Description
The comic opera The Pirates of Penzance is one of W S Gilbert and A Sullivan’s most popular collaborations. It was the fifth work written by the duo, and was premièred in New York in December 1879. The plots of these works are characterised by convoluted satirical absurdity, with brilliant use of words and music of lasting appeal, such that they have remained favourites on the amateur and professional stage ever since their creation. The story here revolves around a band of pirates: the Pirate King reflects that piracy is a comparatively honest way to make a living, as, being orphans themselves, they release any captives who claim to be orphans too. Far more enjoyable to be a sincere pirate than belong to the ‘sanctimonious, cheating’ world outside.
Arranged for bassoon quartet by Frances Jones.
