H. M. S. Pinafore: Or the Lass That Loved a Sailor

by W.S. Gilbert, Arthur Sullivan

H. M. S. Or The Lass That Loved A Sailor is a comedic operetta written by William S. Gilbert, with music by Arthur Sullivan. The story revolves around the captain's daughter, Josephine, who is in love with a lowly sailor named Ralph Rackstraw. However, her father has arranged for her to marry Sir Joseph Porter, the First Lord of the Admiralty. The plot thickens as Ralph reveals that he is actually of noble birth, and chaos ensues as the characters try to navigate the social hierarchy and their own romantic desires.First performed in 1878, H. M. S. Pinafore was a huge success and helped establish Gilbert and Sullivan as a popular duo in the world of operetta. The show is known for its catchy tunes, witty lyrics, and satirical commentary on British society and politics of the time. This book is a printed libretto of the operetta, including the full script and lyrics, as well as notes on the musical score. It is a must-read for fans of classic musical theater and anyone interested in the history of British entertainment.THIS 24 PAGE ARTICLE WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE The Works of Sir William Gilbert and Sir Arthur Sullivan, by William S. Gilbert. To purchase the entire book, please order ISBN 1419159534.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

Genres: Plays, Music, Classics, Humor, Fiction, Theatre, Drama

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1878

About the author

British playwright and lyricist Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (18 November 1836 – 29 May 1911) wrote a series of comic operas, including Her Majesty's Ship Pinafore (1878) and The Pirates of Penzance (1879), with composer Sir Arthur Sullivan.

This English dramatist, librettist, poet, and illustrator in collaboration with composer Sullivan produced fourteen comic operas, which include The Mikado , one of the most frequently performed works in the history of musical theatre.

Opera companies, repertory companies, schools and community theatre groups throughout and beyond the English-speaking world continue to perform regularly these operas as well as most of their other Savoy operas. From these works, lines, such as "short, sharp shock", "What, never? Well, hardly ever!", and "Let the punishment fit the crime," form common phrases of the English language.

Gilbert also wrote the Bab Ballads , an extensive collection of light verse, which his own comical drawings accompany.

His creative output included more than 75 plays and libretti, numerous stories, poems, lyrics and various other comic and serious pieces. His plays and realistic style of stage direction inspired other dramatists, including Oscar Wilde and George Bernard Shaw. According to The Cambridge History of English and American Literature , the "lyrical facility" of Gilbert "and his mastery of metre raised the poetical quality of comic opera to a position that it had never reached before and has not reached since."

Reviews

[Manny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just when things look hopeless, Josephine discovers that the handsome young sailor she's lost her heart to is actually old enough to be her father and the captain of the ship, while her father is actually a simple deckhand who's going to marry his former wet-nurse, and her dangerous and jealous suitor will cease tormenting her and actually marry his sister, his cousin or his aunt - it's not quite clear which, but I think his cousin. And they all lived happily ever after.

Now that's what I call a twist ending. Joël Dicker, you're going to have to raise your game.

[Bettie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bettie's Books

[Jack Siebert · Rating 2 out of 5]

Personal response
I enjoyed it. The story isn’t very complex, but I like the music. I really enjoyed how the crew sticks together and acts like a unit. It’s the classic, “I love you but we can’t be together” story.

Plot summary
The story takes place on a boat called the HMS Pinafore. The captain’s daughter, Josephine, is supposed to be married to the ruler of the queen’s navy, Sir Joseph, but she is in love with a crew member, Ralph. Sir Joseph tells the captain about his daughter’s apprehensiveness. The captain suggests that it might be due to her being intimidated by his rank. Then Sir Joseph talks to Josephine and tells her that love knows no rank. This confirms to her that Ralph is the one she should marry. She tells everybody this and her father is enraged. Then a vagabond merchant named Little Buttercup says that many years ago she nursed two baby boys; one was of good social standing and the other was not. She swapped the two and nobody knew. The well off baby was Ralph and the poor one was the captain. Therefore Ralph is really the rightful captain of the ship and the former captain is just a deckhand. Sir Joseph suddenly loses interest in Josephine and she and Ralph marry.

Recommendation
I would recommend this to anybody who is a fan of opera or someone who wants to see if they like it. It’s in English so it is easy to understand. The music is nice and catchy, too.

[Carolyn Page · Rating 3 out of 5]

An adorable little piece of fluff with a surprise appearance by H.R.M. Victoria herself. I wonder what a modern staging w/ a Carol Burnett-like Queen Elizabeth would look like?

[Opal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve read/sung through this so many times (and read about it, see: https://peterhilliard.wordpress.com/2... ) I figured it counts as one of my books for the year.

Not my favorite show, I think the plot is dumb and the music not consistently gorgeous enough to make up for it. But it’s been so! much! fun! practicing in-person again. And the music is insanely catchy, I’ll give it that. Somehow the few group numbers I’m not in seem to be the ones that play in my head the most. The characters and storylines are fun in their own way too, especially getting to have spoken dialogue, since I’ve never done that before, and I’ve had such wonderful camaraderie with my cast mates. Maybe it’ll grow on me some more, it’s already grown on me since the first time I watched it.

Wishing my future self all the best at the performances starting this coming Friday!

[Amy Meyers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this as a family and listened along after reading the lyrics to each song. I expected more out of this one because it’s one of the best known. This one’s ranking is helped because Sullivan’s music really makes it enjoyable, but Gilbert’s plot is resolved so oddly, I reduced the rating. Josephine marries the man she loves, but you find out at the end, he’s the same age as her father, and was switched as a baby with her father, so suddenly (as with the admiral) skill and training doesn’t matter, just birth, so now Ralph is captain instead of her father. Her father marries his own wet nurse, the one who reveals the stupid switcheroo she made, and the admiral who wanted to marry Josephine in spite of her lack of suitability in age and status suddenly decides that now that her father isn’t a captain, instead he will marry his sister/cousin/or aunt, probably his cousin. 😜 But “he IS an Englishman” so what can we say? Best song is “I polished up the handle so carefully, that now I am the ruler of the Queen’s Navy…” hilarious!

[Greg Kerestan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now Gilbert and Sullivan really got into the swing of how their brand of musical theatre would work. With more keenly defined, satirical and silly characters than earlier efforts like "The Sorcerer," Pinafore became the essential model for how to craft a Savoy opera. While perhaps less culturally resonant worldwide than the less British Victorian "Pirates of Penzance," there's no denying that the music and tropes of "Pinafore" resonate through music, comedy and musical comedy to this day.

[Jeannette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this as I watched the play on a stage. One must not miss a single word of the lyrics of G and S for that would be tragic given the cleverness of the dialogue. This is not my favorite G and S for some parts of it made no sense but the production I was watching was excellent. The play contained the usual elements: thwarted love, mistaken identities, virtuous young women, daring young men, loquacious military men, class warfare, all served up with just the right amount of humor.

[Kevin Hogg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick and fun read. It was nice to finally learn the story surrounding songs that stuck with me since I heard them as a child. There is some brilliant comic writing, both in the dialogue and the song lyrics. The ending was somewhat predictable and convenient, which was the only downside. Still, the path to get to this ending makes for a memorable and enjoyable story.

[Leslie Balkany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better to see than to read.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was in a production of HMS Pinafore nearly a decade ago and enjoyed the experience very much. I was fun to read the script again and watch another performance of it.

[Lorri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gilbert and Sullivan spoof the English Royal Navy, its sailors, and class distinctions.

[Hannah K]

I don't know how you rate a libretto, especially when you (hides fact in anticipation of loud reproaches) have never heard the songs. Next up in my Spotify playlist: H.M.S. Pinafore.

[Konstantin R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seen live, Pinafore is a hilarious (especially the second half) and magnificent work. Although the first part does not energize as the latter, for it is not as excitable and joyous as some other Operas. yet, the second half shines just as brilliantly as any other Gilbert and Sullivan Operas. A story of love, of course, and the idea of status and who deserves such recognition.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read as part of The Complete Plays of Gilbert and Sullivan on my Kindle while watching (and listening) to a video.

I would never recommend reading these without watching or at least listening to the performance, as the songs are at the heart of Gilbert and Sullivan's operas. However, I often find it hard to tell what the words are so watching while having the text in front of me was a great help (especially in those cross-singing duets!).

[Nika · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was in this show with the Victorian Lyric Opera Company

[Will Boncher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I saw a student production last summer, and am seeing a more professional one later this summer, so I thought I'd refresh myself beforehand.

[Carol]

I enjoyed this Gilbert and Sullivan play by an amateur theatre company who always do an excellent job. I have yet to read it, though.

[Felicity · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been in two productions of this wonderful Operetta. And think it is Gilbert and Sullivan at their best.

[Tracy Schillemore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some humour, romance, evil.