Arthur Sullivan and Charles Mackerras: Pineapple Poll

Pineapple Poll (1951) was a skilful arrangement of Sir Arthur Sullivan’s music by the Australian conductor, Sir Charles Mackerras. At that time, he was assistant conductor at Sadler’s Wells. The ballet score was culled from virtually the entire repertoire of the G&S comic operas (and Cox & Box and the Overture di Ballo). It was devised especially for the choreographer John Cranko and received its premiere at Sadler’s Wells, London on 13 March 1951, during the Festival of Britain. Pineapple Poll is based on one of W.S. Gilbert’s ‘Bab Ballads’ called ‘The Bumboat Woman’s Story’. (A ‘Bumboat’ was small vessel carrying provisions for sale to moored or anchored ship). This also formed the inspiration for the better-known H.M.S. Pinafore. However, the story of the ‘ballad’ was developed by Cranko and was given a happy ending. Interestingly, the set was designed by Osbert Lancaster, the English cartoonist, architectural historian, stage designer and author.  See picture. 

The story is typical of W.S. Gilbert’s “topsy-turvy” world as reinvented by John Cranko. Out went the bumboat lady, in came the young and beautiful Poll who was a seller of trinkets. She, like all the other girls in Portsmouth, is infatuated with the handsome Captain Belaye of Her Majesty’s Ship, the Hot Cross Bun. Poll in her turn is loved by Jasper, who is a potboy at the local inn. She spurns him. The plot thickens. Like all the other local girls, Poll disguises herself as a sailor and boards the ship. The new crew has not perfected their drill, Poll faints when a cannon is fired. The captain leaves the ship, and soon returns with his newlywed wife, and her Aunt Dimple. The “crew” faint. All is resolved when Captain Belaye is promoted to Admiral, the girls are reconciled to their sailors, and Poll, on seeing Jasper in a captain’s uniform, is captivated, and accepts his hand. The ballet concludes with Aunt Dimple arraigned as Britannia.

I first came across Pineapple Poll when I was still at school, during the early 1970s. Each year, Coatbridge High School staged a Gilbert & Sullivan opera before the summer break. I was involved in the chorus as a Pirate, a Lord and as a Japanese gentleman. However, it was also a time of my introduction to classical music in a wider manner. How could I admit that I did not know Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in D minor (Dorian) BWV 538? In fact, I did not know what a Fugue was, nor what Dorian meant nor the numbers BWV! I soon learnt. The school music department was a bit like a club: frequented by musically aware pupils at lunchtime. It also had a good record library. I remember borrowing a copy of the old vinyl pressing of Sir Charles Mackerras conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in Pineapple Poll. It was a piece of music I came to love.

Alas, a few years after I left school, the headmaster decided that G&S was elitist or some such patronising drivel. The operas were abandoned, and a ‘concert’ was substituted. Such was my first introduction to ‘dumbing down’.

I have long regarded Pineapple Poll as a satisfying compendium of all the best numbers in the G&S repertoire. I discovered a list of the tunes identified (so-far) in this score, and it makes very interesting reading. I may include this in a subsequent post.

There are several versions of this work available - often in the form of extracts, or a suite of tunes drawn from the complete ballet. The original recording was made by Charles Mackerras in 1951, with the Sadler’s Well’s Orchestra on Columbia ML 4439. It was also issued on six sides of 78 rpm discs. Mackerras made several other recordings of his popular piece.  A good recording was issued on Decca Eloquence 480 1284 of a performance dating from 1982. In 2006, a splendid recording was released on Naxos 8.570351 and happily coupled with Sullivan’s great Irish Symphony played by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. This has been uploaded to YouTube.  

It is not fair to compare the Naxos version with the early 1951 or subsequent Mackerras recordings. All are extremely satisfying and present all the magic and sparkle of the original score. However, I guess that many people will want to own a version conducted by the ‘arranger.’ I have both!