Friday, February 29, 2008
Blame the Astronomer Royal!
Breaking Internet silence for a moment to commemorate my favorite quadrennial astronomical anomaly. And what better way to celebrate leap year than with its most famous appearance in Victorian light opera?
For those of you who are less than impressed by Kevin Kline and Angela Lansbury's performances can consider whether former pirate Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, fresh off their recent cinematic musical experience would do any better. Or, if you prefer something slightly more academic, consider the following chronological paradox.
Given that...
Now answer these 3 questions:
1. When is Frederic's birthday?
2. When did Frederic get released from his dread employment?
3. Why would a bunch of Wards in Chancery go flouncing about on a British beach in February? Don't they know the North Atlantic is not suitable for wading at that time of year?
[For a much more detailed discussion, and the source of the above quoted series of "considerations", see the Pirates of Penzance discussion on Savoynet.]
Breaking Internet silence for a moment to commemorate my favorite quadrennial astronomical anomaly. And what better way to celebrate leap year than with its most famous appearance in Victorian light opera?
For those of you who are less than impressed by Kevin Kline and Angela Lansbury's performances can consider whether former pirate Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, fresh off their recent cinematic musical experience would do any better. Or, if you prefer something slightly more academic, consider the following chronological paradox.
Given that...
- 1900 was not a leap year.
- Frederic was celebrating the end of his 21st year on earth in Act I.
- Frederic found out about his year/birthday complications in Act II and told Mabel shortly afterwards that his 21st birthday would not be reached until 1940.
- Major-General Stanley told the pirates that he could whistle all the airs from "Pinafore".
- "Pinafore" premiered in May, 1878, a mere 6 months after the premiere of "Sorcerer".
- If Frederic's 21st birthday was, indeed, in 1940, his birth date would be 88 years earlier (not 84 years, because 1900 was not a leap year), i.e. in 1852. This would put Act I of "Pirates" (21 years later) in 1873, well before "Pinafore" was conceived. Therefore, if Frederic was right about 1940, the Major-General was wrong, and vice-versa - a most ingenious paradox.
Now answer these 3 questions:
1. When is Frederic's birthday?
2. When did Frederic get released from his dread employment?
3. Why would a bunch of Wards in Chancery go flouncing about on a British beach in February? Don't they know the North Atlantic is not suitable for wading at that time of year?
[For a much more detailed discussion, and the source of the above quoted series of "considerations", see the Pirates of Penzance discussion on Savoynet.]
Comments:
I think the conclusion is pretty obvious: Frederic doesn't know that 1900 won't be a leap year. Most people aren't aware of the "any year divisible by 4 but not 400 doesn't get a leap year" rule until such a year comes up, e.g., 1900.
Admittedly, I wouldn't have thought of this next bit if I hadn't gone to that website to which you linked: Frederic also apparently can't do math. If he was only off by 4 years, that would bring us up to 1877, still some time before the 1878 debut of Pinafore. (Also, thanks to that site, we're reminded that Frederic has to divide his 21 years by 4 using his fingers to determine his official age... clearly no prodigy he).
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Admittedly, I wouldn't have thought of this next bit if I hadn't gone to that website to which you linked: Frederic also apparently can't do math. If he was only off by 4 years, that would bring us up to 1877, still some time before the 1878 debut of Pinafore. (Also, thanks to that site, we're reminded that Frederic has to divide his 21 years by 4 using his fingers to determine his official age... clearly no prodigy he).
