The Sorcerer's Apprentice called"), a garbled version of one of Goethe's lines ('), which is often used to describe a situation where somebody summons help or uses allies that he cannot control, especially in politics. The animated 1940 Disney film "Fantasia" popularized the story from Goethe's poem, and the Paul Dukas symphonic poem based on it, in one of eight animated shorts based on classical music. In the piece, which retains the title "The Sorcerer's Apprentice", Mickey Mouse plays the apprentice, and the story follows Goethe's original closely, except that the sorcerer ("Yen Sid", or "Disney" backwards) is stern and angry with his
The Sorcerer Gilbert was completing "Engaged", a "farcical comedy", which opened on 3 October 1877. He also was sorting out the problems with "The Ne'er-do-Weel", a piece he wrote for Edward Sothern. Meanwhile, Sullivan was writing the incidental music to "Henry VIII"; only after its premiere on 28 August did he begin working on "The Sorcerer". The opening was originally scheduled for 1 November 1877; however, the first rehearsals took place on 27 October, and the part of J. W. Wells was filled only by that time. "The Sorcerer" finally opened at Opera Comique on 17 November 1877. The villagers of Ploverleigh