Customer Reviews

Gilbert & Sullivan -The Gondoliers / Michell, McDonnell, Egerton, Opera World [VHS]

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I recently worked with a local Gilbert and Sullivan theater company to put on "The Gondoliers," and it has been interesting to compare the live show with this particular film production. Opera World has done a surprisingly good job with this low-budget version; while the sound quality is still poorer than could be wished, the choreography and filming are infinitely better than those used in their disastrous rendition of "HMS Pinafore." Particularly outstanding are the performances of Don Alhambra (Keith Michell) and Marco (Francis Egerton). Michell's soft-voiced Alhambra is an interesting contrast to our own bellowing and confused one, and his cold condescension contrasts well with the boisterous Gondoliers and their wives; while Marco has less to do and say in the operetta than his brother Giuseppe, his incredible facial expression and quirky additions (such as the rose between the teeth during the Cachucha in Act II) give him at least as much on-screen presence. Giuseppe (Tom McDonnell) comes off as somewhat stiff and ill at ease during the first act, but begins to settle into his role during his aria "Rising Early in the Morning." The sound and choreography flag somewhat during the Duke's song "In Enterprise of Martial Kind," but are made up for in full by the charming Gavotte in Act II. Casilda and Luiz aren't given much to do, but they make the most of their time on screen with the lovely duets "O Rapture! When Alone Together" and "There Was a Time."

Musically "The Gondoliers" is one of Sir Arthur Sullivan's often-overlooked gems, and W.S. Gilbert's keen humor is as fresh and on-target as in his widely recognized works, "The Pirates of Penzance," "HMS Pinafore," and "The Mikado." While Gilbert and Sullivan are something of an acquired taste, for hard-core fans this production is still worth watching. If you are interested only in the music, I recommend buying a CD version instead; but if you're looking for something more, Opera World has produced a version which is quite satisfying.

A suberb cast top to bottom in one of G&S's best operettas. Faithful to Gilbert's libretto (unlike the Canadianized abomination perpetrated by the Stratford Festival in the 80's) this is one of the best Gilbert and Sullivan operettas available. Unfortunately that's not saying much since there are virtually no G&S videos available. Still, if you like great music, comedy, social wit and even good choreography don't hesitate to buy this video.

This is by no means a perfect performance, but I consider it the best of the series. It is intact, excepting small (though funny) parts of the dialogue and the second verse of Antonio's song ("For the Merriest Fellows are We"). The singers, I thought, were all quite serviceable and well cast. The worst problem, as with all of the Brent Walker G&S videos, is overacting, cheap sets, and bad camera work. However, those iniquities are less in this one and it is quite serviceable. It captures the spirit of the opera, at least, and we are not left to groan over bad acting and singing as we are in the other videos.

Considering that this is practically all we have in the way of recorded G&S, I think it deserves four stars.

SOURCE:
This is one of a series of eleven Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas (plus Sullivan's "Cox and Box") produced for broadcast by the BBC and by PBS. "The Gondoliers" was rehearsed and shot over a two-week period in 1982. This DVD version was issued in 2002.

CAST:
THE DUKE OF PLAZA-TORO, that very knowing, overflowing, easy-going Spanish nobleman of impeccable family but limited means - Eric Shilling (patter baritone)
THE DUCHESS OF PLAZA-TORO, whose relations had bet her that she couldn't love the Duke, but she did--desperately! - Anne Collins, (mezzo-soprano)
CASILDA, daughter of the Duke and Duchess, in love with Luiz, but married at the age of six months to the King of Barataria - Sandra Dugdale (soprano)
LUIZ, the Duke's own particular drummer - Christopher Booth-Jones (baritone)
DON ALHAMBRA DEL BOLERO, the Grand Inquisitor of Spain, who is always up to date - Keith Michell (baritone, sort of)
MARCO PALMIERI, a gondolier passionately loved by all the pretty young contadine and who just might be the King of Barataria - Francis Egerton (tenor)
GIANETTA, a peasant girl, contadina, who becomes Marco's wife - Nan Christie (soprano)
GIUSEPPE PLAMIERI, Marco's brother, also passionately loved, etc. - Tom McDonnell (baritone)
TESSA, a contadina who becomes Giuseppe's wife - Fiona Kimm (mezzo-soprano)
FIAMETTA, a contadina - not identified (soprano)
VITTORIA - not identified (mezzo-soprano)
GIULIA - not identified (soprano)
ANTONIO, a gondolier, with loving and laughing and quipping and quaffing, as happy as happy can be - Peter Savidge (baritone);
FRANCESCO, a gondolier - not identified (tenor)
GIORGIO, a gondolier - not identified (bass-baritone)
ANNIBALE, a gondolier - not identified (speaking part)
INEZ, foster-mother to the King of Barataria - not identified (mezzo-soprano)

CONDUCTOR:
Alexander Farris with the London Symphony Orchestra and the Ambrosian Opera Chorus.

SOUND:
Minimally acceptable 1980s analogue stereo, but no more.

PRODUCTION STAFF;
George Walker, executive producer; Judith de Paul, producer; Peter Wood, stage director; Dave Heather, video director.

PRODUCTION:
This production of "The Gondoliers" adheres quite closely to the "traditional" form of production established by W. S. Gilbert, who was not only the author of the piece but the stage director and set designer as well. Like the stage version, this video production is essentially a two-set show. Act I is placed in a sunny Venetian plaza with a practical canal up stage. Act II is placed in a throne room of the palace on the Mediterranean island of Barataria. The Act I set is quite handsome and obviously intended to capture the warm, muted colors and general look of 19th Century Italian genre paintings. The Act II set is more generic in nature, a bright open hall and not much more.

The costumes for the main principals are again traditional. The Duke, Duchess, Casilda, Luiz and Don Alhambra are all decked out in the fashion of aristocrats and their servants in the days of Louis XVI. (The costume designer missed an intended visual joke, however, in failing to differentiate between the threadbare state of the Duke and Duchess in the first act and their well-heeled sartorial splendor in the second act.) Marco and Giuseppe are (traditionally) garbed as late 19th Century gondoliers in Act I and uncomfortably (again traditionally) as joint-King of Barataria in Act II. The chorus, on the other hand, are not handled traditionally at all. Despite their repeated insistence that they are respectively "contadine," peasant girls, and "gondolieri," gondoliers, the women are dressed as fairly sophisticated town girls and the men are clearly Venetians of every employment but that of gondolier.

It should be noted that the choristers not singing solo parts are far too good as dancers to be any believable group of real singers. It is clear that the Ambrosian Chorus recorded their numbers, while dancers mouthing the words appeared on screen.

TEXT:
Unlike too many recent productions of the masterpieces of G&S, this "Gondoliers" is quite faithful to both the words and music of its creators. The major musical cut is the second verse of Antonio's song, "For the merriest fellows are we." The spoken dialogue has been subjected to some trimming but mostly left untouched. There are, thank heaven, no feeble "improvements" or lame "updatings" to either words or music.

DOCUMENTATION:
Libretto, showing the lyrics as used in this production. Spoken dialogue is omitted, being replaced in the libretto with a sentence or two summarizing what is said. The DVD is infested with the absolutely wretched nuisance of poor old Doug Fairbanks, Jr., offering appallingly inept introductions to each of the two acts.

COMMENTARY:
From 1875, with "Trial by Jury," to 1889, with "The Gondoliers," W. S. Gilbert and Arthur, Sullivan had an unbroken string of eleven successful comic operas, some of them, "H.M.S. Pinafore," "The Pirates of Penzance," "The Mikado" and "The Gondoliers," becoming world-wide smash hits. "The Gondoliers" was the end of the line. There were, indeed, two more G&S collaborations, both of which did well enough in their original productions, but both the partners and the general public knew that the magic time had passed. (From the last years of the late 20th Century, revivals of the last two shows, "Utopia, Ltd." and "The Grand Duke" were successfully mounted with some regularity, but they are still not quite on a level with the great eleven.)

Around 1980, the BBC ordered production of the eleven G&S shows then regarded as worthy of revival. A major aspect of the financing of the project hinged on the participation of the American PBS, hence the lame introductions from the familiar figure of that thoroughly Anglicized American, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. Budgets were tight and closely watched. The shows had to fit within a two-hour broadcast slot. Every show had to have at least one "star" performer who would be familiar to the home audience. In this case, it was Keith Michell, who had gained international fame as Henry VIII in "The Six Wives of Henry VIII."

The show is well-sung--except, of course, for Keith Michell, who is weak and miscast. His part, the Grand Inquisitor, can be done as a charming, sunny old chap inexplicably caught up in an unpleasant profession or as a menacing monster on his best behavior, a sort of tiger come to afternoon tea. Michell is neither, offering only a vacuum on the stage. The Duke of Plaza-Toro, for his part, gives a perfectly straight-forward reading from beginning to end, failing time after time to bring out the laughs in one of the great comic characters.

Overall, the impression provided by this "Gondoliers" is generic and bland, reflecting the pick-up nature of the cast, the short rehearsal time and the absence of practical experience performing as a group before the public. It's all right, I hasten to add, but it could have been so much better. Still, as the competing productions from the Canadian Stratford Festival and the Australian Opera have demonstrated with such exquisite clarity, it could have been worse, oh, so VERY much worse.

Four slightly dubious stars ... until something better comes along.

LEC/AM/8-08

Your editorial review is correct but understates the technical problem with the sound in this whole series. The excess reverberation, poor audio production, and the English accents make this almost indecipherable by North Americans. I get the feeling that the director is very visually oriented, but he tries to get cute and technical. The trick shots are just too contrived. The cast does not seem to be having any fun, the hallmark of a good G&S performance. They are not sharing the joke because they are so pre occupied with their technique.

I far prefer the series done at Stratford in Canada rather than this candidate for Madame Tusaud's museum.

The casting and direction were both excellent, as was the cinematography. The actor/singers were all terrific. Especially impressive were the major dance scene and the role of the Grand Inquisitor. This ought to be re-released even though it has one Canada-oriented joke which may not be caught by everyone. I enjoyed it immensely and would like to own a copy.

The Gondoliers is one of G&S's greatest works and having just wrapped on The Gondoliers myself playing Gianetta, I found this production extremely enjoyable. With the exception of a few casting mistakes (The Duke and perhaps Casilda), I fully commend Opera World this time. They nailed the rest of the characters and cast them correctly (Michell (Don Alhambra), McDonnell (Giuseppe), Egerton (Marco), and Christie (Gianetta)) and even though the staging and technical stuff was not at it's best, the actors had enough energy and brilliance to their performance that the poor filming was masked. Great fun. If you are a G&S lover, this is a must-see.

I never believed that Gilbert and Sullivan could be rendered unfunny, but this cardboard production manages to produce the impossible. they have turned one of the funniest, most dynamic plays to a static yawn. The singing on a whole is pretty good, but the sound quality and acting are terrible. I'd say go for the Stratford production: while the voices may not be quite as good (and for many of the singers are)--the Canadian production is far better at catching the sparkle and playfulness of this play.

The acting and the singing are both acceptable but not wonderful. The text was also difficult to understand.

This is real Gilbert and Sullivan from witty conversation to great music. And of course the twists and turns of culture and educate. Almost a Greek play turns out one of two republican gondoliers is in reality the king of Barataria and that is just for starters . Keith Michell (also played in Ruddigore) as Don Alhambra del Bolero does not have a lot of stage time but a great presents.

On the whole this presentation was quite satisfying.

Song index
1. Introduction: Doulas Fairbanks, Jr.
ACT I
2. Overture and Credits
3. List and lean, ye dainty roses
(Opening Chorus: Contadine)
4. We're called "Gondolieri"
(Duet: Marco and Giuseppe)
5. From the sunny Spanish shore Te Duke of Plaza-Tor'
(Entrance of Duke, Duchess, Casilda, and Luiz)
6. That celebrated, cultivates, underrated nobleman, The Duke of Plaza-Toro!
(Song: Duke)
7. There was a time...for ever gone...ah, woe is me!
(Duet: Casilda and Luiz)
8. Not that there is no matter of doubt No possible doubt whatever
(Song: Don Alhambra)
9. Try we life-long, we can never Straighten out life's tangles skein
(Quintet: Duke, Duchess, Casilda, Luiz, and Don Alhambra)
10. When a merry maiden marries
(Song: Tessa)
11. Kind sir, you cannot have a heart our lives to Part
(Song: Gianetta)
12. Oh, `tis a glorious thing, I ween, to be a regular Royal Queen!
(Quartet: Marco, Giuseppe, Gianetta, and Tessa)
13. For Everyone who feels inclined Some post we undertake to find
(Duet: Marco and Giuseppe)
14. In yonder isle beyond the sea, do not forget you've married me!
(Duet: Gianetta and Tessa)
15. Entr'acte: Fairbanks
Act II
16. Opening Chorus
17. Rising early in the morning We proceed to light the fire
(Song: Giuseppe and Chorus)
18. Take a pair of sparkling eyes
(Song: Marco)
19. After sailing to this island... We are all once more on dry land
(Duet: Tessa and Gianetta)
20. Dance a cachucha, fandango, bolero
(Chorus and Dance)
21. There lived a King, as I've been told
(Song: Don Alhambra)
22. In a contemplative fashion And a Tranquil frame of mind
(Quartet: Marco, Giuseppe, Gianetta, and Tessa)
23. On the day when I was wedded to your admirable sire
(Song: Duchess)
24. Small Tittles and orders of Mayors and Recorders
(Duet: Duke and Duchess)
25. I am a courtier grave and serious Who is about to kiss your hand
(Gavotte: Due, Duchess, Casilda, Marco, and Giuseppe)