The Very Best of Gilbert & Sullivan

Description

Product description D'oyly Carte Opera Company - Very Best of Gilbert & Sullivan - Double CD .co.uk At its best, the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company preserved traditions of singing Gilbert and Sullivan which had developed over many years of performances--and employed some wonderful singers for its productions. This compilation comprises material recorded between 1960 and 1973, when the company was still very strong and is a glorious testament to its achievements. And the great singers are well represented-- John Reed, perhaps the most distinctive voice of the company for many years, can be heard displaying his comic genius as the Lord High Executioner, The Learned Judge, Sir Joseph Porter and others; a youthful Valerie Masterson shines as Yum-Yum and Mabel; and Gillian Knight and Lyndsie Holland give hilarious renditions of those terrible creatures known as Gilbertian Contraltos. Of course these are just highlights, so G&S fans will undoubtedly have a favourite moment which is not represented--but the two discs run very generously at 69 and 74 minutes respectively, so there is plenty to enjoy. (A one-disc compilation can be found on The World of Gilbert and Sullivan.) There is one minor drawback: the recording levels vary between tracks, so keep your finger on the volume control! --Warwick Thompson