Partnership Stalemate
- When
- 29 January – 20 May 1884
- Where
- London
After the premiere, Sullivan resolved to write no more Savoy pieces; flagging receipts prompted Carte to require a new opera, and a stalemate over a supernatural plot element was resolved on 20 May 1884.
Reflecting on the premiere, his precarious health and his desire to devote himself to more serious music, Sullivan informed Carte on 29 January 1884 that he had determined not to write any more 'Savoy' pieces, then left to convalesce in Monte Carlo. As Princess Ida began to flag, Carte sent notice on 22 March 1884 to both partners that a new opera would be required in six months. Gilbert resisted a proposed plot containing a supernatural element, and the parties reached a stalemate; by 8 May 1884 Gilbert was ready to back down, and on 20 May he sent Sullivan a sketch of the plot to The Mikado.
Sources
- Princess Ida Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-15
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.