The light operas of Gilbert and Sullivan are the connective tissue between classical opera and Broadway musicals. Like their contemporary Oscar Wilde, Gilbert and Sullivan satirized the social conventions, class pretense, and moral hypocrisy of Victorian society, along with the incompetence of the government bureaucracy, the military, and the legal system. Everything was fair game. Their plots hearken back to Shakespeare, with mistaken identities and lovers facing comic obstacles. They also draw on farce and broad slapstick, as in this rousing song with its familiar chorus—the pirates are trying to be quiet and sneaky and are absurdly loud instead.

W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan, "With Cat-Like Tread Upon Our Prey We Steal," 1879. Performed by Kevin Kline and the cast of The Pirates of Penzance, 1983.

This post is part of Music 100, a love letter to songs. 100 words on 100 songs in 100 days, running from Groundhog Day to May 31, 2025.

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