Search - Arthur Sullivan, Isidore Godfrey, New Symphony Orchestra of London :: Gilbert & Sullivan: HMS Pinafore Highlights

A generous selection!

scaphio | Bristol, UK | 01/05/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"With so much of the recording offered as highlights it would have been better to purchase the full operetta. This recording dates from 1960 and is superalative in every respect. John Reed, Jean Hindmarsh, Thomas Round together with the late Donald Adams are reasons enough to acquire this version. The only missing quality is the dialogue. Never was the libretti of Gilbert ever spoken with more relish for the language and with such finesse. If you decide upon further investigation I urge you to do so."

Great (I suppose) if you already know the words

Daniel Brockman | Petaluma, CA USA | 03/13/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"For me, the voices were faint relative to the musical instruments. It was difficult to hear them. Yet, the language was so stylized that, even when heard, understanding the words was tedious and exasperating. Most mannerisms of the stage originated in purposeful behavior, I feel sure, but they detract from the performance when overindulged. I think I'd prefer a studio recording in which the singers sang with unpretentious style right into a microphone, and the audio engineer adjusted tone and timbre. I imagine elitists cluck-clucking about the purity of music without microphones. In my opinion, if you're making a CD, then you've sinned already, so why not go all the way and make a great CD? If my dear reader remains with me at this stage of my rant, I say the performance at the opera house may be mahvelous and pristine, but a CD and an opera house are different media, and performers should optimize for the medium. However, this recording of Pinafore is the best I've found of the sad available lot. I'd rate it 2 stars if it weren't superlative."