Search - Art of Savoyard :: Art of the Savoyard

Audio quality bad, but performances fascinating

R. J. Beilstein | North Syracuse, NY USA | 09/28/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"First off, it needs to be said that these recordings are from Edison's original phonograph design. The audio quality leaves a lot to be desired, and there is a lot of surface noise.



But, having said that, it is fascinating to hear many G&S standards performed by people who were actually directed by W.S. Gilbert. Even more fascinating is hearing Richard Temple sing the parts he originated ("Pirate King" from Pirates of Penzance, and "A More Humane Mikado" from Mikado). And it's too bad that Rutland Barrington never recorded anything by Gilbert and Sullivan, but one can hear from the piece that he did record how good he must have been as Pooh-Bah or Captain Corcoran. Other famous artists are represented also.



If you are a fan of G&S, and want to hear how it was originally performed, this is just about the only chance you'll get."

Collector's Item

Irwin Lublin | Los Angeles, CA United States | 08/23/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"These are the oldest Gilbert and Sullivan recordings in existence. They were all recorded on Edison Wax Cylinders and consequently the sound quality varies only from very poor to poor. On the other hand, true Savoyards have their only chance to hear most of these performers, many of whom appeared in the original casts of the Savoy Operas and were coached by Gilbert and Sullivan. Presumably then, these performances are the authentic ones. It is interesting to note that the lyrics are different in some instances from the modern ones. A number of the performances are not of G&S material."