I'm listening in too, and learning plenty about 19th-century opera I didn't already know or hadn't put into words/concepts ...

OK, Tony and we can add Le Comte Ory, L'italiana in Algeri (I think) and Parsifal.  But tenor soprano love duets are the definite exception rather than the rule.

I can only think of two in GnS,

A In Pirates, Mabel and Frederic have a full blown Gran Scena and Duetto with dramatic opening (Stay, Frederic, stay) slow section (Ah leave my not to pine alone - more Stainer than Verdi admittedly) and cabaletta (O here is love and here is truth) all in under five minutes.  It is the most obvious send up of ottocento convention I can think of in the Savoy operas.

B In Mikardo Nanki Poo and Yum Yum's kissing duet is sending up romantic convention -This is what I'd never do, this o this, o this, this is what I'd never do - while having a chaste little snog.

Both are send-ups - the most hearfelt love duet prpobably is the one where the male juvenile was the bass, Iolanthe, where the hero was created by Richard Temple who also created the Mikardo - "None shall part us from each other" in Act 1. 

To make up for the possible sentimentality, Iolanthe is the only work that I can think of with TWO love duets, and the Act 2 one is far more cynical: "If wer'e weak enough to tarry, ere we marry, you and I, With a more attractive maiden, jewel laden, you may fly, so I think we will not tarry if we marry you and I."

It is extraordinary how Gilbert can have such brutally cynical material and appear clean family fun.  Sullivan's lightness of touch makes all the difference.

How about Casilda and Luiz's lovely two-section duet in the middle of Act 1 of The Gondoliers: "Oh, rapture - When alone together" followed later in the same scene by "There was a time, a time forever gone"?

Admittedly Luiz is very much a subsidiary character - at least that's what everybody thinks at the time - but that duet is a real G&S highlight for me.

Thought of another duet for soprano and tenor  - not a love duet, though the pair in question get together within five minutes of it finishing! "Refrain, audacious tar" from Pinafore.

Isn't it actually the start of the Act 1 finale?

Not half as great as his aversion to contraltos.  The solo roles are all appalling old bags (albeit with some - but not many - lovely songs) and the choral alto lines are deadly dull.  Fortunately the soubrette mezzo roles are mostly quite interesting.

(Can't stay and chat further - off to meet a friend and take her to her first opera - Madam Butterfly at ENO )

I loved singing Ah leave me not to pine alone and desolate - the only bit of my singing on the recording which doesn't make me cringe when I listen to it! (It was an er "unofficial" recording made by hiding a cassette recorder in the orchestra pit - not the best sound balance as you can imagine! I am drowned out by the flute in Poor wand'ring one!)


IIRC this was sung live on In Tune yesterday.

Gilbert certainly wrote his contraltos some unattractive characters, but he could be chivalrous about actual contraltos.  Here he is about Rosina Brandram who created all the roles from Lady Blanche onwards:

"Rosina of the glorious voice that rolled out as full-bodied burgundy rolls down; Rosina whose dismal doom it was to represent undesirable old ladies of sixty-five but, who, with all the resources of the perruquier and the make-up box, could never succeed in looking more than an attractive eight-and-twenty (it was her only failure)."

At least Sullivan always had a contralto.  So many opera composers don't even bother.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosina_Brandram

I always found the contralto roles the most compelling when I got to know the works from record as a kid.  That says something about me.