Mikado, The

Hailed as ‘one of the most perfect fusions of composer and librettist ever achieved’, Gilbert and Sullivan’s ninth collaboration - The Mikado (or The Town of Titipu) - opened in London in March 1885, and ran at the Savoy Theatre for 672 performances. Before the end of 1885, it was estimated that, in Europe and America, at least 150 companies were producing the opera. Today The Mikado has been translated into numerous languages, is one of the most frequently played musical theatre pieces in history, and is responsible for introducing phrases such as ‘plenty of fish in the sea’ and ‘a short, sharp shock’ into the English language. The Mikado tells the characteristically topsy-turvy story of Nanki-Poo and Yum-Yum, two lovers who are subject to the abritary laws of The Mikado’s Japan, where flirting is punishable by death, and executions are commonplace. Setting the opera in Japan allowed Gilbert to satirise British politics and institutions more freely, and Sullivan’s score skillfully mixes traditional English forms with ‘Japanese’ pentatonic inflections. The Mikado features a cast of unforgettable characters, a hilarious plot, and many well-loved songs - amongst them, Three Little Maids, I’ve got a little list, A Wandr’ing Minstrel and The Sun Whose Rays.

Instrumentation
FLUTE (piccolo) : OBOE : CLARINET (optional - db. A clarinet) : HORN : TRUMPET (optional - db. A Trumpet) : TROMBONE (with F attachment) : 2 PERCUSSION (Cymbals, Bass Drum, Side Drum, Triangle, Snare Drum, Timpani) : VIOLIN I & II (Both go into divisi) : VIOLA (goes into divisi) : CELLO : BASS : FULL SCORE

Format
V/S Lib/Voc O/S

Publisher
R&H