Gilbert & Sullivan: Mikado at Music Hills.com

Music CD 1

The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta: Overture
The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta: Act 1.: "If you want to know who we are"
The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta: Act 1.: "Gentlemen, I pray you tell me"
The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta: Act 1.: "A wand'ring minstrel I"
The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta: Act 1.: "Our great Mikado, virtuous man"
The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta: Act 1.: "Young man, despair"
The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta: Act 1.: "And I have journey'd for a month"
The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta: Act 1.: "Behold the Lord High Executioner!"
The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta: Act 1.: "As someday it may happen that a victim must be found"
The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta: Act 1.: "Comes a train of little ladies"
The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta: Act 1.: "Three little maids from school are we"
The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta: Act 1.: "So please you, Sir, wr much regret"
The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta: Act 1.: "Were you not proud, If I allowed"
The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta: Act 1.: "I am so proud, If I allowed"
The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta: Act 1.: "With aspect stern and gloomy stride"
The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta: Act 1.: "The threaten'd cloud has pass'd away"
The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta: Act 1.: "Your revels cease! Assist me, all of you!"
The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta: Act 1.: "Oh fool, that flee-est My hallow'd joys!"
The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta: Act 1.: "For he's going to marry Yum-Yum"
The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta: Act 1.: "The hour of gladness is dead and gone"
The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta: Act 1.: "Ye torrents roar! Ye tempests howl!"

Music CD 2

The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta: Act 2.: "Braid the raven hair, Weave the supple tresses"
The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta: Act 2.: "The sun whose rays are all ablaze"
The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta: Act 2.: "Brightly dawn our wedding day"
The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta: Act 2.: "Here's a how-de-do!"
The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta: Act 2.: "Miya sama, miya sama, o n'mma no maye ni"
The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta: Act 2.: "From ev'ry kind of man Obedience I expect"
The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta: Act 2.: "A more humane Mikado never did in Japan exist"
The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta: Act 2.: "The criminal cried as he dropp'd him down"
The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta: Act 2.: "See how the fates their gifts allot"
The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta: Act 2.: "The flowers that bloom in the spring, tra la"
The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta: Act 2.: "Alone and yet alive"
The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta: Act 2.: "Hearts do not break! They sting and ache"
The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta: Act 2.: "On a tree by a river a little tom tit"
The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta: Act 2.: "There is beauty in the bellow of the blast"
The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta: Act 2.: Fanfare
The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta: Act 2.: "For he's gone and married Yum-Yum"

Music reviews of Gilbert & Sullivan: Mikado

Music Review: Great Orchestra - Lousy Cast
Rating: 3 Stars

As a former Pooh-Bah, I can say the one on this recording is awful. Sure Sandford is a powerful singer and has a tremendous vibrato...bur come on, get over yourself. In fact, this seems to be a common ailment throughout this era of D'Oyly Carte. The performances of the Mikado, Nanki-Poo, and Katisha are all overblown and just not fun to listen to. The notable exception is Yum-Yum, whose voice is fantastic for light opera and actually sounds like she's enjoying the role instead of the chance to display her talent.

Whatever ailments affected the singers of this time of D'Oyly Carte blessedly did not touch the orchestra. This recording is one of the best I've heard for orchestral perfection. Good balance, perfect timing, and just the right 'extras' that afficionados will recognize.

Acceptable for a listen if you check in out from the library, but don't spend the money to add this to your collection.