Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-07-06
THE PIRATES OF PENzANoE.

An Admirable Presentation OF Gilbert
and SulIivan's Last Success, Last Even
Ing.
The advent, long looked for, of the "Pi-
rates of Penzance'' took place last evening.
Though there were counter attractions in
various parts of the city, the Opera House
was well filed with an audience of fine quail
ty.
The argument of the opera, the last pro-
duction of Messrs. Gilbert and Sullivan, is
well known to the public, and scarcely needs
reorganization. 1t is the story of slave to
duty-a young man who, having been in
tended as an apprentice to pilot, by mis-
take is indentured to q gang of pirates. He
serves faithfully till he reaches his twenty
first year, and then claims his reIease.
1t is discovered, however, that his in
dentures bind him to the pirates till
his twenty-frst birthday. and as he was born
in leap year on the Both of February, he
finds that he has some sixty years more to
serve as member of the gang. He obeys
his sense of duty and rejoins his old compan-
ions after bidding farewell to his sweetheart
and extracting from her pledge to remain
true to him till after the term of his appren-
ticeship is over.
The plot is mass of absurdities artig.
tlcally arranged. Though it has both be.
ginning ana an ending and continuity enough
to suit the average play-goer, it would
scarcely bear dissection. The SCORE has
much melody in it, but not of the
sort that characteriZes "Pinafore.'' The
music Is OF higher order than that of "Pin-
afore," and the opera is, in a musical sense
far better. Yet there is an irresistible and q
pardonable disposition to compare the two
productions.
line listener will inyoluntarily associate
General Stanley with Sir Joseph Porter,
Mabel with Josephine. Ruth with Butter
cup and Frederick with Ralph Rackstraw.
Though the characteristics bear similarity.
the roles are altogether different. and diverge
more and more from the ideal created 6y
first Impressions. The music of "The Pr
rates. is of higher order than that of
"Plnafore," but lacks the popular airs that
have made the latter composition 80 much
the rage.
loo much praise cannot be accorded to the
management for the manner in which The
opera was produced. The scenic effects
were admirable. The voices were all coed.
The chorus was, without exception, the best
that has been heard in st. Paul during the
season. The female voices were all fresh,
and many of them would be appreciated in
solo parts. The male voices were strong
and healthy, showing evidences of careful
training under good instruction. AS the
chorus last night received the lions share of
the applause, no excuse is necessary for Civ
ing 1t the first place in this column. Miss
Minnie Walsh played and sang the role OF
mabel with fine artistic excellence. She
possesses voice of considerable power and
rare purity of tone, and handled it last even
ing with great skill, and to the best effect.
MIR. Pfau, who enacted the role of Frederick
ID only an average tenor. Mr.. Gillow
made en- excellent Gen. Stanley, and con-
vulsed the audience with his rapid enuncia-
ton.
The ensemble of the opera was all that
could be desired. The characters were CO.'S
TUNED elegantly and appropriately. The
aosordltles were developed without any
straining for effect. The solos and duets
were exqnisitely rendered, and the choruses
would be called grand in anything but q
comic opera. As whole better operate
performance has never been presented IN st.
Paul. AS it will be repeated this evening ON
citizens who did nof see it last evening will
nave chance to judge for themselves as to
it's merits.