In 'Iolanthe'
(1882) Mr. Gilbert reached the dizziest height of topsy-turvydom to
which he ever climbed, and set Sullivan to solve what was perhaps the
most difficult problem of his whole career. To bring the atmosphere of
fairyland into the House of Lords was a task which the most accomplished
master of musical satire might well have refused, but Sullivan came
victoriously through the ordeal. His 'Iolanthe' music, with its blending
of things aerial with things terrene, and its contrast between the solid
qualities of our hereditary legislators and the irresponsible ecstasy of
fairyland is one of the most surprising feats of musical imagination
that even his career can furnish. In 'Princess Ida' (1884), which is, so
to speak, a burlesque of a burlesque, his task was easier. 'Princess
Ida' contains some of his most brilliant excursions into the realm of
parody--parodies of grand opera, parodies of the traditional Handelian
manner, parodies of sentimental love-making--but it also contains some
of the purest and most beautiful music he ever wrote. Some of Sullivan's
melodies, indeed, would be more fitting on the lips of Tennyson's
romantic princess than on those of Mr. Gilbert's burlesque
"suffragette". 'Princess Ida' was not appreciated at its true value and
still awaits its revenge, but in 'The Mikado' (1885) the two
collaborators scored the greatest success of their career.
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