Background Patience (opera)

many punch cartoons satirised æsthetes. both patience , colonel mentioned here. tiny, pennant-waving gilbert peeks out of sullivan s backpack @ lower right.

the opera satire on aesthetic movement of 1870s , 80s in england, part of 19th-century european movement emphasised aesthetic values on moral or social themes in literature, fine art, decorative arts, , interior design. called art art s sake , movement valued ideals of beauty above pragmatic concerns. although output of poets, painters , designers prolific, argued movement s art, poetry , fashion empty , self-indulgent. movement popular , easy ridicule meaningless fad helped make patience big hit. same factors made hit out of colonel, play f. c. burnand based partly on satiric cartoons of george du maurier in punch magazine. colonel beat patience stage several weeks, patience outran burnand s play. according burnand s 1904 memoir, sullivan s friend composer frederic clay leaked burnand information gilbert , sullivan working on æsthetic subject , , burnand raced produce colonel before patience opened. modern productions of patience have updated setting of opera analogous era such hippie 1960s, making flower-child poet rival of beat poet.

george grossmith bunthorne

the 2 poets in opera given reciting own verses aloud, principally admiring chorus of rapturous maidens. style of poetry bunthorne declaims contrasts grosvenor s. former s, emphatic , obscure, bears marked resemblance swinburne s poetry in structure, style , heavy use of alliteration. latter s idyllic poetry, simpler , pastoral, echoes elements of coventry patmore , william morris. gilbert scholar andrew crowther comments, bunthorne creature of gilbert s brain, not caricature of particular aesthetes, original character in own right. makeup , costume adopted first bunthorne, george grossmith, used swinburne s velvet jacket, painter james mcneill whistler s hairstyle , monocle, , knee-breeches worn oscar wilde , others.

according gilbert s biographer edith browne, title character, patience, made , costumed resemble subject of luke fildes painting. patience not first satire of aesthetic movement played richard d oyly carte s company @ opera comique. grossmith himself had written sketch in 1876 called cups , saucers revived companion piece h.m.s. pinafore in 1878, satire of blue pottery craze.

a popular misconception holds central character of bunthorne, fleshly poet, intended satirise oscar wilde, identification retrospective. according authorities, bunthorne inspired partly poets algernon charles swinburne , dante gabriel rossetti, considerably more famous wilde in 1881 before wilde published first volume of poetry. rossetti had been attacked immorality robert buchanan (under pseudonym thomas maitland ) in article called fleshly school of poetry , published in contemporary review october 1871, decade before patience. nonetheless, wilde s biographer richard ellmann suggests wilde partial model both bunthorne , rival grosvenor. carte, producer of patience, wilde s booking manager in 1881 poet s popularity took off. in 1882, after new york production of patience opened, gilbert, sullivan , carte sent wilde on lecture tour, green carnation , knee-breeches, explain english aesthetic movement, intending popularise show s american touring productions.

although satire of aesthetic movement dated today, fads , hero-worship evergreen, , gilbert’s pen sharper when invented reginald bunthorne . gilbert conceived patience tale of rivalry between 2 curates , of doting ladies attended upon them. plot , of dialogue lifted straight out of gilbert s bab ballad rival curates. while writing libretto, however, gilbert took note of criticism had received mild satire of clergyman in sorcerer, , looked alternative pair of rivals. remnants of bab ballad version survive in final text of patience. lady jane advises bunthorne tell grosvenor: style sanctified – cut canonical! later, grosvenor agrees change lifestyle saying, on compulsion! – words used reverend hopley porter in bab ballad. gilbert s selection of aesthetic poet rivals proved fertile subject topsy-turvy treatment. both mocks , joins in buchanan s criticism of latter calls poetic affectations of fleshly school – use of archaic terminology, archaic rhymes, refrain, , habit of accenting last syllable in words in ordinary speech accented on penultimate. of these poetic devices or medievalism s affectations , bunthorne calls them, parodied in patience. example, accenting last syllable of lily , rhyming die parodies 2 of these devices @ once.

on 10 october 1881, during original run, patience transferred new savoy theatre, first public building in world lit entirely electric light. carte explained why had introduced electric light: greatest drawbacks enjoyment of theatrical performances are, undoubtedly, foul air , heat pervade theatres. knows, each gas-burner consumes oxygen many people, , causes great heat beside. incandescent lamps consume no oxygen, , cause no perceptible heat. when electrical system ready full operation, in december 1881, carte stepped on stage demonstrate safety of new technology breaking glowing lightbulb before audience.