Gilbert and Sullivan (1982)

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Customer reviews

review by: date: 2008-07-17 rating:
Savoy Operas
This series contains much charm, entertainment, and is an artistic credit to the creative genius of G & S. What I cannot understand is why the sound quality is so awful. I have a reasonably good audio system and yet I need to follow the libretto to remind me of the words. Although it was produced in 1982, it is reminiscent of the early recordings of the D'Oyly Carte Company in the 50's. Why is this?

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review by: date: 2007-07-14 rating:
A second look!
I agree with much the previous reviewer wrote, On first viewing this series I was a little dissappointed, having in memory the (vocal) renditions of earlier, familiar, artists. However, after replaying the discs a time or two, one begins to warm to the unfamiliar casts and, in general, the result is an enjoyable voyage into the "Topsy-Turvey" world of Gilbert and Sullivan!

One has, I feel, to be a fan of Frankie Howerd to appreciate his performances, especially as Sir Joseph in Pinafore, which, for me at least, was the the poorest of the set. Otherwise, with a couple of viewings (via a pair of headphones, preferably!) I find the compendium most enjoyable! June 2007.


review by: date: 2004-11-21 rating:
Re visiting after 20 years
This is a remarkable achievement in many ways. The Brent Walker Organisation announced these recordings back in the early 80's and for a time it was intended to film the stage presentations of the old D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. However, with yet another refusal by the Arts Council to inject funds into that organisation, the company had to disband and George Walker had to re-think.

12 operas are presented, the 11 Gilbert and Sullivan works from TRIAL BY JURY (1875) to GONDOLIERS (1889)plus Burnand and Sullivan's COX AND BOX, sadly UTOPIA and GRAND DUKE were missed out. At the heart of these films is Alexander Faris (himself a guest conductor at D'Oyly Carte from time to time) and he undoubtedly draws some magnificent performances from the London Symphony Orchestra and the Ambrosian Opera Chorus. These performances are all the more enjoyable now as the digital re-mastering has not only enhanced the magnificent picture quality, but has provided the soundtracks in three different stereo formats.

The one real sadness of the series is the production of YEOMEN. Not only do the producers advance the action to the time of Charles I (making the costumes for the Yeomen themselves rather less spectacular), but there are numerous cuts; Phoebe loses the 1st verse of her opening number, the act one trio and Fairfax's ballad are both missing, Fairfax's act two ballad, "Strange Adventure", "When a wooer goes a-wooing", and "Rapture, rapture" are absent. The excuse for this was that the piece needed to run no longer than two hours for the purposes of television broadcast, and yet when it was first broadcast on the BBC, much of the missing material was present. Strange too that, although not the longest of the works, none of the other operas in the series suffer cuts of a similar magnitude.

On the plus side, the DVD version of RUDDIGORE includes much material that was actually cut from the VHS tape. This has the effect of making the opera virtually complete in terms of the standard Norris/Toye version of the work that was current at the time of filming. There is in fact only one cut - the second verse of the madrigal "When the buds are blossoming".

Some of the productions that seemed unacceptable in 1982, now are quite charming. Once you get past some of the so-called "star" performers. Frankie Howerd is dreadful as Sir Joseph (PINAFORE) but quite charming as the Learned Judge (TRIAL). The production of PRINCESS IDA seems now quite delightful as a play within a play and even Frank Gorshin as King Gama is really quite acceptable, whilst the musical production now fully revealed, is stunning, although it has to be said that the lack of Lady Blanche's "Come mighty must" has to be regarded as a black mark.

The gems of this series have to be COX AND BOX (presented in its full-length 1866/7 version), THE SORCERER and PATIENCE (the latter taken almost entirely from the English National Opera production. Ex-D'Oyly Carte performer Donald Adams makes an invaluable contribution to SORCERER, PATIENCE and RUDDIGORE. It is a pity that his MIKADO was not preserved, but William Conrad (Cannon) gives a surprisingly good performance in the role.

Sadly, no attempt has been made to credit singers who were missed in the credits on the sleves of the original tapes. For example, I still don't know who plays the Notary in SORCERER or Tolloller in IOLANTHE.

Each DVD comes with a copy of the 'production' libretto, missing out the dialogue but giving the lyrics, although it is not wise to rely too heavily on these as certainly as far as RUDDIGORE is concerned the lyric for "I shipped d'ye see" is missing, whilst the number itself is performed. One is able to skip the dreadful (and often inaccurate and embarrassingly patronising) introductions by Douglas Fairbanks Jnr, there are bonus features about the making of some of the films, picture galleries, and the ability on each DVD to play the musical numbers as if they were a CD, allowing you to hear the music in the new glorious stereo without the dialogue or the picture.

All in all, twenty years on, this series comes into its own. Anyone who owns the original VHS tapes, I would urge you to ditch them and buy this set to replace them. After all, it is currently the only way to own 11 Gilbert and Sullivan Operas and COX AND BOX on film.

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