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''Iolanthe; or, The Peer and the Peri'' () is a comic opera with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It is one of the Savoy operas and is the seventh collaboration of the fourteen between Gilbert and Sullivan. ''Iolanthe'' was first produced in London at the Savoy Theatre, on 25 November 1882, three days after ''Patience'' closed, and ran for 398 performances. It was the first of Gilbert and Sullivan's operas to premiere at the Savoy Theatre. The story concerns a band of immortal fairies who find themselves at odds with the House of Peers. The opera satirises many aspects of British government and law. ==Background== The Savoy Theatre was the first theatre in the world to be lit entirely by electricity, and ''Iolanthe'' was the first show to open at the theatre after it was electrified; this made such special effects as sparkling fairy wands possible for the first time.〔(this article on the Savoy Theatre ), arthurlloyd.co.uk, retrieved on 20 July 2007; (Savoy Theatre ), Ambassador Theatre Group Limited; Davis, Carol E. ("Sullivan: Iolanthe" ), ''Opera News'', June 2014, Vol. 78, No. 12, accessed July 26, 2015〕〔Burgess, Michael. "Richard D'Oyly Carte", ''The Savoyard'', January 1975, pp. 7–11〕 The principal fairies' heads were also illuminated with wreaths of small illuminated stars.〔(''Iolanthe'' ), D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, accessed July 26, 2015〕 Gilbert had targeted the aristocracy for satiric treatment before; in this "fairy opera", the House of Lords is lampooned as a bastion of the ineffective, privileged and dim-witted. The political party system and other institutions also come in for a dose of satire. Among many potshots that Gilbert takes at lawyers in this opera, the Lord Chancellor sings that he will "work on a new and original plan" that the rule (which holds true in other professions, such as the military, the church and even the stage) that diligence, honesty, honour, and merit should lead to promotion "might apply to the bar". Throughout ''Iolanthe'', however, both author and composer managed to couch the criticism among such bouncy, amiable absurdities that it is all received as good humour. In fact, Gilbert later refused to allow quotes from the piece to be used as part of the campaign to diminish the powers of the House of Lords.〔Bradley, p. 416〕 Although titled ''Iolanthe'' all along in Gilbert's plot book,〔Tillett ''et al.'' 1982, p. 5〕 for a time the piece was advertised as ''Perola'' and rehearsed under that name. According to an often-repeated fiction, Gilbert and Sullivan did not change the name to ''Iolanthe'' until just before the première.〔Baily 1952, p. 209〕 In fact, the title was advertised as ''Iolanthe'' as early as 13 November 1882 – eleven days before the opening – so the cast had at least that much time to learn the name. It is also clear that Sullivan's musical setting was written to match the cadence of the word "Iolanthe," and could only accommodate the word "Perola" by preceding it (awkwardly) with "O", "Come" or "Ah".〔Tillett, ''et al.'' 1982, pp. 6–7〕 Henry Irving had produced a version of ''King René’s Daughter'' in London in 1880, adapted by W. G. Wills, under the name ''Iolanthe'', and in October Gilbert asked Carte to request Irving's permission to use the name.〔Ainger, pp. 212–13; and Bradley, p. 364〕 The audience that attended the first night in London included Captain (later Captain Sir) Eyre Massey Shaw, head of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade, whom the Fairy Queen apostrophizes in the second act ("Oh, Captain Shaw/Type of true love kept under/Could thy brigade with cold cascade/Quench my great love, I wonder?"). On the first night, Alice Barnett as the Fairy Queen sang the verses directly to Captain Shaw. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Iolanthe」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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