The Pirates of Penzance

by Gilbert and Sullivan

Published 1 September 1999

The Pirates of Penzance, or The Slave of Duty, is a comic opera in two acts. One of the Savoy Operas, the official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York on December 31, 1879, where it was a hit with audiences and critics. The London premiere was on April 3, 1880, at the Opera Comique, where it ran for 363 performances, having already been playing successfully for over three months in New York.

Pirates remains popular today, taking its place along with The Mikado and H.M.S. Pinafore as one of the most frequently played Gilbert and Sullivan operas. Its successful 1981 Broadway revival by Joseph Papp refreshed its popularity.


Princess Ida

by Gilbert and Sullivan

Published 1 September 1999

Princess Ida, or Castle Adamant, is a comic opera with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, and the eighth of their fourteen collaborations. It portrays a women's university set up by Princess Ida, and is a satire on feminism and the theory of evolution.This is the vocal score with piano accompaniment.