Following Yeoman of the Guard, one of Gilbert and Sullivan's most serious works, the creators were at dagger points. Sullivan told Gilbert he wanted to compose more serious work, getting rid of strongly marked rhythms and light music. He had his heart set on composing a grand opera. Gilbert wanted to continue as usual; serious works made him uncomfortable. Sullivan complained about what he perceive as his secondary role; he wrote to Gilbert: "I have lost the liking for writing comic opera, and entertain very grave doubts as to my power of doing it. ... You say that in a serious opera, you must sacrifice yourself. I say that this is just what I have been doing in all our joint pieces, and, what is ore, must continue to do in comic opera to make it successful". (It is true that not only did Gilbert create the libretto and lyrics but also directed the productions and called all the shots.) Gilbert exploded. "Are you of the astounding impression that you have been effacing yourself in all our pieces? You are as adept in your profession as I am in mine. If we meet it is as Master and Master, not as Master and Servant."

Letters, more and more bitter, continued to pass between them but, finally, a compromise was reached. They would write a comic opera for the Savoy and a grand opera (Ivanhoe) for a new theatre Carte was constructing. Gilbert suggested a Venetian setting with color and Italian type music. A setting in a distant country would also give them more scope to satirize Britain than one set at home.

Gilbert worked on the libretto during the spring of 1889 and Sullivan started the music by midsummer. The long opening, with almost 20 minutes of music before any spoken dialogue, was Gilbert's idea and gave Sullivan a long interval to set the tone of the piece. There was also more music in total than in any other work. There was also more variety with a Spanish cachucha, an Italian tarantella and a Venetian barcarolle. As a result, Sullivan's voice is much more prominent than usual and the music is the happiest he ever wrote. Gilbert and Sullivan did nothing much new, but what is repeated is repeated with a with a twist.

It took three days of five-hour rehearsals to get the blindman's business down. (The chorus was a dedicated group with long tenure — some 12 years — and ability to work together. They were paid £85 a week and most worked other jobs to support themselves.) Returning to old themes, the opera satirizes British class distinctions and snobbery at all levels of society from working class up. It recalls the baby switching in H.M.S. Pinafore and Verdi's opera Il Trovatore, as well as Gilbert's kidnapping claim. This was also a time of growing interest in communism and socialism; republicans were becoming an obnoxious theme as were monarchists, and both groups are satirized. There is more emphasis on youth more than in the earlier works. The music of Act I has Italian atmosphere, Act II Spanish. There is very little slow music. Thus, even though there was more songs that usual, the total time devoted to music is just a little longer than in their other works.

The opening received "hearty and unanimous approbation". The quartet Then one of us will be a Queen was greeted with a roar on opening night so Sullivan repeated the last verse. The audience still demanded more so he redid the whole song. And this was done every night for the whole run. Giuseppe's song on the duties of King has been called a masterpiece of witty words and witty music. Reviews said "As usual spontaneous, refined, and thoroughly characteristic of the composer". "Mr. Gilbert's very best style. ... A libretto which even he has rarely surpassed in whimsical absurdity." "The most balanced and most human" of the librettos. However, The end result was their last successful collaboration.

There was a command performance at Windsor Castle. A special train from Paddington station took the entire company and orchestra, 170 persons in all, to Windsor where they arrived in time for a dress rehearsal from 5-7 P.M. This was witnessed by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The performance ended at 11:30, and the performers sat down to dinner at midnight. At 1 AM, they all took the train back to Paddington.

In spite of its success in London, The Gondoliers, with an inferior cast, was panned when it opened in New York. (Gilbert had not endorsed this original company.) Carte brought a new cast and new production over, but even this lasted only 103 performances.

It was during the London run that Gilbert discovered the purchase of the carpet for the Savoy's lobby which precipitated a quarrel. Gilbert wrote to Sullivan that it was time to end their collaboration. He withdrew all his libretti and said he would no longer write for the Savoy. Although their relationship seemed to be at an end, Carte managed to convince them to work together again and, after three years, they united for the 1893 Utopia, Limited which was not a success and then, in 1896, The Grand Duke which was a failure. It was finally the end.

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Revised November 2010
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