Search - Gilbert & Sullivan, Isidore Godfrey, New Symphony Orchestra of London :: Gilbert & Sullivan: Princess Ida; Patter Songs

A Mixed Savoyard Blessing.

David Cellitti | Las Vegas, NV USA | 10/10/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Many decades ago the singer George Baker told me in an interview in the early 1970's that the reason he was asked by EMI to take over the comedy parts in the 1960's Malcolm Sargent Gilbert and Sullivan stereo recordings was because it was felt that Sir Geraint Evans, fine singer though he was, had failed to capture the spirit of the roles. The same case could be made against Nelson Eddy in his detour into the Savoy Operas. When noted Basso John Charles Thomas decided to let his hair down in the 1940's he did a recording of "When I was a Lad" for RCA that was startling, fresh and VERY un-D'Oyly Carte like. . Here Eddy hits all the notes and does his best to inject some "character" to some of the songs but it's all very workmanlike and pedestrian. I am no stranger to these recordings and I always felt they were nothing more than a curio, much like when Mae West took on Grand Opera by doing a scene from "Samson et Dalila" in "Goin' to Town".



At about the same time that I got an audience with singer George Baker I was also able to spend a little time with the D'Oyly Carte soprano Muriel Harding. Even decades later she was wistful about the fact that when Bridget D'Oyly Carte revived "Princess Ida" in the mid-1950's she was passed over for the title part in favor of Sadler Wells artist Victoria Sladen. Although she eventually did play the part on stage she was saddened that she never was able to commit the part for posterity on record. This re-release only adds to that wistfulness when I was reminded how delightful she is in the comparatively small role of Lady Psyche and how wooden Ms. Sladen sounds in the principal part. Ms. Sladen was originally brought on board to "punch-up" the "importance" of the "Ida" revival, but on record the concept backfires.



As I said in my comments for the re-release of first complete D'Oyly Carte "The Sorcerer", some may prefer the sonics of the later recording but point-by-point they each have their delights and drawbacks. Elizabeth Harwood's Ida on the stereo version is certainly heads above Sladen's, but who can resist Peter Pratt's wonderfully sardonic King Gama on the mono version? Thomas Round or Philip Potter as Hilarion? Ya got me brother! It's a matter of taste. The deciding factor for me in going with this earlier effort is Isidore Godfrey's sprightly conducting. Sir Malcolm Sargent tended to slow tempi down to a snails pace on his later Savoy efforts, and here he reins in numbers where he should let them loose and gallop.



And the Nelson Eddy recordings? I'm glad to have them for historical reasons on a remastered CD and I suppose the true Gilbert and Sullivan afficinado should have them in their library if only for the sake of completeness."

Too little of Nelson!

Thomas B. Schwartz | Muncie, in United States | 07/06/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The patter songs of Nelson Eddy are performed flawlessly; however, it is misleading in the title. ONe thinks that ALL of the music on this cd is by Nelson Eddy and it's not. Too bad as his interpretations are by far the finest recordings of G & S which are available. Amazon should tell the readers that."