Editing Richard D'Oyly Carte (section)

===Later years===
[[File:Royal-English-Opera-House-1891.png|thumb|upright=1.5|Carte's [[Palace Theatre, London|Royal English Opera House]], 1891, during the run of ''[[Ivanhoe (opera)|Ivanhoe]]'']]
On 22 April 1890, during the run of ''The Gondoliers'', Gilbert discovered that maintenance expenses for the theatre, including a new £500<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.measuringworth.com/ukcompare/result.php?use%5B%5D=CPI&use%5B%5D=DEFIND&use%5B%5D=WAGE&use%5B%5D=GDPCP&use%5B%5D=GDPC&year_early=1890&pound71=500&shilling71=&pence71=&amount=500&year_source=1890&year_result=2006 |title=Approximately £37,818.60 in 2006 prices |access-date=19 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714064621/http://www.measuringworth.com/ukcompare/result.php?use%5B%5D=CPI&use%5B%5D=DEFIND&use%5B%5D=WAGE&use%5B%5D=GDPCP&use%5B%5D=GDPC&year_early=1890&pound71=500&shilling71=&pence71=&amount=500&year_source=1890&year_result=2006 |archive-date=14 July 2011 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> carpet for the front lobby of the theatre, were being charged to the partnership instead of borne by Carte. Gilbert angrily confronted Carte, but Carte refused to reconsider the accounts. Even though the amount of the charge was not great, Gilbert felt that it was a moral issue involving Carte's integrity, and he could not look past it. Gilbert stormed out and wrote to Sullivan that "I left him with the remark that it was a mistake to kick down the ladder by which he had risen".<ref name=Crowthcarpet/> Helen Carte wrote that Gilbert had addressed Carte "in a way that I should not have thought you would have used to an offending menial."<ref>Stedman, p. 270</ref> Matters deteriorated further, and Gilbert brought a lawsuit. Sullivan sided with Carte, who was building the [[Palace Theatre, London|Royal English Opera House]], the inaugural production of which was to be Sullivan's forthcoming grand opera.<ref name=DNB/> Gilbert won the dispute and felt vindicated, but his actions had been hurtful to his partners, and the partnership disbanded.<ref name=Vowed>Shepherd, Marc. "Introduction: Historical Context", ''The Grand Duke'', p. vii, New York: Oakapple Press, 2009. Linked at [https://www.gsarchive.net/grand_duke/html/index.html "The Grand Duke"], {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090620070606/https://www.gsarchive.net/grand_duke/html/index.html |date=20 June 2009 }} ''The Gilbert and Sullivan Archive'', accessed 7 July 2009.</ref>

Carte's first production at the Royal English Opera House was of Sullivan's only grand opera, ''[[Ivanhoe (opera)|Ivanhoe]]'', which opened in January 1891. It played for an initial run of 155 performances, a record for an opera. When it finally closed in July, Carte had no new work ready to play at the opera house, and so it had to close. The opera house re-opened in November 1891 with [[André Messager]]'s ''[[La Basoche]]'' at first alternating in repertory with ''Ivanhoe'', and then ''La Basoche'' played alone, closing in January 1892.<ref name=DNB/> Carte again had no new opera to present at the house, and the venture soon failed. [[Henry Wood|Sir Henry Wood]], who as young man had been [[répétiteur]] for the production, recalled in his autobiography, "If D'Oyly Carte had had a repertory of six operas instead of only one, I believe he would have established English opera in London for all time. Towards the end of the run of ''Ivanhoe'' I was already preparing ''[[The Flying Dutchman (opera)|The Flying Dutchman]]'' with [[Eugène Oudin]] in the name part. He would have been superb. However, plans were altered and the ''Dutchman'' was shelved."<ref>Wood, Henry. [https://www.gsarchive.net/other_sullivan/ivanhoe/wood.html ''My Life of Music''] {{dead link|date=January 2019|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}, London: Victor Gollancz Ltd. (1938)</ref> Carte leased the theatre to [[Sarah Bernhardt]] for a season and finally abandoned the project. He sold the opera house at a loss to the impresario [[Augustus Harris|Sir Augustus Harris]].<ref name=DNB/> It was then converted into a music hall, the Palace Theatre of Varieties, and later became the [[Palace Theatre, London|Palace Theatre]].<ref>[http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/PalaceTheatre.htm The Palace Theatre] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100125144632/http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/PalaceTheatre.htm |date=25 January 2010 }} at the Arthur Lloyd theatre site, accessed 13 October 2009</ref><ref>See "The Palace Theatre", ''The Times'', 12 December 1892, p. 7; "The Theatres in 1892", ''The Times'', 31 December 1892, p. 3; and "Palace Theatre as Cinema. Stage Plays also to be Given", ''The Times'', 31 January 1921, p. 8</ref>

[[File:Glad to See You Together.png|thumb|left|The ''Entr'acte'' expresses its pleasure that Gilbert and Sullivan are reunited.]]
Because of the carpet quarrel, Gilbert had vowed to write no more for the Savoy.<ref name=Vowed/> When ''The Gondoliers'' closed in 1891, Carte needed new authors and composers to write works for the Savoy Theatre. He turned to old friends [[George Dance (dramatist)|George Dance]], [[Frank Desprez]] and [[Edward Solomon]] for his next piece, ''[[The Nautch Girl]]'', which ran for a satisfying 200 performances in 1891–92. Carte then revived Solomon and [[Sydney Grundy]]'s ''[[The Vicar of Bray (opera)|The Vicar of Bray]]'', which ran through the summer of 1892. Next came Grundy and Sullivan's ''[[Haddon Hall (opera)|Haddon Hall]]'', which held the stage until April 1893.<ref name=joseph111>Joseph, p. 111</ref> While Carte presented new pieces and revivals at the Savoy, his touring companies continued to play throughout Britain and in America. In 1894, for example, Carte had four companies touring Britain and one playing in America.<ref>"The Savoyards on Tour", ''The Sketch'', 13 June 1894, pp. 373–374</ref>

Gilbert's aggressive, though successful, legal action had embittered Carte and Sullivan, but the partnership had been so profitable that Carte and his wife eventually sought to reunite the author and composer. After several attempts by the Cartes, the reconciliation finally came through the efforts of [[Chappell & Co.|Tom Chappell]], who published the sheet music to their operas.<ref>Young, p. 193</ref> In 1893, Gilbert and Sullivan produced their penultimate collaboration, ''[[Utopia, Limited]]''. While that was being prepared, Carte staged ''[[Jane Annie]]'', by [[J. M. Barrie]] and [[Arthur Conan Doyle]], with music by [[Ernest Ford]]. Despite the popularity of Barrie and Conan Doyle, the show was a flop, closing after only 51 performances.<ref>Tillett, Selwyn. "Jane Annie", in the ''Sullivan Society Journal'', 1993 centenary issue on ''Utopia, Limited''</ref>

[[File:Comic Opera at the Savoy.png|upright|thumb|[[George Grossmith]] comforts Carte after failure of ''[[The Grand Duke]]'']]
''Utopia'' was Carte's most expensive production to date, but it ran for a comparatively disappointing 245 performances, until June 1894.<ref name=joseph111/> Carte then played first ''[[Mirette (opera)|Mirette]]'', by Messager, then ''[[The Chieftain]]'', by [[Francis Burnand|F. C. Burnand]] and Sullivan. These ran for 102 and 97 performances, respectively.<ref>Rollins and Witts, pp. 14–15</ref> The company then toured the London suburbs, and the Savoy was leased to other managements until November, when Carte presented a revival of ''The Mikado''.<ref>Seeley, Chapter 8</ref> This was followed in 1896 by ''[[The Grand Duke]]'', which ran for 123 performances and was Gilbert and Sullivan's only financial failure. ''The Gondoliers'' turned out to be Gilbert and Sullivan's last big hit, and after ''The Grand Duke'', the two men never collaborated again.<ref name=joseph111/> At the Savoy, Carte produced ''[[His Majesty (comic opera)|His Majesty]]'' (1897), ''[[The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein]]'' (1897), ''[[The Beauty Stone]]'' (1898) and ''[[The Lucky Star]]'' (1899), as well as revivals of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas.<ref>Rollins and Witts, pp. 16–18</ref>

Though the 1890s brought Carte more disappointments than hits in the theatre, his hotel business prospered and grew. He acquired [[Simpson's-in-the-Strand]]<ref name=savoy>[https://web.archive.org/web/20021221064512/http://www.the-savoy-group.com/Simpsons/AboutUs/History/history.asp The Savoy Group, history pages, Simpson's-in-the-Strand], accessed 1 November 2009</ref> and [[Claridge's]] Hotel, both of which he entirely rebuilt.<ref>[http://www.claridges.co.uk/page.aspx?id=1846 The Savoy Group, history pages, Claridge's] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091130073024/http://www.claridges.co.uk/page.aspx?id=1846 |date=30 November 2009 }}, accessed 1 November 2009</ref> There was one grave setback, in 1897, when he had to dismiss his manager, Ritz, and his star chef, Escoffier, for financial misconduct.<ref>Brigid, Allen. [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/48534 "Ritz, César Jean (1850–1918)"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924155511/http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/48534 |date=24 September 2015 }}, ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, September 2004; online edition, May 2006, accessed 18 September 2009</ref> Carte's choice as successor to Ritz was [[George Reeves-Smith]], manager and part-owner of the [[The Berkeley|Berkeley Hotel]]. To secure his services, Carte bought the Berkeley in 1900 and promoted Reeves-Smith to be managing director of the whole Savoy Group.<ref>Jaine, Tom. [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/37887 "Smith, Sir George Reeves- (1863–1941)"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130402180058/http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/37887 |date=2 April 2013 }}, ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004, accessed 18 September 2009</ref> Carte had used the same method, a year earlier, to secure a new maître d'hôtel. He was determined to engage M. Joseph, proprietor of the Marivaux Restaurant in Paris, then at the height of its fame. Carte was seriously ill, but he insisted on being carried to the boat-train. In Paris he bought the Marivaux and returned with Joseph to the Savoy.<ref>''[[Daily Mirror]]'', 10 June 1904, p. 16</ref>

Throughout the later 1890s, Carte's health was in decline, and Helen assumed more and more of the responsibilities for the opera company. She profitably managed the theatre and the provincial touring companies.<ref name=helenDNB/> In 1894, Carte had hired his son, [[Rupert D'Oyly Carte|Rupert]], as an assistant. While Carte was ill, in 1897, Rupert assisted Mrs Carte and Gilbert with the first revival of ''The Yeomen of the Guard'' at the Savoy.<ref>''[[New York Post]]'', 7 January 1948</ref> The Savoy put on a number of shows for comparatively short runs during this period, including Sullivan's ''The Beauty Stone'', which ran for only 50 performances, in 1898.<ref>Rollins and Witts, p. 17</ref> In 1899, Carte finally had a new success with Sullivan and [[Basil Hood]]'s ''[[The Rose of Persia]]'', which ran for 213 performances.<ref>Rollins and Witts, p. 18</ref> Neither Carte nor Sullivan lived to see the production of the next piece by Hood, ''[[The Emerald Isle]]'', for which [[Edward German]] completed Sullivan's unfinished score.<ref name=timesobit>''The Times'' obituary, 4 April 1901, p. 8</ref>