Arthur Sullivan (1842-1900)
Operettas
Pro Arte Orchestra
dir : Sir Malcolm Sargent
This 16-CD set contains the complete nine-opera series that Sir Malcolm Sargent recorded for EMI from 1957–63; the overtures to Cox and Box, The Sorcerer, Princess Ida (Sargent/Pro Arte Orchestra); Overture di Ballo (Sargent/BBC Symphony Orchestra); In Memoriam, Tempest Suite and Merchant of Venice Suite (CBSO/Dunn); Symphony in E (RLPO/Groves); and the Cello Concerto (LSO/Mackerras/Lloyd-Webber).
EMI 5 74468 2 stereo - 16 CDs [P] 2001
Individual FLAC files, logs, scans
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Malcolm Sargent began serving as an accompanist for amateur productions of Gilbert & Sullivan when he was 14, was musical director for the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company from 1926 to 1928, and made complete recordings of several of the operettas with the company, so he clearly had the Gilbert & Sullivan tradition in his blood. During the late '50s and early '60s he recorded nine of the operettas (without the dialogue) with the Glyndebourne Festival Chorus and the Pro Arte Orchestra using regular Glyndebourne soloists, including sopranos Elsie Morison and Heather Harper, contraltos Monica Sinclair and Marjorie Thomas, tenors Richard Lewis and Alexander Young, baritones John Cameron and George Baker, and bass Owen Brannigan. Each of Sargent's Glyndebourne versions of the operettas has been released individually, plus smaller works by Sullivan to fill out the discs, and this compilation includes all the previous releases.
These performances under Sargent's leadership are uniformly at a musically high level, models of precise and nuanced playing and singing. They vary, though, in the extent to which they convey the element of fun that's essential to make Gilbert & Sullivan really sparkle. Some versions are absolutely stellar; the performances of H.M.S. Pinafore, and especially Trial by Jury, are easily in contention for the finest recorded versions, musically immaculate, scintillating, and wildly funny. At the other end of the spectrum is a humdrum performance of Patience, in which only Sinclair and Baker seem to be having any fun at all. Among the more consistently satisfying performances are The Pirates of Penzance, Iolanthe, Ruddigore, and Yeomen of the Guard, which are spirited and zesty, for the most part. The Mikado and The Gondoliers are somewhat less effective, although the orchestra and chorus are consistently excellent. Another factor in the impact of the performances is the vocal quality of the soloists. Morison is cast in the ingénue role in all of the operettas, but except for The Pirates of Penzance and Trial by Jury, she sounds too mature for the parts. Lewis is frequently the heroic lead, but he tends to sound thin and strained more often than heroic. Several troopers can be counted on to excel wherever they are cast, particularly Sinclair, Brannigan, Cameron, and Baker, who are in fine voice and are exceptional comedians.
The short works included as filler -- overtures to other Gilbert & Sullivan operettas, and Sullivan's "serious," concert works -- don't contribute much to the compilation. Most feature conductors other than Sargent, and the performances range from fine to decidedly mediocre. Overall, though, the musical quality of Sargent's performances makes this a collection that should be of interest to any serious fan of Gilbert and Sullivan, and there are some complete works and individual performances that are genuinely transcendent.
AllMusic Review - Stephen Eddins