H.M.S. Gilbert & Sullivan : The Mikado H.M.S. Pinafore Pirates of the Penzance

H. M. S. Pinafore (The Lass that Loved a Sailor), operetta We sail the ocean blue
Composed by Arthur Sullivan
Performed by Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
with Eric (baritone) Schilling, Carroll Freeman, Eric Johnson, Meredyth Rawlins, Debra Hays
Conducted by Mark Elder
H. M. S. Pinafore (The Lass that Loved a Sailor), operetta I'm called little Buttercup
Composed by Arthur Sullivan
Performed by Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
with Eric (baritone) Schilling, Carroll Freeman, Eric Johnson, Meredyth Rawlins, Debra Hays
Conducted by Mark Elder
H. M. S. Pinafore (The Lass that Loved a Sailor), operetta The Nightingale
Composed by Arthur Sullivan
Performed by Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
with Eric (baritone) Schilling, Carroll Freeman, Eric Johnson, Meredyth Rawlins, Debra Hays
Conducted by Mark Elder
H. M. S. Pinafore (The Lass that Loved a Sailor), operetta A maiden fair to see
Composed by Arthur Sullivan
Performed by Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
with Eric (baritone) Schilling, Carroll Freeman, Eric Johnson, Meredyth Rawlins, Debra Hays
Conducted by Mark Elder
H. M. S. Pinafore (The Lass that Loved a Sailor), operetta When I was a lad
Composed by Arthur Sullivan
Performed by Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
with Eric (baritone) Schilling, Carroll Freeman, Eric Johnson, Meredyth Rawlins, Debra Hays
Conducted by Mark Elder
H. M. S. Pinafore (The Lass that Loved a Sailor), operetta Never mind the why and wherefore
Composed by Arthur Sullivan
Performed by Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
with Eric (baritone) Schilling, Carroll Freeman, Eric Johnson, Meredyth Rawlins, Debra Hays
Conducted by Mark Elder
The Pirates of Penzance, operetta Pour, o pour the Pirate sherry
Composed by Arthur Sullivan
Performed by Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
with Eric (baritone) Schilling, Carroll Freeman, Eric Johnson, Meredyth Rawlins, Debra Hays
Conducted by Mark Elder
The Pirates of Penzance, operetta When Frederic was a little lad
Composed by Arthur Sullivan
Performed by Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
with Eric (baritone) Schilling, Carroll Freeman, Eric Johnson, Meredyth Rawlins, Debra Hays
Conducted by Mark Elder
The Pirates of Penzance, operetta Oh, Better far to live and die
Composed by Arthur Sullivan
Performed by Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
with Eric (baritone) Schilling, Carroll Freeman, Eric Johnson, Meredyth Rawlins, Debra Hays
Conducted by Mark Elder
The Pirates of Penzance, operetta Oh, Is there not one maiden breast
Composed by Arthur Sullivan
Performed by Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
with Eric (baritone) Schilling, Carroll Freeman, Eric Johnson, Meredyth Rawlins, Debra Hays
Conducted by Mark Elder
The Pirates of Penzance, operetta Poor wandering one
Composed by Arthur Sullivan
Performed by Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
with Eric (baritone) Schilling, Carroll Freeman, Eric Johnson, Meredyth Rawlins, Debra Hays
Conducted by Mark Elder
The Pirates of Penzance, operetta I am the very model of a Modern Major-General
Composed by Arthur Sullivan
Performed by Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
with Eric (baritone) Schilling, Carroll Freeman, Eric Johnson, Meredyth Rawlins, Debra Hays
Conducted by Mark Elder
The Pirates of Penzance, operetta When the foeman bares his steel
Composed by Arthur Sullivan
Performed by Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
with Eric (baritone) Schilling, Carroll Freeman, Eric Johnson, Meredyth Rawlins, Debra Hays
Conducted by Mark Elder
The Pirates of Penzance, operetta Stay, Frederic, Stay
Composed by Arthur Sullivan
Performed by Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
with Eric (baritone) Schilling, Carroll Freeman, Eric Johnson, Meredyth Rawlins, Debra Hays
Conducted by Mark Elder
The Pirates of Penzance, operetta With cat like tread
Composed by Arthur Sullivan
Performed by Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
with Eric (baritone) Schilling, Carroll Freeman, Eric Johnson, Meredyth Rawlins, Debra Hays
Conducted by Mark Elder
The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta A Wand'ring Minstred, I
Composed by Arthur Sullivan
Performed by Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
with Eric (baritone) Schilling, Carroll Freeman, Eric Johnson, Meredyth Rawlins, Debra Hays
Conducted by Mark Elder
The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta As some day it may happen
Composed by Arthur Sullivan
Performed by Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
with Eric (baritone) Schilling, Carroll Freeman, Eric Johnson, Meredyth Rawlins, Debra Hays
Conducted by Mark Elder
The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta Three little maids
Composed by Arthur Sullivan
Performed by Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
with Eric (baritone) Schilling, Carroll Freeman, Eric Johnson, Meredyth Rawlins, Debra Hays
Conducted by Mark Elder
The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta Braid the raven hair
Composed by Arthur Sullivan
Performed by Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
with Eric (baritone) Schilling, Carroll Freeman, Eric Johnson, Meredyth Rawlins, Debra Hays
Conducted by Mark Elder
The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta The Sun, whose rays are ablaze
Composed by Arthur Sullivan
Performed by Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
with Eric (baritone) Schilling, Carroll Freeman, Eric Johnson, Meredyth Rawlins, Debra Hays
Conducted by Mark Elder
The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta Here's a how-de-do
Composed by Arthur Sullivan
Performed by Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
with Eric (baritone) Schilling, Carroll Freeman, Eric Johnson, Meredyth Rawlins, Debra Hays
Conducted by Mark Elder
The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta A more humane Mikado
Composed by Arthur Sullivan
Performed by Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
with Eric (baritone) Schilling, Carroll Freeman, Eric Johnson, Meredyth Rawlins, Debra Hays
Conducted by Mark Elder
The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta Beauty in the bellow
Composed by Arthur Sullivan
Performed by Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
with Eric (baritone) Schilling, Carroll Freeman, Eric Johnson, Meredyth Rawlins, Debra Hays
Conducted by Mark Elder
The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta He's gone and married Yum-Yum
Composed by Arthur Sullivan
Performed by Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
with Eric (baritone) Schilling, Carroll Freeman, Eric Johnson, Meredyth Rawlins, Debra Hays
Conducted by Mark Elder

H.M.S. Gilbert & Sullivan : The Mikado H.M.S. Pinafore Pirates of the Penzance,Eric Schilling (baritone),Eric Johnson,Arthur Sullivan,Mark Elder,Meredyth Rawlins,Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra,Debra Hays,Carroll Freeman,Proarte,British Operetta,Classical,Jazz Music,Opera

Gilbert & Sullivan - Highlights from The Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance, H.M.S. Pinafore, The Yeomen of the Guard, Trial of Jury

Average customer rating:

The Best Of Gilbert And Sullivan
Pure delight
Delicious G&S samplings abound here.
Fine Intro to G&S

Gilbert & Sullivan - Highlights from The Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance, H.M.S. Pinafore, The Yeomen of the Guard, Trial of Jury
Nicholas Folwell , Arthur Sullivan , Marie McLaughlin , Rebecca Evans , Anthony Rolfe Johnson , John Mark Ainsley , Alwyn Mellor , Anne Howells , Barry Banks , Eric Garrett , Felicity Palmer , Gareth Rhys Davies , Janice Watson , Julie Gossage , Neill Archer , Pamela Helen Stephen , Peter Savidge , Richard Stuart , Richard Suart , Richard Van Allan , Sir Thomas Allen [baritone] , Sir Charles Mackerras , and Welsh National Opera
Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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The Best of Gilbert & Sullivan
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The Gilbert and Sullivan Overtures

ASIN: B000003D1Y
Release Date: 1996-01-23

Tracks:

A Wandering Minstrel I
Behold The Lord High Executioner!
Three Little Maids From School Are We
Braid The Raven Hair
The Flowers That Bloom In The Spring
On A Tree By A River, A Little Tom-tit Sang, 'Willow, Tit-willow'
For He's Gone And Married Yum-Yum
We Sail The Ocean Blue
I'm Called Little Buttercup
My Gallant Crew
When I Was A Lad
Things Are Seldom What They Seem
Never Mind The Why And Wherefore
Climbing Over Rocky Mountain
Poor Wand'ring One
How Beautifully Blue The Sky
I Am The Very Model Of A Modern Major-General
When The Foeman Bares His Steel
Ah, Leave Me Not To Pine
With Cat-Like Tread
Is Life A Boon?
I Have A Song To Sing, O!
Were I Thy Bride
Oh, A Private Buffoon Is A Light-Hearted Loon
When A Wooer Goes A-Wooing
When I, Good Friends, Was Called To The Bar
A Nice Dilemma We Have Here
Oh, Joy Unbounded

Customer Reviews:

The Best Of Gilbert And Sullivan.......2004-03-15

At the end of the 19th century (1870's, 80's and 90's) the compatible duo of librettist and composer Gilbert and Sullivan popularized the pre-Broadway entertainment of Savoy opera. These were light operas or operettas whose content was satire and comedy, full of bouncy melodies and beautiful singing, highly entertaining theatrical works staged at London's Savoy theatre. Gilbert and Sullivan did not always get along and in fact there was a time when they ended their professional relationship because personal conflicts surfaced. But they managed to create the world's most beloved light operas, over 40 of them. Their most famous are what I call the Big Three- The H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates Of Penzance and The Mikado. Other works include their first hit Trial By Jury, The Yeomen Of The Guard, Princess Ida, The Gondoliers, Patience and several others. A standard signature of Gilbert and Sullivan was in the colorful cast- a comic actor with a special kind of baritone voice, a canary-like and sweet-voiced coloratura or lyric diva, a mezzo soprano with strong chest register and a lyric tenor as the romantic hero. On this album, English conductor Sir Charles Mackerras, a popular figure in the classical music scene and opera, guides the Chorus and Orchestra Of the Welsh National Opera in generally well-delivered performances of excerpts from the operas The Mikado, The H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates Of Penzance, Yeomen Of The Guard and Trial By Jury. Although I feel that the recordings made by the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, with Isodore Godfrey conducting and starring the best cast of the Gilbert and Sullivan repertoire- the singers of the 60's and 70's- tenor Phillip Potter, soprano Valerie Masterson, baritone John Reed, Donald Adams and mezzo soprano Christine Palmer. Their version of the Pirates Of Penzance and the Mikado far outshine the Welsh National Opera in technical mastery and vibrant tone color.

But these are fine excerpts. Especially appealing is the famous and cheerful "Three Little Maids From School Are We", a trio that imitates Japanese style melody. Most of the Mikado does this, for it was inspired by Japanisme or the new fashion in Victorian England- everything Japanese, from prints to paintings to poetry. Gilbert and Sullivan simply "Japanized" their English operettas. The Finale "For He's Gone To Marry Yum Yum" is an ebullient and pleasant finale. Not featured here is the domineering and powerful Katisha, a figure who stands out in the Mikado.

The H.M.S. Pinafore is Gilbert and Sullivan's most popular work. The sea chanty "We Sail The Ocean Blue" opens the opera with appropriate atmosphere and it seems to fit perfectly with the other scene in which the Captain greets his crew and they sing his praises "My Gallant Crew..I am the Captain Of The Pinafore". A beautiful melody that seems to come out of a romantic Offenbach tune is "I"m Called Little Buttercup". The finale, not featured here, is also very engaging "For He Is An Englishman" which can almost resemble a British national anthem. The Yeomen Of The Guard was Gilbert and Sullivan's "serious opera" eventhough it remains very Savoyard. The plot deals with Tudor England and takes place at the London Tower. "I have a song to sing" makes use of what can be taken for an English ballad of the Renaissance. Trial By Jury, about the eccentric and hilarious activity of a court trial, has a sextet that although different in composition, has the sextet "Che Mi Frena" from Donizetti's Lucia Di Lammermoor in mind. All in all, an excellent recording sure to delight young and old.

Pure delight.......2003-08-02

--Gilbert & Sullivan--
William Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan were a match made in heaven, yet on earth their pairing seems even with hindsight a most unlikely coupling. Both were destined for other things, Gilbert in fact for decidedly non-musical careers. Introduced by a mutual friend, Fred Clay, the fledgling lyricist Gilbert met the military-band-leader's son Sullivan and together continued to conspire to inspire the delights of audiences from high Victorian times down to the present, as their work in musical theatre comedy continues to provide merriment throughout the English-speaking world and beyond.

--The Music--
This collection includes highlights from five of the most popular Gilbert & Sullivan operettas: The Mikado, HMS Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance, The Yeoman of the Guard, and Trial by Jury. The arrangements and orchestrations are delightfully energetic and clear; the characterisation and vocal qualities of the leads are perfect for their roles. The haughty if misplaced Lord of the Admiralty has the perfect combination of insecurity and pompous officiousness. The Plaintiff and the Defendant in the Trial are perfectly cast. This is a collection of highlights - at least three but no more than seven songs each, but this gives a good flavour of the music. The recordings on this collection come from complete performances by Mackerras and the WNO.

--Sir Charles Mackerras--
Mackerras is one of the geniuses of the twentieth century musical scene. Having a conducting career that includes the Hamburg Opera, the English National Opera (formerly Sadlers Wells Opera), and the Welsh National Opera (the performers for this piece), he has also conducted major orchestras on the continent of Europe and in the United States. The holder of many major awards and honourary doctorates, he has devoted much time and energy to the preservation and performance of eighteenth and nineteenth century music, as well the restoration of historical musical venues, such as the Estates Theatre in Prague, scene of the original production of Don Giovanni (Mackerras conducted the opera there to commemorate the bicentenary of the death of Mozart).

--Welsh National Opera Orchestra and Chorus--
The seeds of the WNO were planted in Cardiff during World War II by music lovers; the first performances occurred a year after the war's end, with Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci on the bill, with Faust the next night. Popular appeal was so great that the WNO was established, later adding choruses in both Cardiff and Swansea. The professional chorus was established in 1973, with a strength that matches the orchestra. They continue an ambitious performance schedule for recording and live events; Mackerras remains the Conductor Emeritus, as the WNO continues under the direction of Carlo Rizzi. The list of awards the WNO has won over the years is staggering - they are a world class institution by any measure.

--Other performers--
Notable singers such as Richard Stuart, Rebecca Evans, Felicity Palmer, John Mark Ainsley and Anne Howells lead the chorus with stunning vocals and clever characterisations of the parts they play. Many (such as Stuart and Evans) play the leading roles across several of the pieces of the disc.

--Liner Notes--
The liner notes give a good introduction and biographical information about Gilbert and Sullivan, as well as synopses of the five pieces presented here. It does not, unfortunately, include any information about Mackerras, the WNO Orchestra and Chorus, or the other special performers. It also does not include the lyrics to the songs. Were the quality of the CD not so great, this might cost it a star in rating.

--Overall Impressions--
I play this CD in my car, in my home and in my office frequently. It is a great sing-along work and a great comedic relief from the stresses of the day. The music is bubbly and clear; the recording quality is excellent and crisp. I recommend this to any Gilbert & Sullivan lover, any fan of musical comedy, opera and operettas, and anyone who delights in good music.

Delicious G&S samplings abound here........2003-05-06

The first thing I should be saying is "What an infectuous G&S CD." Indeed this is, with this fine sampling of the peppy and bright Mackerras series. I know I have praised its "Mercedes-Benz quality" elsewhere on these pages, but that doesn't stop me from saying that everyone is in fine voice. This generously filled CD may only focus on five operas, but at least you can savour a reasonable choice sampling of delights from each one. Of particular interest is Richard Suart's patter-baritone parts and the soaring lyric soprano of Rebecca Evans. The selection on this disc is filled with a mixture of familiar favourites and lesser-known gems such as the female choruses in Mikado and Pirates. Mackerras is a true G&S conductor, but one who always springs rhythms crisply, and adopts peppy tempo for the fast bits. The one drawback is that this selection is far too infectuous that you'll want to shell out money to buy the full 5-CD Mackerras cycle - an incredible bargain with most of the operas fitted onto one disc each. But still, this is at least a decent G&S sampling for beginners, capped with Steven Ledbetter's copious liner notes. It will leave you wanting to say "dammit I'm going to play it again."

Fine Intro to G&S.......2000-12-30

This is the perfect CD for those who may not be familiar with G&S, or for the initiated who want a smattering but don't have the mother of all CD changers. The difficulty with any G&S Greatest Hits CD is determining which pieces to leave off; while one could easily point to any number equally good bits, it would be difficult to argue about the quality of the choices included. The only problem, such as it is, is that after listening to it I am usually induced to go back and listen to the whole opera anyway. The Mackerras recordings are uniformly excellent. I have read elsewhere the criticism that they are too 'operatic' for light opera. If by this it is meant that the singers are too good, then I leave it to the discretion of the listener when the singing becomes too good to be enjoyable.

The Ultimate Gilbert & Sullivan Collection

Average customer rating:

Well worth the price
Not Exactly "The Ultimate" Collection...
Where's the chicks?!?!
Not quite the ultimate....
Great Music - Questionable Selection

The Ultimate Gilbert & Sullivan Collection
Arthur Sullivan , Isidore Godfrey , Royston Nash , New Symphony Orchestra of London , Royal Philharmonic Orchestra , Colin Wright , Donald Adams , George Cook , Gillian Knight , Jean Hindmarsh , Jeffrey Skitch , John Ayldon , John Reed , Joyce Wright , Kenneth Sandford , Lyndsie Holland , Owen Brannigan , Pauline Wales , Peggy Ann Jones , Thomas Round , Valerie Masterson , and D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
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The Best of Gilbert & Sullivan
Gilbert & Sullivan - Highlights from The Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance, H.M.S. Pinafore, The Yeomen of the Guard, Trial of Jury
Topsy-Turvy - The Music of Gilbert & Sullivan: From the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Topsy-Turvy
The Complete Annotated Gilbert & Sullivan

ASIN: B000007OU0
Release Date: 1998-06-09

Tracks:

H.M.S. Pinafore: We Shall Sail The Ocean Blue
H.M.S. Pinafore: I'm Called Little Buttercup
H.M.S. Pinafore: My Galant Crew, Good Morning
H.M.S. Pinafore: I'm The Monarch Of The Sea
H.M.S. Pinafore: When I Was A Lad
H.M.S. Pinafore: Nevermind The Why And Wherefore
H.M.S. Pinafore: Kind Captain, I've Important Information
H.M.S. Pinafore: Carefully On Tip - Toe Stealing
H.M.S. Pinafore: For He Is An Englishman
The Pirates Of Penzance: I Am The Very Model Of A Modern Major - General
The Pirates Of Penzance: When A Felon's Not Engaged In His Employment
The Pirates Of Penzance: With Cat Like Tread
The Sorcerer: My Name Is John Wellinton Wells
The Gondoliers: Take A Pair Of Sparkling Eyes
Patience: If You're Anxious To Shine
The Mikado: If You Want To Know Who We Are
The Mikado: A Wand'ring Minstrel I
The Mikado: Behold The Lord High Executioner
The Mikado: As Someday It May Happen
The Mikado: Three Little Maids From School Are We
The Mikado: The Sun Whose Rays Are All Ablaze
The Mikado: Here's A How - De - Do!
The Mikado: From Ev'ry Kind Of Man Obedience I Expect
The Mikado: A More Humane Mikado Never Did In Japan Exist
The Mikado: The Criminal Cried As He Dropp'd Him Down
The Mikado: The Flowers That Bloom In The Spring, Tra La
The Mikado: On A Tree By A River A Little Tom Tit
The Mikado: There Is Beauty In The Bellow Of The Blast
The Mikado: For He's Gone And Married Yum-Yum

Customer Reviews:

Well worth the price.......2006-04-13

I love this CD. No, despite its name it is not the "ultimate" collection, as scarcely could be expected from a single CD. It is heavy on Mikado, as others have stated. It leaves out things I would have included and includes things I would have left out. But the performances are wonderful, traditional and all you expect from G&S. Considering the low price, it is well worth including in your G&S collection ... as PART of your collection. After the disappointment of the godawful Opera World video series (Don't buy it!) this CD is a joy and a relief.

Not Exactly "The Ultimate" Collection..........2004-12-23

It seems that a collection of Gilbert & Sullivan music that has the name "The Ultimate Collection" in its title would boast a wide range of music, but I found the selection disappointing. Half of the tracks are songs from The Mikado, and the other half is divided between five... yes, FIVE other operettas. This means that the representation from each operetta is awfully scant. I would have liked to see less Mikado and more of everything else, and perhaps some highlights from the more obscure operettas (Princess Ida and The Sorcerer, namely).

In addition, while most of the music is very well performed, some of the vocalists either go a bit overboard or, at the very opposite end, seem to lack expression. For example, this Nanki-Poo (in The Mikado) seems to be overly occupied with vibrato. Katisha's voice is annoying, and The Mikado's low voice often seems to lack feeling and humor. The other idiosyncracies, like the very frightening evil laughing during "A More Humane Mikado" and hissing during "Three Little Maids" really bug me.

Then again, I'm new to Gilbert and Sullivan, and was introduced to the music through the Topsy Turvy soundtrack, which has a noticeably less operatic style, and hardly includes "stage noise"... so perhaps all this is the norm. Do listen to the tracks for yourself, though, before you purchase the CD. Personally, I find that the Topsy Turvy soundtrack, while considerably less ecompassing, is much lighthearted and easier listening.

Where's the chicks?!?!.......2003-05-15

It wouldn't be G&S if not for the ladies - so where are they? How could they leave out Mabel's aria - or Josephine's!? The only female aria included on this disc comes from Mikado, which is the least exciting (if G&S could be un-exciting) of the three! Everything else on the recording is great, but I am still quite disappointed.

Not quite the ultimate...........2002-03-25

This is a great collection, but unfortunately it doesn't have songs from all the works of G&S. Most notably, there is nothing from the "Yeoman of the Guard". I still reccommed it however as John Reed is wonderful!!

Great Music - Questionable Selection.......2002-02-05

It's an ongoing challenge to find a recording of Gilbert and Sullivan that combines premium musicality and great theatrical performance. This recording is a true gem on both fronts. My only complaint is that for a "Best of" collection, this compilation is Mikado-heavy and scarcely touches on highlights from other masterpieces, particularly The Pirates of Penzance. This would be my favorite G&S CD of all time, of only it included tracks like "When the Foeman Bares his Steel," "Poor Wand'ring One," and "Dry the Glist'ning Tear," but then again, I guess there's no real consensus as to which are Gilbert and Sullivan's best works, and there are too many to fit on one CD.

Average customer rating:

Two tracks I really like
Quantity Over Quality
Mediocre
One Hundred Greatest TV Themes
Pretty close to original recordings

One Hundred Greatest TV Themes

Manufacturer: Silva America
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

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All-Time Top 100 TV Themes
TV Land Presents: Favorite TV Theme Songs
TV Guide: 50 All-Time Favorite TV Themes
NBC: A Soundtrack of Must See TV
Best of TV Quiz & Game Show Themes

ASIN: B00005Y49F
Release Date: 2002-08-27

Tracks:

The A-Team - Nic Raine
The Addams Family - Nic Raine
The Adventures Of Robinson Crusoe - Nic Raine
Airwolf - Derek Wadsworth
The Avengers - Mike Townend
Barnaby Jones - Jerry Goldsmith
Batman - Nic Raine
Battlestar Galactica - Nic Raine
Baywatch - Derek Wadsworth
Beverly Hills 90210 - Derek Wadsworth
Bewitched - Nic Raine
Between The Lines - Mark Ayres
The Bill - Nic Raine
Bonanza - The Philharmonia Orchestra
Brideshead Revisited - Derek Wadsworth
Buck Rogers In The 25th Century - Nic Raine
Burke's Law - Derek Wadsworth
Cagney And Lacey - Derek Wadsworth
Captain Scarlet And The Mysterons - Mark Ayres
Casualty - Mark Ayres
Cheers - Mark Ayres
Dallas - Nic Raine
Dangerman (Secret Agent) - Mike Townend
Doctor Who - Mark Ayres
Doctor Kildare - Jerry Goldsmith

Tracks:

Doogie Howser, M.D. - Derek Wadsworth
Dynasty - Nic Raine
The Equalizer - Derek Wadsworth
Falcon Crest - Derek Wadsworth
Fireball XL-5 - Derek Wadsworth
The Fugitive - Nic Raine
Hawaii 5-0 - Mike Townend
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys - Nic Raine
The High Chaparral - Nic Raine
Highway To Heaven - Derek Wadsworth
Hill Street Blues - Derek Wadsworth
The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy - Mark Ayres
The Incredible Hulk - Derek Wadsworth
Jason King - Mike Townend
Jesus Of Nazareth - Paul Bateman
Joe 90 - Derek Wadsworth
Johnny Staccato - Derek Wadsworth
Knight Rider - Derek Wadsworth
Kojak - Mike Townend
L.A. Law - Derek Wadsworth
Land Of The Giants - Nic Raine
Little House On The Prairie - Derek Wadsworth
Lonesome Dove - Nic Raine
Lost In Space - Nic Raine
Lou Grant - Derek Wadsworth

Tracks:

Magnum, P.I. - Derek Wadsworth
A Man Called Ironside - Mike Townend
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. - Derek Wadsworth
M*A*S*H - Nic Raine
Miami Vice - Mark Ayres
Mike Hammer - Derek Wadsworth
Mission Impossible - Mike Townend
Monty Python's Flying Circus - Nic Raine
The Munsters - Derek Wadsworth
Murder She Wrote - Derek Wadsworth
Newhart - Derek Wadsworth
North And South - Derek Wadsworth
Northern Exposure - Derek Wadsworth
NYPD Blue - Mark Ayres
The Outer Limits - Nic Raine
Perry Mason - Mike Townend
The Persuaders - Mark Ayres
Peter Gunn - Mike Townend
Police Squad - Nic Raine
The Prisoner - Mike Townend
Quantum Leap - Derek Wadsworth
Randall And Hopkirk (Deceased) - Mike Townend
Red Dwarf - Mark Lambert
The Rockford Files - Mike Post
Roseanne - Dan Foliart

Tracks:

The Saint - Mike Townend
Seaquest DSV - Nic Raine
Space 1999 - Derek Wadsworth
Star Trek - Mike Townend
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Derek Wadsworth
Star Trek: Voyager - Nic Raine
St. Elsewhere - Derek Wadsworth
The Streets Of San Francisco - Nic Raine
Stingray - Barry Gray
Taxi - Derek Wadsworth
Thunderbirds - Derek Wadsworth
Thirty Something - Derek Wadsworth
The Time Tunnel - Nic Raine
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy - The Philharmonia Orchestra
The Twighlight Zone - Nic Raine
Twin Peaks - Derek Wadsworth
U.F.O. - Derek Wadsworth
The Virginian - Nic Raine
Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea - Nic Raine
Wagon Train - Paul Bateman
The Waltons - Jerry Goldsmith
The Wild Wild West - Derek Wadsworth
Young Riders - John Debney
Xena: The Warrior Princess - Paul Bateman
The X-Files - Mark Ayres

Customer Reviews:

Two tracks I really like.......2007-07-21

The Mission Impossible theme is performed well.
The Fireball theme is actually much improved on this version. I prefer the orchestra and the vocals over the original.

Quantity Over Quality.......2007-01-15

As a musician myself, I know too well that one of the most important ingredients in ANY performance (live or recorded) is passion. The recordings here generally lack the same passion and sheer drama of the originals. Much of the instrumentation has been reduced to a cheezy, thin, plastic synthesized replica. The performances are simply a watered-down lackluster version of the classic originals. If it were not for the sheer volume of tracks compiled here, I would have rated the comp only "one star".

Mediocre.......2006-05-17

The sound quality for this collection isn't much better than the samples offered by Amazon.

One Hundred Greatest TV Themes.......2005-08-06

I have watched almost all the shows that are on these 4 cd's. Many were made before I started watching TV. Most I've seen once or twice before.

Pretty close to original recordings.......2005-07-24

Definitely not as good as the originals. You'll probably notice the slight differences since it's stuff you saw and listened to every week or everyday in reruns growing up, but it's still an amazing collection.

Gilbert & Sullivan: H.M.S. Pinafore / Mackerras, Welsh National Opera

Average customer rating:

When I was a lad, I heard this sung...
Just another Pinafore
The perfect PINAFORE! Rebecca Evans shines!
Mackerras's new coat of paint
A joy to listen to!

Gilbert & Sullivan: H.M.S. Pinafore / Mackerras, Welsh National Opera
Arthur Sullivan , Sir Charles Mackerras , Richard Suart , Thomas Allen , Michael Schade , Rebecca Evans , Felicity Palmer , and Donald Adams
Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Gilbert & Sullivan - The Mikado / WNO · Mackerras
Gilbert & Sullivan; The Pirates of Penzance / Mackerras, Welsh National Opera
Gilbert & Sullivan: The Pirates of Penzance
HMS Pinafore: or The Lass That Loved a Sailor Vocal Score
Gilbert & Sullivan - H.M.S. Pinafore / Trial By Jury - David Hobson, Anthony Warlow, Colette Mann, Tiffany Speight, John Bolton Wood, Richard Alexander, Opera Australia, State Theatre, The Arts Centre Melbourne

ASIN: B000003D0D
Release Date: 1994-10-25

Tracks:

Overture
Introduction And Opening Chorus - (Chorus Of Sailors) We Sail The Ocean Blue - Sir Charles Mackerras
Recitative And Aria - (Buttercup) I'm Called Little Buttercup
Recitative - (Buttercup And Boatswain) But Tell Me Who's The Youth
Madrigal - (Ralph And Chorus Of Sailors) The Nightingale
Ballad - (Ralph And Chorus Of Sailors) A Maiden Fair To See
Recitative And Song - (Captain Corcoran And Chorus Of Sailors) My Gallant Crew
Recitative - (Buttercup And Captain Corcoran) Sir, You Are Sad!
Ballad - (Josephine) Sorry Her Lot
Barcarolle - (Chorus Of Sir Joseph's Female Relatives, Of-Stage) Over The Bright Blue Sea
(Chorus Of Sailors And Sir Joseph's Female Relatives) Sir Joseph's Barge Is Seen
(Captain Corcoran, Sir Joseph, Cousin Hebe, And Chorus) Now Give Three Cheers
Song - (Sir Joseph And Chorus) When I Was A Lad
(Sir Joseph, Cousin Hebe, Chorus Of Female Relatives, And Sailors) For I Hold That On The Seas
Glee - (Ralph, Boatswain, Carpenter, And Chorus Of Sailors) A British Tar
Duet - (Josephine And Ralph) Refrain, Audacious Tar
Can I Survive This Overbearing?
Entr'acte
Night - Moonight: Song - (Captain Corcoran) Fair Moon, To Thee I Sing
Night - Moonight: Duet - (Buttercup And Captain Corcoran) Things Are Seldom What They Seem
Night - Moonight: Scena - (Josephine) The Hours Creep On Apace
Night - Moonight: Trio - (Josephine, Captain Corcoran, And Sir Joseph) Never Mind The Why And Wherefore
Night - Moonight: Duet - (Captain Corcoran And Dick Deadeye) Kind Captain, I've Important Information
Night - Moonight: (Soli And Chorus) Carefully On Tiptoe Stealing
Night - Moonight: (Octet And Chorus) Farwell, My Own!
Night - Moonight: Song - (Buttercup And Chorus) A Many Years Ago
Night - Moonight: Finale - O Joy, Oh Rapture Unforseen!

Amazon.com

Pinafore is a hit that never fails in production, and that gets performed everywhere, from elementary schools with piano accompaniment to full-scale extravaganzas in major opera houses and theaters. In fact I would go so far as to say that rarely in the history of music has there been a happier marriage of words and music than Gilbert and Sullivan, and this piece is one of their best. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

When I was a lad, I heard this sung..........2005-09-27

The Gilbert & Sullivan 'H.M.S. Pinafore' has long been one of my favourite musical productions. Fun, witty, with just the right amount of complication and resolution, this turns on the Captain (and a right good captain, too) and his crew as they await the inspection by the Ruler of the Queen's Navy, the (deliberately overblown) Rt. Hon. Sir Josephn Porter, K.C.B., First Lord of the Admiralty, who among his various quirks is that he's never been to sea, and really despises those who use four-letter words (even the now-innocuous 'damn!'). The Captain (and right good captain, too) never uses such terms - what, never? - no, never, well, hardly ever... Of course, he does end up uttering the Big Big D and the most inauspicious of occasions.

And this is the Queen's Navy?

Yes, in G&S fasion. The songs are about love, finding one's place and hope in life, and about duty (according to Leo McGarry on the 'West Wing', all of Gilbert & Sullivan works are about duty). Duty, station, and the preservation of order (a right good order, too, in Victorian sensibilities) win out over all, which brings about the added benefit of love.

Pinafore has remained a mainstay of American musical theatre since it opened - indeed, since even before it opened, as when Gilbert & Sullivan arrived in New York to bring their production, there were already half a dozen other productions taking place in various states of rewrite and disrepair. This performance, under the direction of Sir Charles Mackerras, is true to the original.

Mackerras and the Welsh National Opera orchestra and chorus are a smashing setting for the performance. The vocal talents of Richard Stuart as the pompous Porter, Thomas Allen as the right good Captain Corcoran, Rebecca Evans as Josephine, and Felicity Palmer as Buttercup are truly wonderful. Michael Schade, donald Adams, Richard Van Allen, and Valerie Seymour round out a wonderful cast. The cast has both musical talent and comedic timing and delivery that makes this performance a true success.

There is vibrance and life to the music continuously; it has energy that soars when needed and recedes graceful for the quieter parts. The recording quality is very good, only occasionally dropping out for the quiet parts a bit further than my stereo prefers. I have three different performances of Pinafore on disc; this is the one I tend to reach for most often.

Just another Pinafore.......2003-02-25

Although I don't disagree with the other reviewers I've read on specific points, this Pinafore just doesn't do much for me. Musically, it's very strong, but this recording just doesn't excite me like other Pinafores (NDOC) or other Mackerras G&S (Mikado) do. Donald Adams is, of course, a competent Deadeye, but he doesn't stand out as much as I'd expect of him. The only truly superior performance on this CD is Thomas Allen's Captain Corcoron.

This recording does have two things going for it: they got it onto one disc, and it's usually priced lower than most other recordings. If you're looking for a Pinafore recording, this is a fine one. But if you think you want to add some more variety to your Pinafore collection (this was my sixth Pinafore), I'd recommend the Sadler Wells version over this one.

The perfect PINAFORE! Rebecca Evans shines!.......2001-07-10

Musically, you could not ask for a better PINAFORE.

The cast is superb! Donald Adams is a topnotch, menacing Dick Deadeye. Felicity Palmer has a full, round, dark sound and tackles Little Buttercup with what seems to be ease, and sings every note, showing off the expansive range required for the role. Richard Van Allan (whose voice I usually find to be quite heavy) as the Boatswain's mate, sings fully, and does a great rendition of "For He is an Englishman." Richard Stuart as the Rt. Hon. Sir Joseph Porter, K.C.B., the "ruler of the Queen's Navee," is deadpan and understated in his comic delivery. Thomas Allen delivers Captain Corcoran's entrance number ("I am the Captain of the Pinafore") in good voice, and with sly timing. He performs equally well for the rest of the album, also being of very good voice in his "Fair Moon" song. Michael Schade has a very dark, beautiful sound for a tenor, and is quite delightful on "A Maiden Fair to See," and sings his "Nightingale" madrigal quite handsomely. And John King and Phillip Lloyd Evans (both as the Carpenter's mate) and Valerie Seymour (as Cousin Hebe) are all as vocally strong as the remainder of the cast, and deliver stellar performances.

But the true star of this album (at least for me) is Rebecca Evans as Josephine. She sings "Sorry Her Lot" quietly, plaintively, and has excellent control at the end with the notes building to the beautiful close. She is also very dramatic with her sound, as is quite apparent on my FAVORITE track on this album: her dramatic, operatic scena "The Hours Creep on Apace." She approaches each note with such force, an example is her singing on the phrase "my GUIL-ty heart is quaking." Most sopranos who essay this role (even the D'Oyly Carte Grande Dame Valerie Masterson), back off and/or falter out on "guilty," but Evans plows right into it, and sings it beautifully with full force. She builds and builds to a dramatic climax in this song, and it pays off. Her rendition is nothing less than awesome. Evans singing with Schade in the "I/He humble, poor, and lowly born" section of the Act Two Finaletto, builds and builds up to "he is an Englishman--behold me/him!", where it finally releases, and allows Van Allan to let loose the "He is an Englishman" theme. It is one of the album's most breath-taking moments.

Mackerras leads the orchestra through all of the songs quite well, with everything at a nice, brisk tempo when it needs to be, but never too fast. And the Overture seems to be more perfect here than anywhere else on disc (the drum-roll and the percussion beat alone at the top of it are enough of an example of that). The exciting highlights of the disc for me are the Act One finale (track 17) and just about everything in Act Two, but especially the Finaletto of "Carefully on tip-toe stealing/He is an Englishman" and Josephine's scena. In fact, Act Two is a non-stop run of musical "hits" in a row: "Things are seldom what they seem," "The hours creep on apace," "Never mind the why and wherefore" (in a high energy reading here that leaves me breathless every time); ""Kind Captain, I've important information" (sung menacingly and with gusto by Adams and Allen); and then through to the finale. And the musical counterpoints and harmony on "O joy, o rapture unforseen!" can be clearly heard on this album, and it is indeed a joy!

This album is *NOT* to be avoided--BUY! BUY! BUY!

Mackerras's new coat of paint.......2001-01-27

This third entry in the Mackerras/Telarc series enables the feeling of a new coat of paint on the hull of the indelible and delectable H.M.S. Pinafore. Indeed, Mackerras gives the piece an added sheen and an added sparkle that seems to be lacking in other recordings, even D'Oyly Carte's latest TER recording. Of the first-rate star-studded cast, Richard Suart makes a delightful, dry-timbred Ruler of the Queen's Navee, He has a remarkable facility for relishing the role, and it might be safe to say that he manages to give John Reed a run for his money. Equally fine is Thomas Allen's polished Captain. His singing really has a sense of conviction to do everyone, even his crew, proud. In the romantic rolse, Michal Schade's heady-tones portrayal of Ralph Rackstraw shows his determination to win the hand of Josephine, who is nicely, romantically and sweetly characterised by Rebeca Evans. Oh. I almost forgot to mention how delightful Felicity Palmer's Little Buttercup sounds. There is certainly something rosy about her portrayal to make her sound fruity and good. In the minor cast, I should talk about Donald Adams' villainous Deadeye. Thirty-four years after contributing positively to Decca's Godfrey D'Oyly Carte set, he still has never lost touch. What, never? Well - hardly ever! And he manages to still underpin the villainy in the character so vividly, even without dialogue this time around. And Richard van Allan makes a superb Boatswain, in a role that is specially suited to him. The choral contributions are first-rate, the orchestral playing delectable, and Mackerras conducts the music with more style and wit than Godfrey, with perfectly-judged tempi. The crystal-clear and atmospheric Telarc recording caps off a delightful rendering of the opera and makes this recording, or rather ALL the Telarc Mackerras G&S recordings, set to eclipse all others, even D'Oyly Carte's.

A joy to listen to!.......2000-09-12

This sparkling rendition of HMS Pinafore really is a joy to listen to. Mackerras and the Welsh National Opera bring a freshness to the piece that is lacking in other more stylised recordings. Lyrics and music are well balanced and the orchestra and performers bring some musical clout to one or two of the more serious numbers, but without losing the overall sense of fun and lightheartedness of the rest of the piece. The rendition of the lyrics and music is so fresh that it is hard to believe that this was written over a century ago - you sense you can hear the beginnings of the modern musical. Mackerras is also particularly good at judging the tempo of each number. Among the main soloists there is not a weak link, with some beautiful singing and great characterisation. One final point: there is no dialogue - this is probably a plus as I find that G&S (and other) show dialogues rarely sound good in recordings. I would recommend this as an excellent introduction to G&S.

Phase 4 Stereo: Gilbert & Sullivan: HMS Pinafore / D'Oyly Carte Opera Company

Average customer rating:

Great CD's
A much maligned joy!
A Pinafore performance that deserves more acceptance
A good Pinafore, bird, boards and brine included
A fun, lighthearted, well-done musical comedy.

Phase 4 Stereo: Gilbert & Sullivan: HMS Pinafore / D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
Arthur Sullivan , Arthur Jackson , Thomas Lawlor , Ralph Mason , Valerie Masterson , Donald Adams , John Reed , Christene Palmer , John Ayldon , Pauline Walkes , James Walker , and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

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The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
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Gilbert & Sullivan: The Pirates of Penzance
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HMS Pinafore: or The Lass That Loved a Sailor Vocal Score

ASIN: B0000042GK
Release Date: 1997-11-11

Tracks:

HMS Pinafore: Overture
HMS Pinafore - Act I: We Sail The Ocean Blue
HMS Pinafore - Act I: Hail, Men-O'-Wars' Men
HMS Pinafore - Act I: I'm Called Little Buttercup
HMS Pinafore - Act I: Aye, Little Buttercup - And Well Called
HMS Pinafore - Act I: But, Tell Me - Who's The Youth?
HMS Pinafore - Act I: The Nightingale Sighed
HMS Pinafore - Act I: A Maiden Fair To See
Ah, My Poor Lad, You've Climbed Too High
My Gallant Crew, Good Morning
HMS Pinafore: I Am The Captain Of The Pinafore
HMS Pinafore - Act I: Sir, You Are Sad!
HMS Pinafore - Act I: Sorry Her Lot Who Loves Too Well
HMS Pinafore - Act I: My Child, I Grieve To See
HMS Pinafore - Act I: Over The Bright Blue Sea
HMS Pinafore - Act I: Now Give Three Cheers...I Am The Monarch Of The Sea
HMS Pinafore - Act I: When I Was A Lad I Served A Term
HMS Pinafore - Act I: You've A Remarkably Fine Crew
HMS Pinafore - Act I: Ah! Sir Joseph's ATrue Gentleman
HMS Pinafore - Act I: A British Tar Is A Soaring Soul
HMS Pinafore - Act I: It Is Useless - Sir Joseph's Attentions Nauseate Me
HMS Pinafore - Act I: Refrain, Audacious Tar
HMS Pinafore - Act I: Can I Survive this Overbearing?
HMS Pinafore - Act I: O Joy, O Rapture Unforeseen
HMS Pinafore - Act I: This Very Night
HMS Pinafore - Act I: Let's Give Three Cheers For The Sailor's Bride

Tracks:

HMS Pinafore - Act II: Entracte
HMS Pinafore - Act II: Fair Moon, To Thee I Sing
HMS Pinafore - Act II: How Sweetly He Carols Forth
HMS Pinafore - Act II: Things Are Seldom What They Seem
HMS Pinafore - Act II: Incomprehensible As Her Utterances Are
HMS Pinafore - Act II: The Hours Creep On Apace
HMS Pinafore - Act II: A Simple Sailor, Lowly Born
HMS Pinafore - Act II: Madam, It Has Been Misrepresented To Me
HMS Pinafore - Act II: Never Mind The Why And Wherefore
HMS Pinafore - Act II: Sir Joseph, I Cannot Express To You My Delight
HMS Pinafore - Act II: Kind Captain, I've Important Information
HMS Pinafore - Act II: Dick Deadeye - I ank Yoiu For Your Warning...Carefully On Tiptoe Stealing
HMS Pinafore - Act II: Hold! Pretty Daughter Of Mine
HMS Pinafore - Act II: In Uttering A Reprobation
HMS Pinafore - Act II: Now Tell Me, My Fine Fellow
HMS Pinafore - Act II: Farewell, My Own
HMS Pinafore - Act II: A Many Years Ago
HMS Pinafore - Act II: Then I Am To Understand
HMS Pinafore - Act II: O Joy, O Rapture Unforeseen
The Pirates Of Penzance: Hold, Monsters
The Pirates Of Penzance: I Am The Very Model Of A Modern Major-General
The Pirates Of Penzance: With Cat-Like Tread
The Pirates Of Penzance: When the Foeman Bares His Steel
Ruddigore: Ruddigore - There Grew a Little Flower (Dame Hannah) (Sir Roderic Murgatroyd)
The Mikado: A Wand'ring Minstrel I
The Mikado: A More Humane Mikado
The Mikado: Three Little Maids From School Are We
The Mikado: On A Tree By A Willow, 'Tit Willow'
The Mikado: The Flowers That Bloom In The Spring

Customer Reviews:

Great CD's.......2005-09-20

I love the versions of "I Am The Very Model Of A Modern Major-General" and "When I Was A Lad". The lyrics were fairly easy to understand and the vocals were fun and spunky, just as Gilbert & Sullivan should be:). I have no complaints (even the price was right); all in all two great CDs.

A much maligned joy!.......2001-01-20

This recording dating from 1971 is now realised on CD with superb sound quality. The cast was probably the last great line up of the late years of the former D'Oyly Carte Company.

John Reed does appear tired and stale, this is due to the closeness of the recording making for a 'radio broadcast' effect. Thomas Lawler as Capt Corcoran (at the time husband of Pauline Wales, Cousin Hebe) is excellent. I remember seeing this cast in performance, minus Valerie Masterson, who was brought in as guest artiste for the recording. They were superb then, with particular mention of the brilliant Christene Palmer (a fantastic Katisha in The Mikado), Arthur Jackson who had a great presence on stage and was a superb Pooh-Bah, his round tones suit admirably the role of Carpenters-Mate.

Ralph Mason, as Ralph Rackstraw (pronounced as Rafe, a Victorian English idiosyncracy) made a superb attempt at all the parts he played in repertory, of particular note being Earl Tolloller in Iolanthe.

This recording is worth the purchase to recall or find for the first time the last glimpses of this much lamented troupe. Except for the weak John Ayldon, Dick Deadeye, who does not have the satanic glitter of the late Donald Adams or Darrell Fancourt, the rest are superb. A pity the newer, yet fresher company does not have the subtlety of tradition or performance quality. Ah well, lack-a-day! we can't have everything...Can we?

A Pinafore performance that deserves more acceptance.......2000-11-25

Ever since D'Oyly Carte made this wonderful recording of Pinafore in 1971, it has been given somewhat unfair critiques, including one that called it "infamous." That criticism came about because of the distorted sound on the original LP issue, but things seem to have improved with this CD reissue, allowing the performance to be heard more clearly. Nevertheless, the artistic distinction of the performance still manages to shine through brightly, and this alone can contribute to the winning appeal of its admirers.

Even despite the fact that John Reed gives a memorable performance of the Ruler of the Queen's Navee, his portrayal seems to have deteriorated a little bit. This is due to the obvious staleness of his voice (well, it was a feature of all the D'Oyly Carte recordings that were made from the 1968 Pirates onwards, so you mustn't blame him!) and his deteriorating diction. Some of the words were not pronounced clearly, as in his character's famous comical autobiographical song, and there is evidence of sloppiness of hte notes in places. The other major drawback is John Ayldon's Deadeye. Like all D'Oyly Carte recordings to which he contributed, this one was ruined by the unpleasant gruffness of his voice. His portrayal seems not to match Donald Adams on every level. However, for the rest of the cast, there is much to please the ear. Thomas Lawlor makes as first-class a Captain as Jeffrey Stitch, Gordon Sandison or Thomas Allen, but even though he has a slightly heavy and dark-timbred voice, he nevertheless manages to remove it from this recording. He is certainly better suited to this role than to Deadeye, the role he played on the New Sadler's Wells recording. Ralph Mason makes a heady-toned Rackstraw, and he certainly is a joy to hear on record, determined to win the hand of Josephine, who is memorably characterised by the best G&S prima donna, Valerie Masterson. She sings with a full-blooded mature soprano voice with which she gives a melancholy air to her opening ballad and blood to her grand operatic scene. She is certainly better than Jean Hindmarsh, if only by a small margin, even though the twitter in the latter's voice does not hurt at all. And lastly, I would like to highlight the underrated Christene Palmer's fruity portrayal of Little Buttercup, which is on par with Gillian Knight and Felicity Palmer. The rest of the cast is splendid, the choral singing as well-disciplined as the orchestra, and James Walker paces the tempi nicely, with some small quibbles that don't matter a lot. The recording has transferred well to CD, and the sound effects kept to a minimum, to help give a sense of atmosphere. The dry recording is also characteristic of all D'Oyly Carte recordings made from their 1968 Pirates onwards. The major complaint is the Spectacular fill-ups which don't seem to fit in with Pinafore, as they are too improperly chosen and the tempi too slow. If the CD ends with The flowers that bloom in the spring, it does not give a definite sense of an ending.

Overall, I would safely say that while this is not necessarily a first-choice, its artistic merits shine through compellingly to make it be one. Let me advise you to ignore the Spectacular items by programming them out. Anyone who wants a standard D'Oyly Carte performance will be well pleased with this.

A good Pinafore, bird, boards and brine included.......1998-09-30

This CD release of an early 70s recording has been given something of a reprieve from the original branding of it as "the most infamous Pinafore". The added sound effects of seagull, creaking timbers and the sea sloshing against the ship's sides seems mostly to have been forgiven. These aural props are only present between songs and when present provide a pleasant theatrical quality to the recording. D'Oyly Carte is in good form here and the close microphone Phase 4 recording makes audibility excellent - something Gilbert would have appreciated if the Savoy had offered anything as good.

A fun, lighthearted, well-done musical comedy........1998-09-24

This recording of Pinafore is well done. The listener can really get a sense of the enjoyment the singers experience in this show. It brought back pleasant memories of my own cast experience.

Average customer rating:

Not the best sung but among the best in characterization

Operas of Gilbert and Sullivan

Manufacturer: Avid Records UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0001E5U8C
Release Date: 2004-04-20

Tracks:

HMS Pianfore: Overture
HMS Pinafore, Act One: We Sail the Ocean Blue
HMS Pinafore, Act One: Hail, Men O' War's Men
HMS Pinafore, Act One: I'm Called Little Buttercup
HMS Pinafore, Act One: But Tell Me, Who's the Youth
HMS Pinafore, Act One: The Nightingale Sighed for the Moon's ...
HMS Pinafore, Act One: A Maiden Fair to See
HMS Pinafore, Act One: My Gallant Crew, Good Morning
HMS Pinafore, Act One: I Am the Captain of the Pianfore
HMS Pinafore, Act One: Sir, You Are Sad
HMS Pinafore, Act One: Sorry Her Lot Who Loves Too Well
HMS Pinafore, Act One: Over the Bright Blue Sea
HMS Pinafore, Act One: I Am the Monarch of the Sea
HMS Pinafore, Act One: When I Was a Lad I Served a Term
HMS Pinafore, Act One: A British Tar Is a Soaring Soul
HMS Pinafore, Act One: Refrain, Audacious Tar
HMS Pinafore, Act One: Can I Survive This Overbearing?
HMS Pinafore, Act One: Oh Joy, Oh Rapture Unforeseen
HMS Pinafore, Act One: This Very Night
HMS Pinafore, Act One: Let's Give Three Cheers
HMS Pinafore, Act One: Entr'acte
HMS Pinafore, Act Two: Fair Moon to Thee I Sing
HMS Pinafore, Act Two: Things Are Seldom What They Seem
HMS Pinafore, Act Two: The Hours Creep on Apace
HMS Pinafore, Act Two: Never Mind the Why and Wherefore
HMS Pinafore, Act Two: Kind Captain, I've Important Information
HMS Pinafore, Act Two: Carefully on Tiptoe Stealing
HMS Pinafore, Act Two: Pretty Daughter of Mine
HMS Pinafore, Act Two: He Is an Englishman
HMS Pinafore, Act Two: In Uttering a Reprobation
HMS Pinafore, Act Two: Farewell My Own
HMS Pinafore, Act Two: A Many Years Ago
HMS Pinafore, Act Two: Oh Joy, Oh Rapture Unforeseen

Tracks:

Ruddigore: Overture
Ruddigore, Act One: Fair Is Rose as Bright May Day
Ruddigore, Act One: Sir Rupert Murgatroyd
Ruddigore, Act One: If Somebody There Chacned to Be
Ruddigore, Act One: I Know a Youth Who Loves a Little Maid
Ruddigore, Act One: From the Briny Sea
Ruddigore, Act One: I Shipp'd d'Ye See, In a Revenue Sloop
Ruddigore, Act One: My Boy, You May Take It from Me
Ruddigore, Act One: If Well His Suit Has Sped
Ruddigore, Act One: In Sailing O'er Life's Ocean Wide
Ruddigore, Act One: Cheerily Carols the Lark
Ruddigore, Act One: To a Garden Fulls of Posies
Ruddigore, Act One: Welcome Gentry for Your Entry
Ruddigore, Act One: Oh, Why Am I Moody and Sad?
Ruddigore, Act One: You Understand?
Ruddigore, Act One: Hail the Bride of Seventeen Summers
Ruddigore, Act One: When the Buds Are Blossoming
Ruddigore, Act One: Hold, Bride and Bridegroom
Ruddigore, Act One: Oh, Happy the Lily
Ruddigore, Act Two: I Once Was as Meek as a New-Born Lamb
Ruddigore, Act Two: Happily Coupled Are We
Ruddigore, Act Two: In Bygone Days I Hade Thy Love
Ruddigore, Act Two: Painted Emblems of a Race
Ruddigore, Act Two: When the Night Wind Howls
Ruddigore, Act Two: He Yields! He Yields!
Ruddigore, Act Two: I Once Was a Very Abandoned Person
Ruddigore, Act Two: My Eyes Are Fully Open
There Grew a Little Flower
Ruddigore, Act Two: Oh, Happy the Lily

Tracks:

Patience: Overture
Patience, Act One: Twenty Lovesick Maidens We
Patience, Act One: Still Brooding on Their Mad Infatuation
Patience, Act One: I Cannot Tell What This Love May Be
Patience, Act One: The Soldiers of Our Queen
Patience, Act One: In a Doleful Train...Twenty Lovesick Maidens We
Patience, Act One: When I First Put This Uniform On
Patience, Act One: Am I Alone and Unoberved?
Patience, Act One: Long Years Ago, Fourteen Maybe
Patience, Act One: Prithee Pretty Maiden
Patience, Act One: Let the Merry Cymbals Sound
Patience, Act One: Now Tell Us, We Pray You
Patience, Act One: Your Maiden Hearts
Patience, Act One: Come Walk Up and Purchase With Avidity
Patience, Act One: True Love Must Single-Hearted Be
Patience, Act One: I Hear the Soft Note...But Who Is This?
Patience, Act Two: Sad Is That Woman's Lot
Patience, Act Two: Turn, Oh Turn in This Direction
Patience, Act Two: A Magnet Hung in Hardware Shop
Patience, Act Two: Love Is a Plaintive Song
Patience, Act Two: So Go to Him and Say to Him
Patience, Act Two: It's Clear That Medieval Art Alone Retains Its Zest
Patience, Act Two: If Saphir I Choose to Marry
Patience, Act Two: When I Go Out of Door
Patience, Act Two: I'm a Waterloo House Young Man
Patience, Act Two: After Much Debate Internal
Mikado: Overture

Tracks:

Mikado, Act One: If You Want to Know Who We Are
Mikado, Act One: Gentlemen, I Pray You Tell Me
Mikado, Act One: A Wand'ring Minstrel, I
Mikado, Act One: Our Great Mikado, Virtuous Man
Mikado, Act One: Young Man, Despair
Mikado, Act One: And Have I Journey'd for a Month
Mikado, Act One: Behold the Lord High Executioner!
Mikado, Act One: As Some Day It May Happen
Mikado, Act One: Comes a Train of Little Ladies
Mikado, Act One: Three Little Maids from School
Mikado, Act One: So Please You, Sir, We Much Regret
Mikado, Act One: Were You Not Ko-Ko Plighted?
Mikado, Act One: I Am So Proud
Mikado, Act One: With Aspect Stern
Mikado, Act One: Your Revels Cease!
Mikado, Act One: The Hour of Gladness
Mikado, Act Two: Braid the Raven Hair
Mikado, Act Two: The Sun, Whose Rays Are All Ablaze
Mikado, Act Two: Brightly Dawns Our Wedding Day
Mikado, Act Two: Here's a How-De-Do!
Mikado, Act Two: Miya Sama, Miya Sama
Mikado, Act Two: A More Humane Mikado
Mikado, Act Two: The Criminal Cried
Mikado, Act Two: See How the Fates Their Gifts Allot
Mikado, Act Two: The Flowers That Bloom in the Spring
Mikado, Act Two: Alone, And Yet Alive!
Mikado, Act Two: Hearts Do Not Break
Mikado, Act Two: On a Tree by a River a Little Tom-Tit
Mikado, Act Two: There Is Beauty in the Bellow of the Blast
Mikado, Act Two: For He's Gone and Married Yum-Yum

Tracks:

Trial by Jury: Hark the Hour of Ten Is Sounding
Trial by Jury: Now, Jurymen, Hear My Advice
Trial by Jury: Is This the Court of the Exchequer?
Trial by Jury: When First My Old, Old Love I Knew
Trial by Jury: Silence in Court...All Hail, Great Judge
Trial by Jury: When I, Good Friends, Was Called to the Bar
Trial by Jury: Swear Thou the Jury
Trial by Jury: Where Is the Plaintiff?
Trial by Jury: Comes the Broken Flower
Trial by Jury: Oh, Never, Never, Never
Trial by Jury: May It Please You, M'Lud!
Trial by Jury: That She Is Reeling Is Plain to Me
Trial by Jury: Oh Gentlemen, Listen
Trial by Jury: That Seems a Reasonable Proposition
Trial by Jury: A Nice Dilemma We Have Here
Trial by Jury: I Love Him, I Love Hin
Trial by Jury: The Question, Gentlemen Is One of Liquor
Trial by Jury: Oh Joy Unbounded
Pirates of Penzance: Overture
Pirates of Penzance, Act One: Pour, Oh Pour the Pirate Sherry
Pirates of Penzance, Act One: When Frederic Was a Little Lad
Pirates of Penzance, Act One: Oh, Better Far to Live and Die (I Am ...)
Pirates of Penzance, Act One: Oh, False One, You Have Deceived Me!
Pirates of Penzance, Act One: What Shall I Do?...Climbing Over ...
Pirates of Penzance, Act One: Stop, Ladies, Pray!
Pirates of Penzance, Act One: Oh, Is There Not One Maiden Breast?
Pirates of Penzance, Act One: Oh, Sisters, Deaf to Pity's Name
Pirates of Penzance, Act One: Poor Wandering One
Pirates of Penzance, Act One: What Ought We to Do?
Pirates of Penzance, Act One: Stay, We Must Not Lose Our Senses
Pirates of Penzance, Act One: Here's a First-Rate Opportunity
Pirates of Penzance, Act One: Hold, Monsters!
Pirates of Penzance, Act One: I Am the Very Model of a Modern ...
Pirates of Penzance, Act One: Oh, Men of Dark and Dismal Fate
Pirates of Penzance, Act One: I'm Telling a Terrible Story
Pirates of Penzance, Act One: Oh, Master, Hear One Word
Pirates of Penzance, Act One: Pray Observe the Magnanimity

Tracks:

Pirates of Penzance, Act Two: Oh, Dry the Glistening Tear
Pirates of Penzance, Act Two: Then, Frederic, Let Your Escort ...
Pirates of Penzance, Act Two: When the Foeman Bares His Steel
Pirates of Penzance, Act Two: Now for the Pirates' Lair!
Pirates of Penzance, Act Two: Young Frederic!
Pirates of Penzance, Act Two: When You Had Left Our Pirate Fold
Pirates of Penzance, Act Two: Away, Away! My Heart's on Fire
Pirates of Penzance, Act Two: All Is Prepared
Pirates of Penzance, Act Two: Stay, Frederic, Stay!
Pirates of Penzance, Act Two: Ah, Leave Me Not to Pine
Pirates of Penzance, Act Two: In 1940 I of Age Shall Be
Pirates of Penzance, Act Two: No, I'll Be Brave!
Pirates of Penzance, Act Two: Though in Body and in Mind
Pirates of Penzance, Act Two: When a Felon's Not Engaged in His ...
Pirates of Penzance, Act Two: A Rollicking Band of Pirates We
Pirates of Penzance, Act Two: With Cat-Like Tread
Pirates of Penzance, Act Two: Hush, Hush! Not a Word
Pirates of Penzance, Act Two: Sighing Softly to the River
Pirates of Penzance, Act Two: And What Is This, And What Is That?
Pirates of Penzance, Act Two: Frederic Here! Oh Joy!
Pirates of Penzance, Act Two: Poor Wandering Ones
Iolanthe: Overture
Iolanthe, Act One: Tripping Hither, Tripping Thither
Iolanthe, Act One: Iolanthe!
Iolanthe, Act One: Good Morrow, Good Mother
Iolanthe, Act One: Fare Thee Well, Attractive Stranger
Iolanthe, Act One: Good Morrow, Good Lover
Iolanthe, Act One: None Shall Part Us from Each Other
Iolanthe, Act One: Loudly Let the Trumpet Bray!
Iolanthe, Act One: The Law Is the True Embodiment
Iolanthe, Act One: My Well-Loved Lord and Guardian Dear
Iolanthe, Act One: Of All the Young Ladies I Know
Iolanthe, Act One: Nay, Tempt Me Not
Iolanthe, Act One: Spurn Not the Nobly Born
Iolanthe, Act One: My Lords, It May Not Be
Iolanthe, Act One: A Shepherd I
Iolanthe, Act One: When I Went to the Bar as a Very Young Man

Tracks:

Iolanthe, Act One: When Darkly Looms the Day
Iolanthe, Act One: Oh, Shameless One, Tremble!
Iolanthe, Act One: In Babyhood Upon Her Lap I Lay
Iolanthe, Act One: For Riches and Rank That You Befall
Iolanthe, Act One: To You I Give My Heart
Iolanthe, Act One: Tripping, Hither, Tripping Thither
Iolanthe, Act One: The Lady of My Love
Iolanthe, Act One: Go Away, Madam
Iolanthe, Act One: Oh, Chancellor Unwary
Iolanthe, Act One: Young Strephon Is the Kind of Lout (With ...)
Iolanthe, Act Two: When All Night Long a Chap Remains
Iolanthe, Act Two: Strephon's a Member of Parliament
Iolanthe, Act Two: When Britain Really Ruled the Waves
Iolanthe, Act Two: In Vain to Us You Plead
Iolanthe, Act Two: Oh, Foolish Fay
Iolanthe, Act Two: Though P'r'aps I May Incur Your Blame
Iolanthe, Act Two: Love, Unrequited, Robs Me of My Rest
Iolanthe, Act Two: When You're Lying Awake With a Dismal Headache
Iolanthe, Act Two: If You Go in, You're Sure to Win
Iolanthe, Act Two: If We're Weak Enough to Tarry
Iolanthe, Act Two: My, Lord, A Suppliant at Your Feet I Kneel
Iolanthe, Act Two: He Loves! If in the Bygone Years
Iolanthe, Act Two: It May Not Be
Iolanthe, Act Two: Soon as We May
Gondoliers: Overture
Gondoliers, Act One: List and Learn, Ye Dainty Roses
Gondoliers, Act One: Good Morrow, Pretty Maids
Gondoliers, Act One: For the Merriest Fellows Are We
Gondoliers, Act One: Buon'giorno, Signorine
Gondoliers, Act One: We're Called Gondolieri
Gondoliers, Act One: And Now to Choose Our Brides
Gondoliers, Act One: Thank You, Gallant Gondolieri

Tracks:

Gondoliers, Act One: From the Sunny Spanish Shore
Gondoliers, Act One: In Enterprise of Martial Kind (The Duke of ...)
Gondoliers, Act One: O Rapture When Alone Together
Gondoliers, Act One: There Was a Time
Gondoliers, Act One: I Stole the Prince
Gondoliers, Act One: But, Bless My Heart
Gondoliers, Act One: Try We Life-Long
Gondoliers, Act One: Bridegroom and Bride
Gondoliers, Act One: When a Merry Maiden Marries
Gondoliers, Act One: Kind Sirm You Cannot Have the Heart
Gondoliers, Act One: Do Not Give Way
Gondoliers, Act One: Then One of Us Will Be a Queen
Gondoliers, Act One: Replaying, We Sing
Gondoliers, Act One: For Everyone Who Feels Inclined
Gondoliers, Act One: Come, Let's Sway
Gondoliers, Act One: Then Away We Go to an Island Fair
Gondoliers, Act Two: Of Happiness the Very Pith
Gondoliers, Act Two: Rising Early in the Morning
Gondoliers, Act Two: Take a Pair of Sparkling Eyes
Gondoliers, Act Two: Here We Are, At the Risk of Our Lives
Gondoliers, Act Two: Dance a Cachucha, Fandango, Bolero
Gondoliers, Act Two: There Lived a King
Gondoliers, Act Two: In a Contemplative Fashion
Gondoliers, Act Two: With Ducak Pomp and Ducal Pride
Gondoliers, Act Two: On the Day When I Was Wedded
Gondoliers, Act Two: To Help Unhapppy Commoners
Gondoliers, Act Two: Small Titles Abd Orders
Gondoliers, Act Two: I Am a Courtier Grave and Serious
Gondoliers, Act Two: Here Is a Case Unprecedented
Gondoliers, Act Two: Now Let the Loyal Lleges Gather Round
Gondoliers, Act Two: The Royal Prince

Tracks:

Yeomen of the Guard: Overture
Yeomen of the Guard, Act One: When Maiden Loves
Yeomen of the Guard, Act One: Tower Warders, Under Orders
Yeomen of the Guard, Act One: When Our Gallant Norman Foes
Yeomen of the Guard, Act One: Alas, I Waver to and Fro
Yeomen of the Guard, Act One: Is Life a Boon?
Yeomen of the Guard, Act One: Here's a Man of Jollity
Yeomen of the Guard, Act One: I Have a Song to Sing, O!
Yeomen of the Guard, Act One: How Say You, Maiden, Will You Wed?
Yeomen of the Guard, Act One: I've Jibe and Joke
Yeomen of the Guard, Act One: 'Tis Done! I Am a Bride!
Yeomen of the Guard, Act One: Were I Thy Bride
Yeomen of the Guard, Act One: Oh, Sergeant Meryll, Is It True?
Yeomen of the Guard, Act One: Forbear My Friends
Yeomen of the Guard, Act One: The Prisoner Comes to Meet His Doom
Yeomen of the Guard, Act Two: Night Has Spread Her Pall Once More
Yeomen of the Guard, Act Two: Oh! A Private Buffoon Is a Light-Hearted
Yeomen of the Guard, Act Two: Hereupon We're Both Agreed
Yeomen of the Guard, Act Two: Free from His Fetters Grim
Yeomen of the Guard, Act Two: Strange Adventure!
Yeomen of the Guard, Act Two: Hark! What Was That, Sir?
Yeomen of the Guard, Act Two: A Man Who Would Woo a Fair Maid
Yeomen of the Guard, Act Two: When a Wooer Goes A-Wooing

Tracks:

Yeomen of the Guard, Act Two: Comes the Pretty Young Bride
Yeomen of the Guard, Act Two: Hold, Pretty One!
Yeomen of the Guard, Act Two: All Thought of Leonard Meryll Set Aside
H.M.S. Pinafore
Yeomen of the Guard
Di Ballo: Overture - Birmingham Symphony Orchestra,
Pineapple Poll Ballet Suite, Scene One: Opening Dance
Pineapple Poll Ballet Suite, Scene One: Poll's Dance and Pas de Deux
Pineapple Poll Ballet Suite, Scene One: Belaye's Solo
Pineapple Poll Ballet Suite, Scene One: Pas de Trois
Pineapple Poll Ballet Suite, Scene One: Finale
Pineapple Poll Ballet Suite, Scene Two: Poll's Solo
Pineapple Poll Ballet Suite, Scene Two: Jasper's Solo
Pineapple Poll Ballet Suite, Scene Two: Belaye's Solo and Sailor's ...
Pineapple Poll Ballet Suite, Scene Two: Poll's Solo
Pineapple Poll Ballet Suite, Scene Two: Entry of Belaye With ...
Pineapple Poll Ballet Suite, Scene Two: Reconciliation
Pineapple Poll Ballet Suite, Scene Two: Grand Finale

Customer Reviews:

Not the best sung but among the best in characterization.......2005-07-09

Between 1949 and 1951, the D'Oyly Carte Company was very busy recording nine of the Gilbert & Sullivan works onto mono LPs for the Decca label (or the London, as it was known over here), with comic lead Martyn Green in all but "Trial By Jury." After he left the company, Green was supplanted by Peter Pratt, who recorded the comic lead roles in "The Sorcerer" and "Princess Ida." All of these have waited a long time to appear on CDs and several companies have taken advantage of the copyright lapse to issue them at very high prices and at least one at very budget ones.

But now I find that all of the 1949-1951 sets are available on the Avid Entertainment label as a boxed set of 10 discs (AMSC 780-789). To keep things compact, the Avid people unavoidably had to place on the same disc Act I of one opera after Act II of the one before. There is also orchestral bonus material towards the end including orchestral selections from "Pinafore" and "Yeomen of the Guard," Sullivan's salute to the dance "Overture Di Ballo," and the entire score of the G&S-based ballet "Pineapple Poll."

Green is good and even better are the bottomless basso of Richard Watson, the most famous Mikado of them all Darrell Fancourt, and the sympathetic contralto of Ella Halman. Only tenor Leonard Osborne does not come over very well on recordings, although he was very good on stage. No true "Savoyard" will want to be without this collection.

Those who are perfectly happy with less will want "Gilbert & Sullivan: Highlights and Overtures" (AMSC 800), a double-CD set in which there are 27 selections from the complete recordings and the 9 overtures, plus "Overture Di Ballo." A great starter kit to introduce newcomers to the magic of the G&S team.

The Complete Gilbert & Sullivan (Box Set)

Average customer rating:

Don't underestimate those "unknown" Operettas!!
A few details
Wonderful set, if a little inconsistent at times.

The Complete Gilbert & Sullivan (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Complete Annotated Gilbert & Sullivan
Gilbert & Sullivan - Operettas / Pro Arte Orchestra · Sir Malcolm Sargent
Operas of Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert & Sullivan - H.M.S. Pinafore / Trial By Jury - David Hobson, Anthony Warlow, Colette Mann, Tiffany Speight, John Bolton Wood, Richard Alexander, Opera Australia, State Theatre, The Arts Centre Melbourne
Gilbert & Sullivan - The Mikado / Eric Idle, Lesley Garrett, Richard Van Allan, Felicity Palmer, Richard Angas, Bonaventura Bottone, Susan Bullock, English National Opera

ASIN: B00008LJEO
Release Date: 2003-05-13

Customer Reviews:

Don't underestimate those "unknown" Operettas!!.......2005-07-07

This is, as far as I know - the only way of buying the "official" recordings of "The Grand Duke" and "Utopia" - which seem to be otherwise out of print!! Several of the others are not that easy to get either.

In any case - most people getting this set will already have the Mikado, and very probably Pirates and Pinafore for that matter, so you're really getting it for the others.

So just for the record - someone has to say this!

The Mikado is (of course) a wonderful piece, but it enjoys its long running status as the most successful of all the G&S operettas very largely for "extra-musical" reasons. It is visually so wonderful, with all those great authentic costumes, and the whole idea of satirising English institutions by pretending they are Japanese is of course brilliantly funny.

Again, Pirates and Pinafore enjoy a lot of their acclaim simply because we have heard them so often. And at least part of the initial success of these (admittedly very funny and entertaining) pieces was the vogue for "nautical drama" on the popular Victorian stage.

Iolanthe, Ruddigore, and Yoemen are all MUCH stronger musically than any of what another reviewer here keeps calling the "trilogy". Patience, Princess Ida, and the Gondoliers all excel either "nautical" operetta, at least musically, although not, perhaps, the Mikado. And I have had a lot of fun listening to my recording of the Sorcerer - although I think most at least of the other G&S operettas are even more interesting.

As for "Trial by Jury" it is really another thing altogether - but in its kind the most perfect thing either Gilbert or Sullivan had anything to do with!

This leaves Utopia and the Grand Duke.

Both of these were produced after the long running friendship between G&S had soured, and they have been sadly neglected ever since. Utopia is none the less both musically beautiful and very funny, and well worth taking an effort to come to grips with. The main point of the satire (which many commentators and reviewers seem to miss) is the way that the English language and British (especially English) institutions were being adopted, often rather uncritically, by countries around the world (most, but not all, of them members of the British Empire, of course). India is perhaps the country Gilbert had most in mind, but you could set it in any of a dozen other countries. The residual problems this has left in the post-colonial world ensure that this work is still far from dated. In some ways this operetta is about globalisation! What could possibly be LESS dated than that!

The Grand Duke, on the other hand, is a bit of an odd man out - I suppose you still have to say it is the weakest of all the G&S efforts. It's the ONLY one that didn't score a very respectable run on its first outing. Surprisingly, however, if an attempt is made to duplicate the musical and (especially) dialogue cuts that G&S would have done themselves if they had not by this time been at each other's throats all the time, a very entertaining piece can be made of it. I was very agreeably surprised by the Ohio Light Opera recording, which does just that - and I am coming round to the idea that the only thing really wrong with the Duke is that it is too long.

ANYWAY:

For all people (especially callow youth) who remain convinced that G&S only wrote three operettas worth listening to - all I can say is, buy this set, and give the lesser known ones a chance. Make sure you have a libretto in your hands as you listen, of course. It may even just need a single hearing in some cases, but otherwise, be patient. In the meantime, you really cannot have any conception of what you are missing.

A few details.......2004-03-28

This 24-CD album consists of 12 plastic cases, each with a thin booklet giving background and plot summaries for the works on its 2 enclosed CD's. Most of the album consists of 15 operettas, 2 of which (Cox and Box, The Zoo) have texts not by Gilbert and 7 of which (The Sorcerer, Princess Ida, The Mikado, Ruddigore, Yeomen of the Guard, Utopia Limited, The Grand Duke) omit most of the spoken dialogue. Before listening to any of these operettas that you don't know well, you'll want to obtain a copy of its text so you can read along and not miss any of the words or the wit.

Wonderful set, if a little inconsistent at times........2003-07-07

If you thought that the Sargent set of G&S opera recordings was gargantum enough, then this D'Oyly Carte cycle is even more gargantum. Although it is more expensive (because of the four extra operas that the Sargent cycle did not include), this complete 24-CD set is like a joy to behold. There is a debate as to whether this is better than the Sargent cycle, but I like to think that this is a delight from first disc to last, because of the idiomatic sense of polish that these recordings seem to have, and are given a life that makes them able to breathe well. This is all thanks to Isidore Godfrey and Royston Nash's conducting. I know that the performances may not be entirely consistent (this is evident when you compare the performance and recording quality of Mikado and Pirates with those of Gondoliers and Pinafore), but this is only a matter of personal preference. The 1960s performances were given more sumptuous and well-detailed recordings than the 1970s recordings, made when the performing style was not so fresh. But anyway, I still think that this is definitely a good buy for anyone who loves G&S. Even with the consistency of Sargent's cheaper EMI set, I would still say: do go ahead to invest in the set because of the liveliness and style in this complete G&S cycle that Sargent never (hardly ever) tackles. The only thing is: I would also like to suggest complementing it with the 1957 Decca D'Oyly Carte recordings of Mikado and Pirates, recently released by the Sounds on CD label, so that these recordings can do justice to the enormous spirit of these operas.

Average customer rating:

Gilbert and Sullivan's Best- Being Performed by the Best
The Finest Recording of one of G&S's Finest Operettas
Seconded
What joy to listen to.
D'Oyly Carte at its peak!

Gilbert & Sullivan: H.M.S. Pinafore

Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Sullivan: Pirates of Penzance
Sullivan: Mikado
Sullivan: Iolanthe
Gilbert & Sullivan; The Mikado
Gilbert & Sullivan - The Mikado / WNO · Mackerras

ASIN: B0000041Q4
Release Date: 1989-07-21

Tracks:

The H.M.S. Pinafore: Overture
The H.M.S. Pinafore: Act One - We Shall Sail The Ocean Blue
The H.M.S. Pinafore: Act One - Hail! Men O'war's Men
The H.M.S. Pinafore: Act One - The Nightingale Sighed
The H.M.S. Pinafore: Act One - A Maiden Fair To See
The H.M.S. Pinafore: Act One - My Gallant Crew, Good Morning
The H.M.S. Pinafore: Act One - Sir, You Are Sad
The H.M.S. Pinafore: Act One - Sorry Her Lot Who Loves Too Well
The H.M.S. Pinafore: Act One - Over The Bright Blue Sea
The H.M.S. Pinafore: Act One - Sir Joseph's Barge Is Seen
The H.M.S. Pinafore: Act One - Now Give Three Cheers
The H.M.S. Pinafore: Act One - When I Was A Lad
The H.M.S. Pinafore: Act One - A British Tar
The H.M.S. Pinafore: Act One - Refrain, Audacious Tar
The H.M.S. Pinafore: Act One - Can I Survive The Overbearing

Tracks:

The H.M.S. Pinafore: Entracte
The H.M.S. Pinafore: Act Two: Fair Moon To Thee I Sing
The H.M.S. Pinafore: Act Two: Things Are Seldom What They Seem
The H.M.S. Pinafore: Act Two: The Hours Creep On Apace
The H.M.S. Pinafore: Act Two: Never Mind The Why And Wherefore
The H.M.S. Pinafore: Act Two: Kind Captain, I've Important Information
The H.M.S. Pinafore: Act Two: Carefully On Tip-Toe Stealing
The H.M.S. Pinafore: Act Two: Farewell, My Own
The H.M.S. Pinafore: Act Two: A Many Years Ago
The H.M.S. Pinafore: Act Two: A Joy! Oh Rapture Unforeseen

Amazon.com

Breathes there a soul so dead that the very thought of a Gilbert & Sullivan operetta fails to bring a smile to the lips and a spring to the step? Pinafore has reigned (along with The Mikado) as the most popular of the lot, and you can't go wrong with a D'Oyly Carte production. Some may prefer the more operatic version with Malcolm Sargent on EMI or the D'Oyly Carte troupe's earlier incarnations of the work. But this may well be the best of the bunch, thanks to a cast for whom singing G&S is as natural as breathing. Standouts include Thomas Round, whose lovelorn hero strikes just the right Victorian note, veteran Donald Adams, a superbly malevolent Deadeye Dick, Isidore Godfrey, whose buoyant conducting keeps the good ship afloat, and... well, they're all so good, why go on? Kudos to the engineers, too--their early stereo sonics don't sound dated at all. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

Gilbert and Sullivan's Best- Being Performed by the Best.......2002-10-07

This is another great hit by Gilbert and Sullivan, in my oppinion, only seconded by "The Prates of Penzance". The lyrics are witty, the score is impeccible.
The only downfall in this opera is some of the parts were horribly casted, Buttercup is overdramatic and Ralph (Rafe) Rackstraw sings like he need to go to the bathroom urgently.
BUY IT!

The Finest Recording of one of G&S's Finest Operettas.......2002-07-02

This is unquestionably the best recording of PINAFORE available today; it, along with THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE and THE MIKADO, are Gilbert and Sullivan's most beloved operas (and for good reason--each is a masterpiece, plain and simple). Every member of the cast on this recording is strong--there isn't a weak link in the bunch, although Thomas Round, John Reed, and Donald Adams are particularly wonderful. Each of the songs are performed exquisitely, especially Josephine's gorgeous arias, Sir Joseph's satirical patter songs, and the charming "Never Mind the Why and Wherefore" (the most popular song in the show). Also since all of the dialogue has been included on these discs, the whimsical story of "love levelling all [social] ranks" can be followed fully and clearly. This disc has everything that's required to really enjoy H.M.S. PINAFORE, just as it has been enjoyed for over one hundred years.

Seconded.......2001-05-08

See the review by Yi-peng of Singapore. No more need be said. Forget the others - just buy this one. The genuine D'Oyly Carte defining Pinafore. If only they had made a video while they were at it!

What joy to listen to........2000-11-07

This is a wonderful production of Pinafore. I still remember summer camp back in the late thirties - I was a skinny young girl and played one of the sailors. Even if I weren't familiar with Gilbert and Sullivan, I would highly recommend this Doylye Carte arrangement. It's major terrific. Sounds lots better than we did.

D'Oyly Carte at its peak!.......2000-07-08

This is the finest D'Oyly Carte recordings of G&S, and one of the finest PINAFORE recordings. The cast on this recording is the best overall captured on record, and it would be hard to imagine a better performance by specialists as this. John Reed is a truly aristocratic Sir Joseph Porter; he is dry enough to make the part his own. Jeffrey Skitch makes a firm, strong first-class Captain, and the two lovers, Thomas Round and Jean Hindmarsh, sing with romanticism. Gillian Knight makes an impressive D'Oyly Carte debut as Little Buttercup, and George Cook as the Boatswain is perfectly resonant. As for the minor cast, Donald Adams makes an extremely menacing Dick Deadeye. The first-class choral singing and orchestral playing underpin the whole piece, and the present digital remastering presents a version of the recording that never belies its age. A must for all Savoyards!

Here's a Howdy Do: A Gilbert & Sullivan Festival

Average customer rating:

Gilbert and Sullivan......In Tears
An Eye-Opener!
The best of King's Singers meets the best of G&S
looks pretty good
Amazing work from the worlds' foremost a cappella group.

Here's a Howdy Do: A Gilbert & Sullivan Festival
Arthur Sullivan , Christopher Laurence , Wild Ray Snurck , Robert [ , and The Kng's Singers
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

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Madrigal History Tour
A Little Chrismas Music: Kiri Te Kanawa; The King's Singers
Kids' Stuff
Sacred Bridges

ASIN: B000003FLI
Release Date: 1993-09-14

Tracks:

HMS Pinafore: A British Tar
The Mikado: The Sun Whose Rays
The Gondoliers: Take A Pair Of Sparkling Eyes
Ruddigore: The Ghosts' High-Noon
The Pirates Of Penzance: Ah, Leave Me Not
The Mikado: A Wand'ring Minstrel I
The Pirates Of Penzance: The Pirate King
The Mikado: Tit Willow
The Pirates Of Penzance: With Cat-Like Tread
The Mikado: Brightly Dawns Our Wedding Day
The Mikado: A More Humane Mikado
The Gondoliers: Rising Early In The Morning
Gilbert & Sullivan Medley
Patter Matter
The Mikado: Here's A Howdy Do

Customer Reviews:

Gilbert and Sullivan......In Tears.......2001-03-14

Once again we discover that amatures should not attempt to emulate what the classical artist "would" have wanted. This poor attempt at a "comical" view of the music of G&S only reiterates to this listener.....Don't Go There... I'm sorry I did and wish that the King's Singers......had never said..."Howdy Do", to me. Though I will keep searching for a true and respectful rendition of H.M.S. Fortunately, this version, makes a great coffee cup coaster......

An Eye-Opener!.......2000-06-23

This delightful album is the kind of work which will make the listener search for MORE by the artists and the composers. If you are not a fan of The Kings Singers, you will become one. If you don't know much Gilbert & Sullivan, you will want to learn! Highest praise.

The best of King's Singers meets the best of G&S.......1999-09-23

This one is a natural for me. The King's Singers are my favorite group, and Gilbert & Sullivan are my favorite shows. The King's Singers are the perfect group for G&S music, too, with their unique blend of serious musical study and just plain fun. Their medly and patter trio are two wonderfully crafted examples of G&S music, and the rest of the songs are very skillfully presented. I only wish this wonderful group would do another Gilbert & Sullivan recording.

looks pretty good.......1999-09-20

this looks pretty good, but i don't know because i haven't bought it ye

Amazing work from the worlds' foremost a cappella group........1999-08-29

As a lover of both G&S and the King's Singers, I was positively tickled by this wonderful recording. The King's Singers have managed to breath new life into songs that have sunken into obscurity, or worse, cliche'. "Pirate King", "Tit Willow", and "Here's a How-dee-Doo" are especially delightful. The tonal range of this group never fails to amaze me. From the sweetness of David Hurley on top to the astounding Stephen Connelly thundering forth as the Mikado, they are a joy to listen to.

Average customer rating:

The best? I think not.
can't understand the words

The Best of Gilbert & Sullivan

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

The Ultimate Gilbert & Sullivan Collection
Gilbert & Sullivan - Highlights from The Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance, H.M.S. Pinafore, The Yeomen of the Guard, Trial of Jury
The Gilbert and Sullivan Overtures
Topsy-Turvy - The Music of Gilbert & Sullivan: From the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Gilbert & Sullivan Favourites

ASIN: B00004W5AD
Release Date: 2000-08-08

Tracks:

H.M.S. Pinafore: Ov - Orch Of The D'Oyly Carte Opr/John Owen Edwards
H.M.S. Pinafore: We Sail The Ocean Blue - Tom McVay/Gordon Sandison/Yvonne Barclay
H.M.S. Pinafore: Never Mind The Why And Wherefore - Tom McVay/Gordon Sandison/Yvonne Barclay
The Yeomen Of The Guard: When Maiden Loves She Sits And Sighs - Janine Roebuck
The Yeomen Of The Guard: Here's A Man Of Jollity - Chor Of The D'Oyly Carte Opr
Iolanthe: Tripping Hither, Tripping Thither - Yvonne Patrick/Madeliene Mitchell/Chor Of The D'Oyly Carte Opr
Iolanthe: The Law Is The True Embodiment - Ri