 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Don Gross
Date: 2004-10-12 20:22
Many of you have had the joy of performing the suite from the ballet "Pineapple Poll" by Charles Makerras based on the music of Sir Arthur Sullivan either in the orchestral or military band versions. My question is: Does one pronounce Poll as in "pole" or Poll as in "Polly?" Please be prepared to defend your answer and help me win a serious bet!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2004-10-12 20:39
I had to learn the whole Military Band Version overnight for a Navy Band Audition back in the mid 80's.
I called it "Pineapple Nightmare" - no defense needed 
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Don Berger
Date: 2004-10-12 20:59
In my U[neducated] O[pinion, it "should" be a "short" O, as in Politic, not pole, since it has the double L, or is it the other way ??. If I could find it , I have a book [black?] of G&S lyrics and other conversations ?, which, if some is poetry, might give a hint. When my BW comes home from bridge, I'll ask, Eng. Major, y'know! Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Don Berger
Date: 2004-10-12 21:57
Wow Jack, TKS, The G&S of this has been put on by our Tulsa group, but I
haven't seen/heard it. Is it somewhat the same story ? Looking in my largest dictionary didn't help ! Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2004-10-12 22:01
I've always heard it pronounced to rhyme with doll.
It's a ballet suite by Charles Mackerras, shuffling together various "bleeding chunks" from the Gilbert & Sullivan operettas and Gilbert's Bab Ballads. It didn't exist before Mackerras did the arrangement.
I've played it in a band transcription and had a ball. Great stuff.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: diz
Date: 2004-10-12 22:10
As it was written (arranged) by an Australian ... I'll take the step of authority
pronounced like Pole (a native of Poland or a piece of wood).
It's never been prounounced as "Poll"
Also ... played it under him (Sir Charles) in 1983 in Sydney with ABC Sinfonia.
Without music, the world would be grey, very grey.
Post Edited (2004-10-12 22:10)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: beejay
Date: 2004-10-13 15:19
Diz,
Adopted Australian isn't he? I thought he was born in the US of A.
I heard him a couple of weeks ago conducting Martinu's Greek Passion at Covent Garden. Electrifying.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Christin87
Date: 2004-10-13 15:25
Great piece! I thought it was pronounced like "pole", but now I'm not so sure.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Terry Stibal
Date: 2004-10-13 19:15
If it was a nickname, derived from the shape and size of the character's head, it would be pronounced so as to rhyme with "doll". I'd look for internal rhyming evidence from the script of the piece; G & S works are very heavy on the rhyming puns.
A poll in the traditional sense (pre-1900's) is a "head" or a "head like" object, such as the blunt end of an axe or the face of a hammer. The original meaning (head) of the word still survives in the currently very popular activity of "polling" (as in Gallup), and in "poll tax", a tax paid on "each head" that was allowed to vote. Also sharing this antiquated word root (semi pun intended) are trees cropped at the top, which are called "polled" or "pollard" trees.
At one time, "pineapple headed" was a common term in Britain for a person with a big head, cf the Duke of Clarence, later King William IV in about 1830 or so.Christin87 wrote:
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Don Gross
Date: 2004-10-15 22:56
Thanks to everyone who so graciously replied to my question about how to pronounce "Poll." Subsequent discussions with G&S "experts" and my clarinet teacher who's "very British" confirm that it is indeed pronounced Poll as in doll and Polly. And...I won the bet!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2004-10-15 23:55
Well, I just put some $ on Arsenal who is up against Aston Villa, not Manchester
:)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2004-10-15 23:58
And I think Manchester will beat Birmingham, but didn't put as much down on it.
You got any frog hopping contests I can wager on this weekend?
;)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
