Who sang I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major General?
Arthur Sullivan
William Schwenck Gilbert
The Pirates of Penzance: Act I. “I am the very model of a modern Major-General”/Artists
What is the meaning of modern major general?
“I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General” was a satirical song from the operetta The Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert and Sullivan. It depicted a military leader, a major general who was well-educated in every field except the ones that a military leader ought to be knowledgeable about.
Who was the modern major general based on?
Historical basis The character of Major-General Stanley was widely taken to be a caricature of the popular general Sir Garnet Wolseley.
What is the theme of Pirates of Penzance?
Set in Cornwall in Victorian times, it tells the adventures of the love-struck Frederic, who is indentured to a group of comically useless and tender-hearted pirates. This operetta explores the timeless themes of courage, duty and honour, as well as being a social commentary of its times.
Who is the modern major general said to be patterned after?
The character who sings “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General” was said to be modeled on the real-life Field Marshal Garnet Joseph Wolseley, an Anglo-Irish officer in the British Army.
Was Pirates of Penzance on Broadway?
The highly acclaimed production was directed by Wilford Leach, and starred Kevin Kline as the Pirate King. The Public Theater version transferred to Broadway, opening at the Uris Theatre on August 8, 1981. The Broadway production played 787 performances before closing on November 28, 1982.
Who wrote Pirates of Penzance?
William Schwenck Gilbert
Henry Pottinger Stephens
The Pirates of Penzance/Librettists
It’s a comic opera by writer W. S. Gilbert and composer Arthur Sullivan. This comic opera by Gilbert and Sullivan was first performed on 31 December 1879 in New York City at Fifth Avenue Theatre. It made its London debut three months later on 3 April at the Opera Comique where it ran for 363 performances.
Why did Frederic rejoin the pirates?
Left alone, Frederic, who is to lead the police, reflects on his opportunity to atone for a life of piracy (“Now for the pirates’ lair”), at which point he encounters Ruth and the Pirate King. Frederic is convinced by this logic and agrees to rejoin the pirates.
What does sat a gee mean?
rode a horse
Stedman (273) assures us that in nineteenth-century England “gee” was a commonly used slang word for horse. Farmer and Henley (115) say the same. So “sat a gee” simply means rode a horse.
Why did Frederic rejoin the Pirates?
What does I am the very model of a modern Major General mean?
About “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General”. “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General”, commonly referred to as “The Major-General’s Song”, from Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance is a comedic patter song which lampoons the “modern major-general,” a man with a well-rounded education in all subjects but the military.
When was I am the very model Major General genius first sung?
The show was first released to the public on the 31st of December, 1879. The opera itself takes place during Queen Victoria’s reign, either in 1873 or 1877. What is the fastest this has ever been sung?
Why did Wolseley sing I am the model of a modern general?
Wolseley himself, according to his biographer, took no offence at the identification and sometimes sang “I am the very model of a modern Major-General” for the private amusement of his family and friends. Problems playing this file? See media help.
When did Gilbert and Sullivan write the major general’s song?
Drawing from 1884 children’s Pirates. “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General” (often referred to as the “Major-General’s Song” or “Modern Major-General’s Song”) is a patter song from Gilbert and Sullivan’s 1879 comic opera The Pirates of Penzance. It is perhaps the most famous song in Gilbert and Sullivan’s operas.