Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    From $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    H.M.S. Pinafore: or, The Lass That Loved A Sailor
    H.M.S. Pinafore: or, The Lass That Loved A Sailor
    H.M.S. Pinafore: or, The Lass That Loved A Sailor
    Ebook117 pages1 hour

    H.M.S. Pinafore: or, The Lass That Loved A Sailor

    By W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan

    5/5

    ()

    Switch to audiobook
    Read preview

    About this ebook

    The partnership between William Schwenck Gilbert and Arthur Seymour Sullivan and their canon of Savoy Operas is rightly lauded by all lovers of comic opera the world over. Gilbert’s sharp, funny words and Sullivan’s deliciously lively and hummable tunes create a world that is distinctly British in view but has the world as its audience. Both men were exceptionally talented and gifted in their own right and wrote much, often with other partners, that still stands the test of time. However, together as a team they created Light or Comic Operas of a standard that have had no rivals equal to their standard, before or since. That’s quite an achievement. To be recognised by the critics is one thing but their commercial success was incredible. The profits were astronomical, allowing for the building of their own purpose built theatre – The Savoy Theatre. Beginning with the first of their fourteen collaborations, Thespis in 1871 and travelling through many classics including The Sorcerer (1877), H.M.S. Pinafore (1878), The Pirates of Penzance (1879), The Mikado (1885), The Gondoliers (1889) to their finale in 1896 with The Grand Duke, Gilbert & Sullivan created a legacy that is constantly revived and admired in theatres and other media to this very day.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherCopyright Group
    Release dateJun 1, 2016
    ISBN9781785437229
    Author

    W. S. Gilbert

    W. S. Gilbert (1836-1911) was an English librettist, dramatist, and poet. Born in London, Gilbert was raised by William, a surgeon and novelist, and Anne Mary, an apothecary’s daughter. As a child he lived with his parents in Italy and France before finally returning to London in 1847. Gilbert graduated from Kind’s College London in 1856 before joining the Civil Service and briefly working as a barrister. In 1861, he began publishing poems, stories, and theatre reviews in Fun, The Cornhill Magazine, and Temple Bar. His first play was Uncle Baby, which ran to moderate acclaim for seven weeks in 1863. He soon became one of London’s most popular writers of opera burlesques, but turned away from the form in 1869 to focus on prose comedies. In 1871, he began working with composer Arthur Sullivan, whose music provided the perfect melody to some of the most popular comic operas of all time, including H. M. S. Pinafore (1878), The Pirates of Penzance (1879), and The Mikado (1885). At London’s Savoy Theatre and around the world, The D’Oyly Carte Opera Company would perform Gilbert and Sullivan’s works for the next century. Gilbert, the author of more than 75 plays and countless more poems, stories, and articles, influenced such writers as Oscar Wilde and George Bernard Shaw, as well as laid the foundation for the success of American musical theatre on Broadway and beyond.

    Read more from W. S. Gilbert

    Related to H.M.S. Pinafore

    Related ebooks

    Music For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related categories

    Reviews for H.M.S. Pinafore

    5/5

    1 rating0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      H.M.S. Pinafore - W. S. Gilbert

      H.M.S. Pinafore by Gilbert & Sullivan

      or, THE LASS THAT LOVED A SAILOR

      Libretto by William S. Gilbert

      Music by Arthur Sullivan

      The partnership between William Schwenck Gilbert and Arthur Seymour Sullivan and their canon of Savoy Operas is rightly lauded by all lovers of comic opera the world over. 

      Gilbert’s sharp, funny words and Sullivan’s deliciously lively and hummable tunes create a world that is distinctly British in view but has the world as its audience.

      Both men were exceptionally talented and gifted in their own right and wrote much, often with other partners, that still stands the test of time.  However, together as a team they created Light or Comic Operas of a standard that have had no rivals equal to their standard, before or since. That’s quite an achievement.

      To be recognised by the critics is one thing but their commercial success was incredible.  The profits were astronomical, allowing for the building of their own purpose built theatre – The Savoy Theatre.

      Beginning with the first of their fourteen collaborations, Thespis in 1871 and travelling through many classics including The Sorcerer (1877), H.M.S. Pinafore (1878), The Pirates of Penzance (1879), The Mikado (1885), The Gondoliers (1889) to their finale in 1896 with The Grand Duke, Gilbert & Sullivan created a legacy that is constantly revived and admired in theatres and other media to this very day.

      Index of Contents

      DRAMATIS PERSONAE

      SCENES

      MUSICAL NUMBERS

      ACT I    

      ACT II

      GILBERT & SULLIVAN – A SHORT BIOGRAPHY

      GILBERT & SULLIVAN – A CONCISE BIBLIOGRAPHY

      Their fourth opera and first major success: H.M.S. Pinafore; or, The Lass That Loved a Sailor debuted on May 25, 1878 at the Opera Comique and ran for 571 performances.

      DRAMATIS PERSONAE

      THE RT.HON SIR JOSEPH PORTER, K.C.B. (First Lord of the Admiralty).

      CAPTAIN CORCORAN (Commanding H.M.S. Pinafore).

      TOM TUCKER (Midshipmite).

      RALPH RAKESTRAW (Able Seaman).

      DICK DEADEYE (Able Seaman).

      BILL BOBSTAY (Boatswain's Mate).

      BOB BECKET (Carpenter's Mate).

      JOSEPHINE (the Captain's Daughter).

      HEBE (Sir Joseph Porter's First Cousin).

      MRS. CRIPPS (LITTLE BUTTERCUP) (A Portsmouth Bumboat Woman).

      First Lord's Sisters, his Cousins, his Aunts, Sailors, Marines, etc.

      SCENE

      ACT I—Noon.  Quarter Deck of HMS Pinafore, off Portsmouth

      ACT II—Night. Quarter Deck of HMS Pinafore, off Portsmouth

      MUSICAL NUMBERS

      Overture

      ACT I

      We sail the ocean blue (Sailors)

      Hail! men-o'-war's men ... I'm called Little Buttercup (Buttercup)

      But tell me who's the youth (Buttercup and Boatswain)

      The nightingale (Ralph and Chorus of Sailors)

      A maiden fair to see (Ralph and Chorus of Sailors)

      My gallant crew, good morning (Captain and Chorus of Sailors)

      Sir, you are sad (Buttercup and Captain)

      Sorry her lot who loves too well (Josephine)

      Deleted song: Reflect, my child (Captain and Josephine)

      Over the bright blue sea (Chorus of Female Relatives)

      Sir Joseph's barge is seen (Chorus of Sailors and Female Relatives)

      Now give three cheers (Captain, Sir Joseph, Cousin Hebe and Chorus)

      When I was a lad (Sir Joseph and Chorus)

      For I hold that on the sea (Sir Joseph, Cousin Hebe and Chorus)

      A British tar (Ralph, Boatswain, Carpenter's Mate and Chorus of Sailors)

      Refrain, audacious tar (Josephine and Ralph)

      Finale, Act I (Ensemble)

      Can I survive this overbearing?

      Oh joy, oh rapture unforeseen

      Let's give three cheers for the sailor's bride

      A British tar (reprise)

      ACT II

      (Entr'acte)

      Fair moon, to thee I sing (Captain)

      Things are seldom what they seem (Buttercup and Captain)

      The hours creep on apace (Josephine)

      Never mind the why and wherefore (Josephine, Captain and Sir Joseph)

      Kind Captain, I've important information (Captain and Dick Deadeye)

      Carefully on tiptoe stealing (Soli and Chorus)

      Pretty daughter of mine (Captain and Ensemble) and He is an Englishman (Boatswain and Ensemble)

      Farewell, my own (Ralph, Josephine, Sir Joseph, Buttercup and Chorus)

      A many years ago (Buttercup and Chorus)

      Here, take her, sir (Sir Joseph, Josephine, Ralph, Cousin Hebe and Chorus)

      Finale: "Oh joy, oh rapture unforeseen (Ensemble)

      ACT I

      SCENE—Quarter-deck of H.M.S. Pinafore. Sailors, led by BOATSWAIN, discovered cleaning brasswork, splicing rope, etc.

      CHORUS

      We sail the ocean blue,

      And our saucy ship's a beauty;

      We're sober men and true,

      And attentive to our duty.

      When the balls whistle free

      O'er the bright blue sea,

      We stand to our guns all day;

      When at anchor we ride

      On the Portsmouth tide,

      We have plenty of time to play.

      Enter LITTLE BUTTERCUP, with large basket on her arm

      RECITATIVE

      Hail, men-o'-war's men-safeguards of your nation

      Here is an end, at last, of all privation;

      You've got your play—spare all you can afford

      To welcome Little Buttercup on board.

      ARIA

      For I'm called Little Buttercup—dear Little Buttercup,

      Though I could never tell why,

      But still I'm called Buttercup—poor little Buttercup,

      Sweet Little Buttercup I!

      I've snuff and tobaccy, and excellent jacky,

      I've scissors, and watches, and knives

      I've ribbons and laces to set off the faces

      Of pretty young sweethearts and wives.

      I've treacle and toffee, I've tea and I've coffee,

      Soft tommy and succulent chops;

      I've chickens and conies, and pretty polonies,

      And excellent peppermint drops.

      Then buy of your Buttercup—dear Little Buttercup;

      Sailors should never be shy;

      So, buy of your Buttercup—poor Little Buttercup;

      Come, of your Buttercup buy!

      BOATSWAIN 

      Aye, Little Buttercup—and well called—for you're the rosiest, the roundest, and the reddest beauty in all Spithead.

      BUTTERCUP

      Red, am I? and round—and rosy! Maybe, for I have dissembled well! But hark ye, my merry friend—hast ever thought that beneath a gay and frivolous exterior there may lurk a canker-worm which is slowly but surely eating its way into one's very heart?

      BOATSWAIN

      No, my lass, I can't say I've ever thought that.

      Enter DICK DEADEYE. He pushes through sailors, and comes down

      DICK DEADEYE

      I have thought it often. (All recoil from him.)

      BUTTERCUP

      Yes, you look like it! What's the matter with the man? Isn't he well?

      BOATSWAIN

      Don't take no heed of him; that's only poor Dick Deadeye.

      DICK DEADEYE 

      I say—it's a beast of a name, ain't it—Dick Deadeye?

      BUTTERCUP

      It's not

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1