively new trade links England had with Japan, bringing about a wave of, what the French called, ‘Japonisme’. The British were enamoured with the aesthetics and culture of Japan, even to the point where an exhibition was set up in Knightsbridge that depicted a Japanese village and employed around 100 Japanese men and women to bring it to life.
However, it is largely understood that the setting isn’t strictly Japanese, and is meant to represent an ‘otherness’ to create distance from Britain and camouflage the satire. This is one reason why The Mikado is universally adaptable - it can be set anywhere in any period, and the clever wording and satirical intent can always shine through.
The Mikado was not based on any previous work, as most of Gilbert and Sullivan's previous operas had been. It is, as Gayden Wren describes it, “… more loosely constructed than the previous operas…”. This could be explained by the duo having less time than usual to write the opera. Apparently, they had been in an artistic stand-off regarding a supernatural lozenge…
Wren continues to explain how during the creation process, a number of the songs of The Mikado had been assigned different places in the story, sometimes even to different characters, and that the content of the songs rarely comments on the show’s overall theme. They tend to have a similar, light and fun energy about them; encouraging laughter over empathy.
I would think this looser approach gives the songs a universal appeal. Throughout The Mikado, even when terrible things happen, the words, music and direction make you laugh. If you are not encouraged to care too deeply for the characters you can be swept away into a superficial world without having to share in their pain (even when the plot revolves around corporal punishment).
The distance created between the audience and the characters in this way, offers a light and fun evening’s entertainment all types of people can enjoy.
Unsurprisingly, our musical director and accompanist both feel the longevity of The Mikado is down to the great rhythms and melodies. Whilst researching for this post, I found that more often than not, people will talk about the wit and fun of Gilbert’s words more often than they will talk specifically about Sullivan’s music, even though it was the partnership that truly built their legacy.
However, I did find a quote from composer John Kander (Cabaret and Chicago) which I think encapsulates the reason the pairing worked so well.
He was extremely meticulous in seeing that every word could be heard by reflecting the natural rhythm of the lyrics in his music. There’s a great reciprocity between his music and Gilbert’s words.
In a study on Rhythm and Text Setting in The Mikado by Robert Fink, Sullivan's musical prowess was made clear. He was a talented musician from a young age and Fink lists his many accomplishments as a sophisticated musician before posing the question of how he ended up writing comic operas that could be considered 'beneath him'.
After some analysis, it seemed that the rhythms of Gilbert's text was hugely inspiring for Sullivan, even if it 'bothered him to death'. The two together brought something magical to life. He understood that if the music was unsuited to the rhythms of the words, there would be no cohesion. In fact, he took this approach to more than just the libretto. Sullivan wrote the vocal lines first, piano accompaniment second and left his orchestrations until he had seen the staging.
Describing why music is appealing is difficult to put into words for the average person. It's a feeling more than anything. Sullivan was able to take Gilbert's words and surround them perfectly to enhance just the right feelings.
Even if we all speak different languages, music will always be universal.
The duo paved the way for the modern musical as it is understood today, in which book, music and lyrics form a cohesive whole. Gayden Wren described The Mikado as “…one of the most perfect fusions of composer and librettist ever achieved in musical theatre.”
But, it isn’t just musical theatre that Gilbert and Sullivan’s work influenced. Phrases from Gilbert's librettos and Sullivan's music have made their way into everyday language, music albums, TV shows, films, literature and even advertising. There are references to Gilbert and Sullivan in so many aspects of modern society, even if the average person might never know it.
The Mikado continues to be performed by professionals and amateurs alike, and in many different languages and countries around the world.
Most notably, five pieces from The Mikado, alongside many other beloved pieces, will be performed by us, the Cleveland Philharmonic Choir, on Friday 28th June in Stockton Baptist Church!
To book a ticket, click here. (UPDATE - Concert date has passed. Please click here to see our current concerts!)
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