Very Best of Gilbert & Sullivan - D'Oyly Carte Opera Company 1926-1936 [Import]

Gilbert & Sullivan (Artist), Sargent (Artist), Norris (Artist), Godfrey (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 8, 1994)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Memoir Classics
• ASIN: B0000044RQ
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #643,683 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta: If You Want To Know Who We Are... A Wandering Minstrel I

2. The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta: Three Little Maids from School

3. The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta: Here's How-De-Do

4. The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta: The Flowers That Bloom in the Spirng

5. The Mikado (The Town of Titipu), operetta: Tit Willow

6. The Yeomen of the Guard (The Merryman and his Maid), operetta: Is life a Boon?

7. The Yeomen of the Guard (The Merryman and his Maid), operetta: Were I Thy Bride

8. H. M. S. Pinafore (The Lass that Loved a Sailor), operetta: We Sail The Ocean Blue... I'm Called Little Buttercup

9. H. M. S. Pinafore (The Lass that Loved a Sailor), operetta: I am the Captain of the Pinafore

10. H. M. S. Pinafore (The Lass that Loved a Sailor), operetta: When I was a Lad

11. H. M. S. Pinafore (The Lass that Loved a Sailor), operetta: Never Mind the Why and Wherefore

12. H. M. S. Pinafore (The Lass that Loved a Sailor), operetta: He is an Enlishman

13. The Pirates of Penzance, operetta: Oh is there not one Maiden Breast... Poor Wandering One

14. The Pirates of Penzance, operetta: I am the very Model of a Modern Major General

15. The Pirates of Penzance, operetta: When a Felon's Not Engaged in his Employment

16. The Pirates of Penzance, operetta: With Catlike Tread

17. Iolanthe (The Peer and the Peri), operetta: When Britain Really Ruled the Waves

18. Iolanthe (The Peer and the Peri), operetta: If You Go In

19. Trial by Jury, operetta: The Judge's Song

20. The Gondoliers (The King of Barataria), operetta: When Merry Maiden Marries

See all 23 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Almost first generation performances to revel in, July 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Very Best of Gilbert & Sullivan - D'Oyly Carte Opera Company 1926-1936 (Audio CD)

The performances on this selection of G&S are so numerous and varied that it is difficult to 'pin-point' a preference. But, I would have to choose the rendition by Nellie Briercliffe as Phoebe, in 'Were I thy bride'. The sheer character of the part leaps at you combined with a delicious sense of the humour, to make this performance easily the winner. No other rendition of this music has been equalled. The bonus of the Gondoliers and Pirates of Penzance make for a bargain release. My only quibble is the choice of the electric recording of the 1936 Mikado. A better choice would have been the 1926 recording with Sir Henry Lytton as Ko-Ko. The transfers would require some cosmetic choices to 'clean up' the hisses and other background noises, but it would have been far more interesting and in keeping with the 'Best' of Gilbert and Sullivan performances. As for purchasing this release, I whole-heartedly support you in doing so. Have nostalgic fun!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must for Savoyards, March 23, 2000

By 

Sandra G. Nagy "book afficiando" (Tempe, AZ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Very Best of Gilbert & Sullivan - D'Oyly Carte Opera Company 1926-1936 (Audio CD)

This nostalgic CD contains recordings of singers who actually rehearsed with Gilbert and Sullivan. The beautiful quality of these voices makes me wish I could have seen these wonderful performers on stage. Since this wish is impossible, this CD is the next best thing.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Transfers from a Golden Era, February 19, 2010

By 

Aronne (MN, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Very Best of Gilbert & Sullivan - D'Oyly Carte Opera Company 1926-1936 (Audio CD)

True, the old D'Oyly Carte recordings are not for everyone, but for G&S nuts and those with an interest in historical singers, this issue is sheer delight. Whoever did these transfers (alas, no credit is given) did an *amazing* job. Woah, he makes the 1927 Gondoliers sound like it was recorded in the early 50s! Surface noise is all but eliminated, allowing the listener to hear better what these legendary singers sounded like. (Noise rears its head once or twice, but it generally fades out once the music gets going.)

Excerpts are generally well-chosen, though as another reviewer mentioned, it is a pity that the 1926 Mikado wasn't selected over the 1936 one. The 1931 abridged Pirates is chosen over the 1929 complete recording, which I'm glad of only because I just purchased the 1929 recording (which is, on the whole, better). Muriel Dickson's Mabel is alright (some of the coloratura isn't spot-on), but no patch on Elsie Griffin's Mabel from two years earlier (WOW).

The two Yeomen (spelled "Yeoman" in the track listings) excerpts are particularly superb: Derek Oldham outdoes himself in "Is life a boon?" and Nellie Breircliffe gives what is easily the best "Were I thy bride" on record (I've heard five other recordings of it).

The second volume is even better than the first (transferred excellently by Mike Dutton), though it isn't available on Amazon at the moment. It includes more Lytton and Lewis -- and more Gondoliers, one of the best recordings of the era. Both may be searched out for MP3 download on other web serviced (i.e. eMusic). Either way, I urge anyone who loves G&S and can tolerate mono sound to search out a copy of this splendid CD.