The Pirates of Penzance

The Pirates of Penzance

The Pirates of Penzance
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Music CD Cover

Composer: W. S. Gilbert
Composer: Arthur Sullivan
Conductor: Isidore Godfrey
Orchestra: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Performer: D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
Performer: John Reed
Performer: Donald Adams
Performer: George Cook
Performer: Philip Potter
Performer: Owen Brannigan
Edition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 1989-07-21
Music Label: Polygram Records
Soundtracks:
Music CD 1
  1. The Pirates Of Penzance: Overture
  2. The Pirates Of Penzance: Act 1: Pour, Oh Pour The Pirate Sherry
  3. The Pirates Of Penzance: Act 1: When Fred'ric Was A Little Lad
  4. The Pirates Of Penzance: Act 1: Oh, Better Far To Live And Die
  5. The Pirates Of Penzance: Act 1: Oh, False One, You Have Deceived Me
  6. The Pirates Of Penzance: Act 1: Climbing Over Rocky Mountain
  7. The Pirates Of Penzance: Act 1: Stop! Ladies, Pray! A Man!
  8. The Pirates Of Penzance: Act 1: Oh, There Is Not One Maiden Breast
  9. The Pirates Of Penzance: Act 1: Oh, Sisters, Deaf To Pity's Name, For Shame!
  10. The Pirates Of Penzance: Act 1: Poor Wand'ring One!
  11. The Pirates Of Penzance: Act 1: What Ought We To Do, Gentle Sisters, Say?
  12. The Pirates Of Penzance: Act 1: How Beautifully Blue The Sky
  13. The Pirates Of Penzance: Act 1: Stay, We Must Not Lose Our Senses
  14. The Pirates Of Penzance: Act 1: Hold, Monsters!
  15. The Pirates Of Penzance: Act 1: I Am The Very Model Of A Modern Major-General
Music CD 2
  1. The Pirates Of Penzance: Act 1 : Oh, Men Of Dark And Dismal Fate
  2. The Pirates Of Penzance: Act 1 : Hail Poetry, Thou Heav'n Born Maid!
  3. The Pirates Of Penzance: Act 1 : You May Go, For You're At Liberty
  4. The Pirates Of Penzance: Act 1 : Pray Observe The Magnanimity
  5. The Pirates Of Penzance: Act 2: Oh, Dry The Glist'ning Tear
  6. The Pirates Of Penzance: Act 2: Then Frederic
  7. The Pirates Of Penzance: Act 2: When The Foeman Bares His Steel
  8. The Pirates Of Penzance: Act 2: Now For The Pirates Lair!
  9. The Pirates Of Penzance: Act 2: When You Had Left Our Pirate Fold
  10. The Pirates Of Penzance: Act 2: Away, Away, My Heart's On Fire
  11. The Pirates Of Penzance: Act 2: All Is Prepared
  12. The Pirates Of Penzance: Act 2: Stay Fred'ric Stay!
  13. The Pirates Of Penzance: Act 2: Ah, Leave Me Not To Pine Alone And Desolate
  14. The Pirates Of Penzance: Act 2: Oh, Here Is Love And Here Is Truth
  15. The Pirates Of Penzance: Act 2: No, I'll Be Brave
  16. The Pirates Of Penzance: Act 2: Sergeant Approach
  17. The Pirates Of Penzance: Act 2: When A Felon's Not Engaged In His Employment
  18. The Pirates Of Penzance: Act 2: A Rockling Band Of Pirates We
  19. The Pirates Of Penzance: Act 2: With Cat-like Tread
  20. The Pirates Of Penzance: Act 2: Hush! Hush! Not A Word
  21. The Pirates Of Penzance: Act 2: Sighing Softly To The River
  22. The Pirates Of Penzance: Act 2: Now What Is This, And What Is That
  23. The Pirates Of Penzance: Act 2: We Triumph Now
  24. The Pirates Of Penzance: Act 2: Away With Them, And Place Them At The Bar
  25. The Pirates Of Penzance: Act 2: Poor Wand'ring Ones, Though Ye Have Surely Strayed

Free Music Notes for The Pirates of Penzance

Free Music Review: In an ocean of Pirates, this one manages to steal near the most attention, and rightly so!
Hit: 5 Stars

The Pirates of Penzance was the second of Gilbert and Sullivan's most popular operas. The D'Oyly Carte Company recorded this opera in 1957 (I do believe), but without dialogue. Though by this time the Company had forsaken the habit of recording dialogue, this recording and the later account of HMS Pinafore are two happy exceptions, particularly this one. The casting, the conducting, and the recording are all excellent.

There is quite a starry lineup for this opera. John Reed takes the role of the Major General, one of his strongest roles, though he only recorded it this one time. (Listen to the audio clip of his Act I song to see what I mean.) Valerie Masterson makes the perfect Mabel, throwing off "Poor wand'ring one" with unbelievable ease. Hers remains one of the finest voices the Company ever had (she even looked like Mabel). She is matched well by Philip Potter, who, along with Thomas Round, was the best Gilbert and Sullivan Tenor of the Stereo Era. The present Sergeant of Police deserves special notice. Bass Owen Brannigan played the role in Sir Malcom Sargent's recording of Pirates, but appears here as a sort of guest artist. Brannigan, as the Penguine guide says, "was surely born to play the Sergeant of Police in the Pirates of Penzance." Take a few spins through his Act 2 song, "When a felon's not engaged in his employment," and you'll see what they mean. This the last recording Donald Adams made with the company, and he sounds just as fine as in any other recording he sang in. His sumptuous Bass-Baritone voice works incredibly well as the Pirate King. Even Kate and Edith are fine. I do not find Christine Palmer's voice as pleasant on record as Gillian Knight, Jill Pert, or Ann Collins (the fabulous Contralto of the Brent Walker video series), but she is still a very good Ruth.

This is Isidore Godfrey's last recording (1968), but he is still as full of his characteristic verve as he was in the 50's. The Major General's song (with perfect diction by Reed) is performed excitingly by the orchestra, with real panache. This is exemplary of the general treatment given Sullivan's orchestration here. None of the slow tempi that characterize Sargent's later recordings can be found in this set.

As for the recording, it is of the highest quality and is well up to Decca's standards. The recording quality contains none of the distortion found in the 1971 HMS Pinafore mentioned above, and is worlds better than the Mono of the previous decades. In short, it is very true to the original performance.

A couple minor notes: One oddity is that the Act I finale is pushed onto the second disc, though it could fit easily onto the first one. (I think this is on account of how the original LP was laid out; they wanted to duplicate it.) Also, the cover picture, the original LP art, is not the best, but it is the music that counts. One small cut can be found in the dialogue. Gilbert's gag after the Major General's song is trimmed down a bit, but with positive results. The joke outlives its welcome if done in extended form, and is performed convincingly as it is here.

This is top choice, all things considered. No better stereo version has been offered, and there is no sign of it being outdone for some time. Unless you do not want dialogue, this is the way to go.
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The Pirates of Penzance Poster

Owen Branigan almost steals the show with his portrayal of the flustered police sergeant (his rendition of his lot not being an 'appy one is worth the price of admission), but then again this Pirates is chock-full of terrific idiomatic singing. Donald Adams, for example, runs Branigan a close second as the pirate king, and the pair of lovers are endearing as well. Veteran Savoyard John Reed is a delicious Major General and Isidore Godfrey, the D'Oyly Carte's chief conductor for umpteen years, leads with élan. The recording dates from 1968, but you'd never know it; sonics are fresh as if they were recorded yesterday. Gilbert & Sullivan fans must have this version, which beats earlier D'Oyly Carte productions. If you must have all-digital though, Mackerras on Telarc leads a spunky performance. --Dan Davis

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