Product Details

• Actors: Eric Shilling, Anne Collins, Francis Egerton, Tom McDonnell, Fiona Kimm
• Directors: Dave Heather, Peter Wood
• Writers: William S. Gilbert
• Producers: Edward Simons, George Walker, Judith de Paul
• Format: Classical, Color, NTSC
• Subtitles: English
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Superior Promotions,
• VHS Release Date: November 16, 1999
• Run Time: 117 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 1578900131
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #585,599 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Tuneful and atmospheric, The Gondoliers comes closer to conventional operetta than most Gilbert & Sullivan works. Two young men learn that one of them is heir to a throne. But no one knows which is the prince and which is the gondolier, so they travel to the fictitious kingdom of Barataria to rule jointly. Sullivan's Italianate score--his most radiant--sets the tone, though there's a fair helping of Gilbert's trademark wit. The result is exceptionally mellow for G&S.

This production (part of the Opera World series of Gilbert & Sullivan works, made for British TV in the 1980s) is well done in a straightforward way, neither gimmicky nor very imaginative. The cast, a mix of Savoyards, opera singers, and stage actors, is pretty good vocally and comically. Things would be more stimulating if Tom McDonnell and Francis Egerton, in the title roles, were less generic. Marco and Giuseppe are impossibly idealistic: kings naive enough to believe in democracy. They should be adorable (like other Gilbert & Sullivan leading men, they're pursued by an entire chorus of women) as well as absurd. These performers offer only mild personalities and reasonable voices. As with many productions in the series, this one suffers from less than perfect technical values. The performers are badly amplified; you can tell when someone has stepped away from a microphone. And the actors sometimes address their lines to persons unknown off screen, which suggests an attempt to save money by cutting down on cast size. --David Olivenbaum

From the Producer

This video is part of a series produced originally for BBC.TV. With a production budget of $1,000,000 per opera, a special film set was created for each, and top stars from the world of opera and comedy were recruited for the leading roles. Here, Eric Shilling is the Duke of Plaza-Toro, and Keith Michell is Don Alhambra, the Grand Inquisitor. The London Symphony Orchestra and the world-acclaimed Ambrosian Opera Chorus perform Sullivan's music with exuberance and precision. A brief introduction by Douglas Fairbanks Jr explains the origins and context of the opera. New digital remastering has produced both picture and (hi-fi stereo) sound of exceptional quality.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars "On some points rather sore, but on the whole, delightful.", June 25, 2003

By 

"eranney" (Madison, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gilbert & Sullivan -The Gondoliers / Michell, McDonnell, Egerton, Opera World [VHS] (VHS Tape)

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.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gilbert and Sullivan at its best, March 11, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Gilbert & Sullivan -The Gondoliers / Michell, McDonnell, Egerton, Opera World [VHS] (VHS Tape)

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.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Best in the series, April 22, 2005

By 

Pitti-Sing (Titipu, Japan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gilbert & Sullivan -The Gondoliers / Michell, McDonnell, Egerton, Opera World [VHS] (VHS Tape)

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.