Deryk Barker <[log in to unmask]> writes:

>Until, IIRC, the early 70s, D'Oyly Carte had a total lock on G&S
>productions and they were only only to be staged in the "approved"
>manner.

The Copyright on Sullivan's music expired in 1950, that on Gilbert's plays
11 years later in 1961.  Thus we got "Pineapple Poll" from Mackerras in the
early 1950's, but no independent professional stagings of the operas until
1962.

The suggestion that the D'Oyly Carte had a stranglehold on production style
is a myth, though they did of course have the right to licence all amateur
productions and take royalties.  They also enjoyed a rip-roaring success
with their costume and props hire department, which featured such delights
as a set of 'encore fans' for "The Mikado" in an ascending pitch of
outrageousness.

Just as surely, the 'approved' manner only ever existed in the minds of the
more recalcitrant fans, concerned to maintain 'traditions' - which in the
main meant "what was done when I was a lad".  Most operagoers enjoyed any
new productions as they came along, and their breaks with these spurious
'traditions', very thoroughly.

Indeed, there was a healthy(ish) stream of new stagings down the years -
up to about 1970, when the money ran out. Gilbert himself certainly did
not stick to one way of doing his pieces, as witness the five (I think)
productions of "Pinafore" he produced during his lifetime. These were
each radically different in design and staging ... one even showed the
ship stern on - how very untraditional! But that's Gilbert all over.

>Some contract or copyright then lapsed and we ended up with Linda
>Ronstadt ...

And why ever not? Such are the joys of Sullivan's operas, and on the
whole they're big enough to take it!

Christopher Webber,  Blackheath, London,  UK.
http://www.nashwan.demon.co.uk/zarzuela.htm
"ZARZUELA!"