Dive into the enchanting world of Victorian-era operetta with Arthur Sullivan's "Essential Gilbert & Sullivan," a meticulously curated collection of some of the most beloved works from the iconic duo's repertoire. Released on Warner Classics, this album is a treasure trove of witty lyrics and memorable melodies that have captivated audiences for generations.
Spanning a duration of 2 hours and 37 minutes, this compilation features a diverse array of selections from Sullivan's most celebrated operas, including "The Mikado," "HMS Pinafore," "The Pirates of Penzance," and many others. Each track showcases the unique blend of humor, satire, and musical ingenuity that has made Gilbert and Sullivan's collaborations timeless classics.
The album opens with the whimsical "A Wand'ring Minstrel I" from "The Mikado," setting the stage for a journey through the duo's most enduring works. Highlights include the rousing "I am the very model of a modern Major-General" from "The Pirates of Penzance," the charming "When I was a lad I served a term" from "HMS Pinafore," and the enchanting "The flowers that bloom in the spring" from "The Mikado."
Arthur Sullivan's compositions, paired with W.S. Gilbert's ingenious lyrics, offer a delightful commentary on the social and political landscapes of their time. The album's 50 tracks provide a comprehensive overview of the duo's collaborative genius, making it an essential addition to any music enthusiast's collection.
Whether you're a seasoned fan of operetta or a newcomer to the genre, "Essential Gilbert & Sullivan" promises an unforgettable experience. Immerse yourself in the rich tapestry of Sullivan's music and Gilbert's wit, and discover why these timeless works continue to resonate with audiences today.
Sullivan: The Mikado or The Town of Titipu, Act 1: No. 2b, Song with Chorus, "A Wand'ring Minstrel I" (Nanki-Poo, Nobles)Arthur Sullivan, Richard Lewis/Glyndebourne Chorus/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
Sullivan: The Mikado or The Town of Titipu, Act 1: No. 5, Chorus with Song, "Behold the Lord High Executioner!" (Nobles, Ko-Ko)Arthur Sullivan, Sir Geraint Evans/Glyndebourne Chorus/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
Sullivan: The Mikado or The Town of Titipu, Act 1: No. 5a, Song, "As some day it may happen" (Ko-Ko, Nobles)Arthur Sullivan, Sir Geraint Evans/Glyndebourne Chorus/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
Sullivan: The Mikado or The Town of Titipu, Act 1: No. 7, Trio with Chorus, "Three little maids from school" (Yum-Yum, Peep-bo, Pitti-Sing, Girls)Arthur Sullivan, Elsie Morison/Jeannette Sinclair/Marjorie Thomas/Glyndebourne Chorus/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
Sullivan: The Mikado or The Town of Titipu, Act 2: No. 13, Song, "The sun, whose rays are all ablaze" (Yum-Yum)Arthur Sullivan, Elsie Morison/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
Sullivan: The Mikado or The Town of Titipu, Act 2: No. 15, Trio, "Here's a how-de-do!" (Yum-Yum, Nanki-Poo, Ko-Ko)Arthur Sullivan, Elsie Morison/Richard Lewis/Sir Geraint Evans/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
Sullivan: The Mikado or The Town of Titipu, Act 2: No. 17, Song with Chorus, "A more humane Mikado" (Mikado, Nobles)Arthur Sullivan, Owen Brannigan/Glyndebourne Chorus/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
Sullivan: The Mikado or The Town of Titipu, Act 2: No. 18, Trio and Chorus, "The criminal cried" (Ko-Ko, Nobles, Pitti-Sing, Pooh-Bah)Arthur Sullivan, Sir Geraint Evans/Marjorie Thomas/Ian Wallace/Glyndebourne Chorus/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
Sullivan: The Mikado or The Town of Titipu, Act 2: No. 20, Duets, "The flowers that bloom in the spring" (Nanki-Poo, Yum-Yum, Pitti-Sing, Pooh-Bah, Ko-Ko)Arthur Sullivan, Richard Lewis/Elsie Morison/Marjorie Thomas/Ian Wallace/Sir Geraint Evans/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
Sullivan: The Mikado or The Town of Titipu, Act 2: No. 22, Song, "On a tree by a river a little tom-tit" (Ko-Ko)Arthur Sullivan, Sir Geraint Evans/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
Sullivan: The Mikado or The Town of Titipu, Act 2: No. 23, Duet, "There is beauty in the bellow of the blast" (Katisha, Ko-Ko)Arthur Sullivan, Monica Sinclair/Sir Geraint Evans/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
Sullivan: The Mikado or The Town of Titipu, Act 2: No. 24, Finale, "For he's gone and married Yum-Yum … The threatened cloud" (Pitti-Sing, Ko-Ko, Nanki-Poo, Yum-Yum, Others)Arthur Sullivan, Marjorie Thomas/Sir Geraint Evans/Richard Lewis/Elsie Morison/Owen Brannigan/Ian Wallace/John Cameron/Jeannette Sinclair/Monica Sinclair/Glyndebourne Chorus/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
Trial by Jury: When I, good friends, was called to the Bar (Judge, Others)Arthur Sullivan, George Baker/Glyndebourne Chorus/Peter Gellhorn/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
HMS Pinafore (or, The Lass that Loved a Sailor), Act I: I'm called Little Buttercup (Buttercup)Arthur Sullivan, Monica Sinclair/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
HMS Pinafore (or, The Lass that Loved a Sailor), Act I: I am the captain of the Pinafore (Captain Corcoran, Sailors)Arthur Sullivan, John Cameron/Glyndebourne Chorus/Peter Gellhorn/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
HMS Pinafore (or, The Lass that Loved a Sailor), Act I: Sorry her lot who loves too well (Josephine)Arthur Sullivan, Elsie Morison/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
HMS Pinafore (or, The Lass that Loved a Sailor), Act I: When I was a lad I served a term (Sir Joseph, Relatives, Sailors)Arthur Sullivan, George Baker/Glyndebourne Chorus/Peter Gellhorn/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
HMS Pinafore (or, The Lass that Loved a Sailor), Act II: Never mind the why and wherefore (Captain Corcoran, Sir Joseph, Josephine)Arthur Sullivan, George Baker/John Cameron/Elsie Morison/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
Sullivan: The Pirates of Penzance or The Slave of Duty, Act 1: No. 3, Song, "Oh, better far to live and die" (Pirate King, Pirates)Arthur Sullivan, James Milligan/Glyndebourne Chorus/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
Sullivan: The Pirates of Penzance or The Slave of Duty, Act 1: No. 7, Air and Chorus, "Oh, is there not one maiden breast?" (Frederic, Mabel, Girls)Arthur Sullivan, Richard Lewis/Elsie Morison/Glyndebourne Chorus/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
Sullivan: The Pirates of Penzance or The Slave of Duty, Act 1: No. 8, Air, "Poor wand'ring one" (Mabel, Girls)Arthur Sullivan, Elsie Morison/Glyndebourne Chorus/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
Sullivan: The Pirates of Penzance or The Slave of Duty, Act 1: No. 13, Song with Chorus, "I am the very model of a modern Major-General" (Major-General, Girls, Pirates)Arthur Sullivan, George Baker/Glyndebourne Chorus/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
Sullivan: The Pirates of Penzance or The Slave of Duty, Act 2: No. 17, Chorus with Soli, "When the foeman bears his steel" (Sergeant of Police, Mabel, Edith, Policemen, Girls)Arthur Sullivan, Owen Brannigan/Elsie Morison/Heather Harper/George Baker/Glyndebourne Chorus/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
Sullivan: The Pirates of Penzance or The Slave of Duty, Act 2: "Ah, leave me not to pine" (Mabel, Frederic)Arthur Sullivan, Elsie Morison/Richard Lewis/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
Sullivan: The Pirates of Penzance or The Slave of Duty, Act 2: No. 24, Song and Chorus, "When a felon's not engaged" (Sergeant, Policemen)Arthur Sullivan, Owen Brannigan/Glyndebourne Chorus/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
Sullivan: The Pirates of Penzance or The Slave of Duty, Act 2: No. 26, Chorus, "With cat-like tread" (Pirates, Policemen, Samuel)Arthur Sullivan, James Milligan/Glyndebourne Chorus/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
Patience (or, Bunthorne's Bride) (1987 - Remaster), Act I: The soldiers of our Queen (Dragoons, Colonel Calverley)Arthur Sullivan, John Shaw/Glyndebourne Chorus/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
Patience (or, Bunthorne's Bride) (1987 - Remaster), Act I: Am I alone and unobserved? (Bunthorne)Arthur Sullivan, George Baker/Glyndebourne Chorus/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
Patience (or, Bunthorne's Bride) (1987 - Remaster), Act II: Sad is that woman's lot (Jane)Arthur Sullivan, Monica Sinclair/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
Patience (or, Bunthorne's Bride) (1987 - Remaster), Act II: A magnet hung in a hardware shop (Grosvenor, Maidens)Arthur Sullivan, John Cameron/Glyndebourne Chorus/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
Patience (or, Bunthorne's Bride) (1987 - Remaster), Act II: So go to him and say to him (Jane, Bunthorne)Arthur Sullivan, Monica Sinclair/George Baker/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
Patience (or, Bunthorne's Bride) (1987 - Remaster), Act II: When I go out of door (Bunthorne, Grosvenor)Arthur Sullivan, George Baker/John Cameron/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
Patience (or, Bunthorne's Bride) (1987 - Remaster), Act II: After much debate internal (Duke, Bunthorne, All)Arthur Sullivan, Alexander Young/George Baker/John Shaw/Trevor Anthony/John Cameron/Elsie Morison/Marjorie Thomas/Monica Sinclair/Elizabeth Harwood/Heather Harper/Glyndebourne Chorus/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
Iolanthe (or, The Peer and the Peri) (1987 - Remaster), Act I: When I went to the Bar as a very young man (Lord Chancellor)Arthur Sullivan, George Baker/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
Iolanthe (or, The Peer and the Peri) - Finale Act 1 (The lady of my love....) - 1987 Remastered VersionArthur Sullivan, Sir Malcolm Sargent/Pro Arte Orchestra, Pro Arte Orchestra
Iolanthe (or, The Peer and the Peri) (1987 - Remaster), Act II: When all night long a chap remains (Sentry Song) (Private Willis)Arthur Sullivan, Owen Brannigan/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
Iolanthe (or, The Peer and the Peri) (1987 - Remaster), Act II: When Britain really ruled the waves (Mountararat, Fairies, Peers)Arthur Sullivan, Ian Wallace/Glyndebourne Chorus/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
Iolanthe (or, The Peer and the Peri) (1987 - Remaster), Act II: When you're lying awake with a dismal headache (Nightmare Song) (Lord Chancellor)Arthur Sullivan, George Baker/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
Iolanthe (or, The Peer and the Peri) (1987 - Remaster), Act II: If you go in, you're sure to win (Tolloller, Mountararat, Lord Chancellor)Arthur Sullivan, Alexander Young/Ian Wallace/George Baker/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
Ruddigore (or, The Witch's Curse) (1987 - Remaster), Act I: In sailing o'er life's ocean wide (Rose, Richard, Robin)Arthur Sullivan, Elsie Morison/Richard Lewis/George Baker/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
Ruddigore (or, The Witch's Curse) (1987 - Remaster), Act II: When the night wind howls (Roderic, Ancestors)Arthur Sullivan, Joseph Rouleau/Glyndebourne Chorus/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
Ruddigore (or, The Witch's Curse) (1987 - Remaster), Act II: My eyes are fully open (Robin, Margaret, Sir Despard)Arthur Sullivan, George Baker/Pamela Bowden/Owen Brannigan/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
Sullivan: The Gondoliers or the King of Barataria, Act 1: "From the Sunny Spanish Shore" (Duke, Duchess, Casilda, Luiz)Arthur Sullivan, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Alexander Young, Edna Graham, Monica Sinclair, Geraint Evans, Pro Arte Orchestra
The Gondoliers (or, The King of Barataria) (1987 - Remaster), Act I: When a merry maiden marries (Tessa, Chorus)Arthur Sullivan, Marjorie Thomas/Glyndebourne Chorus/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
The Gondoliers 'The King of Barataria', Act II: Take a pair of sparkling eyes (Marco)Arthur Sullivan, Richard Lewis, Pro Arte Orchestra, Sir Malcolm Sargent
The Gondoliers (or, The King of Barataria) (1987 - Remaster), Act II: Dance a cachucha, fandango, bolero (Chorus)Arthur Sullivan, Glyndebourne Chorus, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
The Gondoliers (or, The King of Barataria) (1987 - Remaster), Act II: I am a courtier grave and serious (Casilda, Duchess, Marco, Giuseppe, Duke)Arthur Sullivan, Edna Graham/Monica Sinclair/Richard Lewis/John Cameron/Sir Geraint Evans/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
The Yeomen of the Guard (or, The Merryman and his Maid) (1987 - Remaster), Act I: I have a song to sing, O! (Elsie, Point, Crowd)Arthur Sullivan, Sir Geraint Evans/Elsie Morison/Glyndebourne Chorus/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
The Yeomen of the Guard (or, The Merryman and his Maid) (1987 - Remaster), Act I: Were I thy bride (Phoebe)Arthur Sullivan, Marjorie Thomas/Glyndebourne Chorus/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra
The Yeomen of the Guard (or, The Merryman and his Maid) (1987 - Remaster), Act II: Comes the pretty young bride (All)Arthur Sullivan, Denis Dowling/Richard Lewis/John Cameron/Alexander Young/Sir Geraint Evans/Owen Brannigan/John Carol Case/Elsie Morison/Marjorie Thomas/Monica Sinclair/Doreen Hume/Glyndebourne Chorus/Pro Arte Orchestra/Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Pro Arte Orchestra