Gilbert & Sullivan - Operettas / Pro Arte Orchestra · Sir Malcolm Sargent

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Music reviews of Gilbert & Sullivan - Operettas / Pro Arte Orchestra · Sir Malcolm Sargent

Music Review: An operatic approach to G&S
Rating: 4 Stars

They are all played by the Pro Arte Orchestra under the baton of veteran G&S conductor Sir Malcolm Sargent (who conducted most of the RCA Victor/HMV electric recordings) and feature the soloists and chorus of the Glyndebourne Festival. The only voice familiar to devotees of the earlier recordings is that of George Baker, who had assumed most of the comic roles on many an acoustic and electric recording, although he himself had never appeared in any of those roles on a stage.

Once the days of the mono LP were over, the Decca (overseas) and London (over here) labels were busily issuing stereo versions with D'Oyly Carte casts while EMI was giving them stiff competition with their Glyndebourne people. While the D'Oyly Carte singers were not quite up to their rivals vocally, several of their recordings included the dialogue, which was a bane to some, a blessing to others. However, now that both companies have reissued their complete Gilbert & Sullivan sets in a budget format, you can judge for yourselves which is superior. But it is of the EMI set that I wish to comment here.

It comes in a box of 16 CDs, arranged in the order of composition, except for "Trial by Jury" which follows rather than precedes "Pinafore" as part of the same set. My only quarrel with the series as a whole is the lack of a good basso profundo, especially for the role of Pooh-Bah. Using opera star Geraint Evans as Ko-Ko, Jack Point, and the Duke of Plaza-Toro was not a good idea, since he does not have that lightness of voice and sparkle the roles require. But George Baker takes over in the other comic leads; and it is difficult to believe that this man had made a "Mikado" recording back in 1917 and was still going strong. Oh, of course, now and then the patter songs take their toll. But Baker is a G&S legend and I am one of the thousands who love him.

The leading tenor (in 7 of the 9 recordings) is Richard Lewis, whose voice may not be as characterful as some of the D'Oyly Carte tenors of old but is beautiful to hear. The leading soprano is Elsie Morison, who can tackle the coloratura of Josephine ("Pinafore") and Mabel ("Pirates") with no trouble. Sounding a little too mature, perhaps, for some of the other roles, her vocalizing more than makes up for it. Now remember that most of these singers have long operatic backgrounds and approach Sullivan's music in that mode.

When the EMI LPs were transferred to CDs, the extra time each disc could carry called for several "fillers" or what is now called "bonus" tracks. So as an added inducement to purchase this set, you will also hear Sullivan's symphonic alone in his overtures to three of the works not included, "Overture in C," "Symphony in E," "Overture di Ballo," incidental music to "The Tempest" and to "The Merchant of Venice," and the "Cello Concerto in D." They are taken from more recent recordings with different orchestras and conductors.

The booklet gives all the casts and tracking, along with synopses cued to the tracks. However, newcomers are advised to find a good edition of the plays so they can follow the words and perhaps pause between songs to read the equally clever dialogue as a group entertainment.

So even if you own other recordings of these immensely popular works, I am sure you will enjoy this EMI set very much indeed. And yes, some of the sets are still available separately in their individual jewel cases.

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