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Gilbert & Sullivan - Operettas / Pro Arte Orchestra · Sir Malcolm Sargent
Gilbert & Sullivan, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Monica Sinclair, George Baker, Heather Harper, Elizabeth Harwood Owen Brannigan
Gilbert & Sullivan - Operettas / Pro Arte Orchestra · Sir Malcolm Sargent
Genre: Classical
 
The advent of stereo brought forth two competing Gilbert and Sullivan cycles that retain their classic status in divergent ways. Seasoned Savoyards lean towards Decca's D'Oyly Carte recordings, where the use of singing act...  more »

     
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The advent of stereo brought forth two competing Gilbert and Sullivan cycles that retain their classic status in divergent ways. Seasoned Savoyards lean towards Decca's D'Oyly Carte recordings, where the use of singing actors and inclusion of dialogue add up to a palpable theatrical experience. By contrast, EMI's competing cycle featured some of Britain's finest operatic singers of the 1950s and '60s, who largely command both music and text on equal terms. The nine operettas in this series conducted by Sir Malcolm Sargent--Trial by Jury, HMS Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance, Patience, Iolanthe, The Mikado, Ruddigore, The Yeomen of the Guard, and The Gondoliers--are repackaged in a budget-priced, space-saving box. True, some might contend that Sargent's stoutly moderate tempos downplay the authors' irreverent bite, but at least you can make out every blasted word. And that's important, since EMI includes no librettos, just a synopsis of each work. As a bonus, Sullivan's orchestral forays outside comic opera fill out the discs, including incidental music to The Tempest and The Merchant of Venice, the touching Overture in C ("In Memoriam"), an attractively tuneful Symphony in E, and a fascinating reconstruction of a Cello Concerto, whose autograph and parts perished in a 1964 fire. You simply cannot find a more comprehensive Gilbert and Sullivan bargain than this highly enticing set. Grab it while you can. --Jed Distler

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CD Reviews

The complete Sargent G&S
Paul A. Gerard | Australia | 07/08/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)

"Actually, its not! But it is a complete edition of the last recordings he ever made of the operettas in question.



The evidence of pre-war Sargent recordings (for instance his earlier "Princess Ida") shows that when he was a little younger he appoached these works with vigour and a stong sense of musical humour. As he mellowed (or got older, anyway) his interpretation of G&S definitely became more personal and reverent (or, if you like, slower). Whether you like this or not is absolutely a matter of taste. There are times when those of us more used to other productions may find a mellow geniality in the music rather than the razor sharp wit we are used to. On balance it has to be said that Sullivan comes off better than Gilbert when you slow things down a bit.



My own personal opinion is that if you only want one performance of each operetta I would look elsewhere. If you love G&S enough to want several recordings of each one - then get these - if only to enjoy a "different" slant on the music."
Great Value and Some Unusual Items - OK performances
Dan Sherman | Alexandria, VA USA | 07/14/2003
(3 out of 5 stars)

"I give this set somewhat mixed reviews. On the positive side, it is a great value, is well-recorded (especially given that some of the recordings go back to the 50s) , and includes come unusual orchestral works, in addition to 9 operettas. On the negative side, I just don't think these are the best performances of the operettas, in that Sargent really does adopt tempos that often just too slow and the singers sometimes sound just a bit too serious for the roles. My favorite G&S are the recent Telarc performances (Pirates, Pinafore, Mikado, Trial by Jury, and Yeoman) -- great sound, fine singing, and very lively performances."
A gem!
F. Behrens | 08/12/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)

"This may not be a complete discography of their works, but what a pleasure it is to have. Forget about the librettos, since they're public domain and can be easily found on the web. By the time you've finished listening to a few of these masterpieces, wonderfully conducted by Malcolm Sargent, you'll be like me; whistling and humming 'till you drop over with euphoria. Enjoy it!"