Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-04-30
H. M. S. PINAFORE.
Its History and Plot, ~lnterspersed With a
Few Remarks.

L lnaIOre opera, ana SeNerdl hOusahu
are about to see and hear it performed
for the first time here, a little insight
into the story will be good reading be-
fore it is publicly presented. 1t was
written by w. S. Gilbert, the music
being arranged by Arthur Sullivan,
and was brought out May 18th, Of last
year, in London, as a burlesque on the
British navy. 1t is full of smart say
ings, ludicrous situations and exquis-
lite melody. Its popularity has been.
unbounded wherever performed.
The opera is in two acts. The first
opens with a scene on the quarter
deck of a full-rigged man-of-war.
Sailors r seen splicing ropes, clean
ing brass and performing other duties.
They sing a spirited chorus, after
which %Buttercup," the bumboat
woman, comes aboard with a basket
full Of 'bacCy, snuff, thread, needles
and ribbons. She sings a bright song
and joins with Ralph Rackstraw I"
in singing the Nightingale song, in
which Ralph tells how he loves
the captains daughter Josephine"
a sorrowful affair, owing to him being
only a common seaman. Dick Dead
eye" a rough and unsightly fellow,
Stunned by the sailors, rejoiccs over
his misery. The captain next comes
to the front, and sings a jolly refrain,
all hands joining in the chorus, and a
Irritation with Buttercup," at the
same time lamenting the dislike his
daughter Josephine has for "Sir
Joseph Porter, X. C. b." whom he is
anxious that she shall marry. He is
greatly distressed upon learning that
Josephine is in love with Ralph"
the common seamen. Next in the
distance is heard a chorus of female
voices on the waters. The sailors
stand on tiptoe to listen and see the
approach Of "Sir Joseph Porter's' y
barge, containing the lord high ad-
miral and his sisters, his cousins and
his aunts, who always accompany him.
The feminines and "Sir Joseph " are
hoisted aboard and all hands join in a
dance, following with a chorus, one of
the most exquisite in the opera. "Sir
Joseph sings a descriptive song and
holds an amusing confab with
Ralph" asks the latter to sing and
tells him he will teach him to dance
after dinner. Ralph" and "Jose-
phine follow with a quarrel, wherein
she scorns his lowly birth. He be-
means his state in a pleasant song with
" Cousin Hebe." He becomes SO
worked up that he is about to end his
career by sending a pistol ball through
his own head when Josephine runs
up and says she loves only him, and
follows by a beautiful quartette-
"This very night with bated breath
And mutiled oar, without a light,
As still as death, we steal ashore;
A clergyman shall make us one"
This closes the first act, the scene
being brilliant and extremely humor.
GUS.
The ships captain opens the second
act with a song. He is a widower
and Buttercup," a widow, enters
has a lively confab and joins him in
duet. After this she turns loose :
volley of mystic parallels which puz
zles and creates an idea hat she is
future sight-seer. Sir Joseph thei
approaches and relates that Jose
phine," his daughter, has given tn,
admiral cold comfort. The two con
ceal themselves as dark approaches t,
watch Josephine's movements a
she fixes to run away, first singing
sweet song-The Hours Creep OIL
Apace. "Sir Joseph walks up, tell
of his great love in presence of he
father, and the sparkling Bell Tri,
follows. "Dick Deadeye," tho dc
formed, now lets the Captain know
of the proposed elopement. Tn,
Captain " gets a " cat O. nine tails
and lays for the young man
breaking up the affair with a lot o
songs and choruses. This the ad
miral, "Sir Joseph" listens to, be
comes indignant and orders the cap
tain below in disgrace. Josephine
runs to the arms Of Ralph" and Isl
Joseph orders him in chains to
dungeon. Here a string Of sweet song
come in, and Cousin Hebe' will in
troduce Aimee's latest popular melody
She's Just a Sweet Bouquet. Butter
cup" appears in the nick of time to tel
in a baby farming song, how she ono
snapped a pair of infants in thei
cradle, one being Ralph" and tn
other the Captain" The latter i
J therefore the low-born, while Ralph
d. is of high degree. "Sir Joseph be
comes disgusted at this turn of affair,
and orders Ralph to be captain
while the captain is reduced to tn
{ ranks. The new captain gets til
{ sweet Josephine" for a wife, the for
, mer captain marries "Buttercup'' an
the opera closes with all as happy a
clans, and a chorus, Oh, Joy, Oh
Rapture
tn Wntkinu OFT Wnil