author
Arthur Sullivan
1842–1900
Best known for the sparkling comic operas he created with W. S. Gilbert, this English composer also wrote hymns, orchestral music, and serious choral works. His melodies helped shape Victorian musical life and still remain widely loved.
2 Audiobooks
The Complete Plays of Gilbert and Sullivan
by Arthur Sullivan, W. S. (William Schwenck) Gilbert
After Dinner Toast at Little Menlo
by Arthur Sullivan
About the author
Born in London on May 13, 1842, Arthur Sullivan showed unusual musical talent early and trained at the Chapel Royal, the Royal Academy of Music, and later the Leipzig Conservatory. He went on to become one of the best-known British composers of the 19th century.
He is most closely associated with his long partnership with librettist W. S. Gilbert. Together they created 14 comic operas, including H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance, and The Mikado, works whose wit and memorable tunes made them international successes. Sullivan also wrote concert music, songs, church music, and larger stage works, showing a range that went far beyond comic opera.
Honored in his lifetime and later knighted, Sullivan remained a central figure in English music until his death in London on November 22, 1900. Today he is remembered both for the charm of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas and for the craftsmanship and grace that run through his broader body of work.