# Arthur Sullivan - The Beauty Stone



## PerthSavoyard (Nov 24, 2013)

Sir Arthur Sullivan is still, to this day, regarded with a snobbish sceptism in many quarters. His highly successful series of comic operas written in collaboration with W S Gilbert, for many years eclipsed his many other works. His symphony in E, popular during his lifetime had to wait for a recording until the early 1970 and it was also in the 70's that his other, non-Gilbert comic operas, his oratorios, cantatas, orchestral music, ballets and chamber music began to resurface again.

In recent years a large number of these works have begun to resurface, both in live performance and in the recording studio. THE CONTRABANDISTA, his first 2 act comic opera appeared on the Hyperion label a few years ago as did the cantata THE GOLDEN LEGEND. Then the Chandos label took up the challenge and gave us the first professional IVANHOE, followed most recently by the Romantic Musical Drama, THE BEAUTY STONE.

As one who has been priviledged to witness, perform or direct most of Sullivan's non-Gilbert operas, I would be very interested to hear what others thoughts are about these works, and in particular THE BEAUTY STONE which, hampered to my mind by Pinero's rambling book (albeit strong plot), has perhaps lain in obscurity too long.


----------

