Gilbert and Sullivan

Rather than creating a dual biography of two individuals--playwright and librettist William Gilbert (1836-1911) and composer Arthur Sullivan (1842-1900)--Ffinch ( Cardinal Newman ) here portrays a single entity: GilbertandSullivan. The focus is on the 14 satiric operettas that resulted from this sometimes rocky association set in a framework of biographical detail. Ffinch is at his best giving clear descriptions of the evolution, scripting, productions and plots of each operetta, from the ever-popular H.M.S. Pinafore , The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado to the less familiar Utopia, Limited . True to an introductory remark in which he notes that he has ``to accept Gilbert as our greatest writer of comic verse,'' Ffinch includes long passages of the writer's witty librettos--a welcome addition considering how often the words are muddled in amateur productions. This is a worthwhile, basic book on one of the great musical collaborations. Photos. (Sept.)