W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan

Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian era partnership of librettist W.S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900). Together, they wrote fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance, and The Mikado are among the best known.

Gilbert created fanciful, topsy-turvy worlds for these operas, where each absurdity is taken to its logical conclusion—fairies rub elbows with British lords, flirting is a capital offence, gondoliers ascend to the monarchy, and pirates turn out to be noblemen who have gone wrong. Sullivan composed the music, contributing memorable melodies that could convey both humour and pathos.

The Gilbert and Sullivan operas have enjoyed broad and enduring international success and are still performed frequently throughout the English-speaking world. The collaboration introduced innovations in content and form that directly influenced the development of musical theatre through the 20th century. The operas have also influenced political discourse, literature, film and television and have been widely parodied and pastiched by humorists.

(from Wikipedia.com)

Their collaborative works are as follows:

Thespis
Trial By Jury
The Sorcerer
H.M.S. Pinafore
The Pirates of Penzance
The Martyr of Antioch
Patience
Iolanthe
Princess Ida
The Mikado
Ruddigore
The Yeoman of the Guard
The Gondoliers
Utopia, Limited
The Grand Duke