Gilbert and Sullivan in the 1890s

In 1890, a quarrel between Gilbert, Sullivan and D'Oyly Carte over the expense of new carpeting for the Savoy Theatre brought the G&S partnership effectively to an end. They would collaborate twice more — in Utopia Limited (1893) and The Grand Duke (1896) — but the magic was gone. During the decade of the 1890s, Gilbert and Sullivan largely went their separate ways, and most of their operas were written with other collaborators. None of the works they wrote apart equalled the works they created in their prime, but several are of considerable interest. Luckily, most of these operas have appeared on records in the last thirty years, albeit not always with the best casts. Listeners who seek these operas out will, in general, be amply rewarded for their trouble.