Customer Reviews

Gilbert & Sullivan: The Mikado

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I was not expecting much from this recording when I bought it. Wasn't this the recording with the matronly Yum-Yum? The bored Nanki-Poo? The slow conducting? Yes and no.

While Elsie Morrison does sound a bit on the matronly side in "The sun whose rays," her performance on the whole is very fine indeed. Yum-Yum does not extend beyond Morrison's comfort zone: every note is beautifully assured.

Though Richard Lewis has a tendency to sound like he'd rather be elsewhere, he is involved enough in this recording to pass. He sounds lovesick for Yum-Yum indeed.

Now let's tackle what for most is the stickler: Sargent's tempi. Not only does Sargent not go exceedingly slower than normal, in a few numbers, he goes faster than normal! The fast number that comes to mind is the "Miya sama... From every kind of man obedience I expect" scene. It flows along at a wonderful speed. Owen Brannigan and Monica Sinclair handle the speed very well. There are a few slow numbers (the madrigal and the opening chorus particularly), but the singers are always up to the challenge of dealing with it.

Brannigan's "A more human Mikado" is now my favorite. Really, I like it better than even Donald Adam's approach. Brannigan's evil laugh is the best.

Is there anyone else out there who loves Ian Wallace's Pooh Bah? It was quite a revelation to me. His voice is so secure, his characterization so delightful.

Monica Sinclair as Katisha is in excellent voice, though she could be more imposing at times.

There are a few textual issues with this recording that will bother G&S fans who already have The Mikado more or less memorized. I can think of three off hand:
* Ko-Ko repeats "The town would lose" instead of "For Titipu" in "I am so proud"
* Pooh Bah sings "But as you've got a month to live" rather than "But as one month you have to live"
* Ko-Ko sings "You've got a good bargain in me" rather than "You've a very good bargain in me"

These things may seem unimportant trifles (that's how I see them), but they may be a sticking point for some.

Overall, this Mikado is not bad at all, but on the contrary is very good. Anyone who likes vintage G&S (a fine 1956 stereo recording) sung strongly, this set is sure to give (almost) unalloyed pleasure.

(At the time of this writing, the older EMI incarnation of this recording may be picked up used for less than the CfP issue: Gilbert & Sullivan: The Mikado.)