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Iolanthe
Gilbert & Sullivan, D'Oyly Carte
Iolanthe
Genre: Classical
 
  •  Track Listings (16) - Disc #1
  •  Track Listings (12) - Disc #2

Iolanthe has one of the funniest lines in all of Gilbert and Sullivan. As the Peers (as in the House of Lords) enter, they sing: "Bow! Bow! Ye lower middle classes; Bow! Bow! Ye tradesmen bow ye masses; Blow the Trumpet...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: Gilbert & Sullivan, D'Oyly Carte
Title: Iolanthe
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: Polygram Records
Release Date: 7/21/1989
Genre: Classical
Style: Opera & Classical Vocal
Number of Discs: 2
SwapaCD Credits: 2
UPC: 028941414526

Synopsis

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Iolanthe has one of the funniest lines in all of Gilbert and Sullivan. As the Peers (as in the House of Lords) enter, they sing: "Bow! Bow! Ye lower middle classes; Bow! Bow! Ye tradesmen bow ye masses; Blow the Trumpets! Bang the brasses! Tan Taran Tarah Chin Boom!" OK, so you had to have been there; but trust me, it's a riot. Anyway, this "fairy"-story parody on the undine theme, about a fairy who loves a mortal, is a typically frothy confection of biting social satire and innocent sentiment. The performance by the D'Oyly Carte company is about as close to the original production as we're likely to get. --David Hurwitz

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CD Reviews

Reed, Adams, Round, Sandford and Styler, all in one!
08/24/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)

"This recording from 1960 was the second that John Reed had made. His rendition of the Lord Chancellor is a delight, although he was not fully 'rounded' in performance as in later years. This is a part that requires a mature experience. The downside being that this can also mean loss of control in diction, as was the case in his later recording of 1974. The rest of the cast are brilliant, the chorus superb and the whole performance under Isidore Godfrey magnificent. The inclusion of the use of the Grenadier Guards for the entrance of the Peers is well worth the purchase. They were usually used in performance when the company performed in London, dating a tradition from the original plan of Gilbert in his 1882 production. Of all the recordings made by the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, especially since the late 1940's, this is quite the best. The dialogue is quite a joy and the scene from act 2, between Tolloller and Mountarat, affectionately known as the 'Thomas and George' scene is perfection itself. How we all miss such definitive renditions of the parts and with such style."
The peers and Peris
06/28/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD is much better than any other Iolanthe CD because it also has the dailogue. I found it great for myself as a performer who will appear in this play to listen to it so that I can be better aware of what is occuring so I know how to react to certain incidences. Anyone who loves Gilbert and Sullivan will love the complicated Act 1 Finale by far is one of the longest Finales written by G & S. The Invocation of Iolanthe is also quite dramatic. I hope you enjoy this CD as much as I, a seasoned Gilbert and Sullivan performer have enjoyed this awesome work of Gilbert and Sullivan."
A most timely satire
F. Behrens | Keene, NH USA | 02/16/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Never mind that this work has some of the most beautiful music ever composed for any musical format, it is Gilbert's lifelong battle against human stupidity (is there any other kind?)that makes this libretto so incredibly timely. The second act opens with a sentry commenting on how party loyalties make it unnecessary for politicians to have any brains at all when it comes to voting; and this is followed soon after by a song about how those who govern do best when they do not meddle "in matters which they do not understand." Good advice for bureaucrats who know how to run hospitals, schools, and private behavior. For once, you might not want to program out the dialogue...which is not given separate tracking so you could not do it anyway. A real treat for those who never heard IOLANTHE and the only recording with the complete dialogue."