Gilbert & Sullivan – H.M.S. Pinafore (FLAC)

Audio CD
SPARS Code: DDD
Number of Discs: 1
Format: FLAC (image+cue)
Label: Telarc
Size: 323 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: no

H. M. S. Pinafore (The Lass that Loved a Sailor), operetta
Composed by Arthur Sullivan
Performed by Welsh National Opera Orchestra
with Richard van Allan, Donald Adams, Rebecca Evans, John King, Thomas Allan, Richard Suart, Michael Schade, Felicity Palmer, Valerie Seymour, Philip Lloyd Evans
Conducted by Sir Charles Mackerras

01. Overture
02. Introduction And Opening Chorus – (Chorus Of Sailors) We Sail The Ocean Blue – Sir Charles Mackerras
03. Recitative And Aria – (Buttercup) I’m Called Little Buttercup
04. Recitative – (Buttercup And Boatswain) But Tell Me Who’s The Youth
05. Madrigal – (Ralph And Chorus Of Sailors) The Nightingale
06. Ballad – (Ralph And Chorus Of Sailors) A Maiden Fair To See
07. Recitative And Song – (Captain Corcoran And Chorus Of Sailors) My Gallant Crew
08. Recitative – (Buttercup And Captain Corcoran) Sir, You Are Sad!
09. Ballad – (Josephine) Sorry Her Lot
10. Barcarolle – (Chorus Of Sir Joseph’s Female Relatives, Of-Stage) Over The Bright Blue Sea
11. (Chorus Of Sailors And Sir Joseph’s Female Relatives) Sir Joseph’s Barge Is Seen
12. (Captain Corcoran, Sir Joseph, Cousin Hebe, And Chorus) Now Give Three Cheers
13. Song – (Sir Joseph And Chorus) When I Was A Lad
14. (Sir Joseph, Cousin Hebe, Chorus Of Female Relatives, And Sailors) For I Hold That On The Seas
15. Glee – (Ralph, Boatswain, Carpenter, And Chorus Of Sailors) A British Tar
16. Duet – (Josephine And Ralph) Refrain, Audacious Tar
17. Can I Survive This Overbearing?
18. Entr’acte
19. Night – Moonight: Song – (Captain Corcoran) Fair Moon, To Thee I Sing
20. Night – Moonight: Duet – (Buttercup And Captain Corcoran) Things Are Seldom What They Seem
21. Night – Moonight: Scena – (Josephine) The Hours Creep On Apace
22. Night – Moonight: Trio – (Josephine, Captain Corcoran, And Sir Joseph) Never Mind The Why And Wherefore
23. Night – Moonight: Duet – (Captain Corcoran And Dick Deadeye) Kind Captain, I’ve Important Information
24. Night – Moonight: (Soli And Chorus) Carefully On Tiptoe Stealing
25. Night – Moonight: (Octet And Chorus) Farwell, My Own!
26. Night – Moonight: Song – (Buttercup And Chorus) A Many Years Ago
27. Night – Moonight: Finale – O Joy, Oh Rapture Unforseen!

Mackerras’s new coat of paint

This third entry in the Mackerras/Telarc series enables the feeling of a new coat of paint on the hull of the indelible and delectable H.M.S. Pinafore. Indeed, Mackerras gives the piece an added sheen and an added sparkle that seems to be lacking in other recordings, even D’Oyly Carte’s latest TER recording. Of the first-rate star-studded cast, Richard Suart makes a delightful, dry-timbred Ruler of the Queen’s Navee, He has a remarkable facility for relishing the role, and it might be safe to say that he manages to give John Reed a run for his money. Equally fine is Thomas Allen’s polished Captain. His singing really has a sense of conviction to do everyone, even his crew, proud. In the romantic rolse, Michal Schade’s heady-tones portrayal of Ralph Rackstraw shows his determination to win the hand of Josephine, who is nicely, romantically and sweetly characterised by Rebeca Evans. Oh. I almost forgot to mention how delightful Felicity Palmer’s Little Buttercup sounds. There is certainly something rosy about her portrayal to make her sound fruity and good. In the minor cast, I should talk about Donald Adams’ villainous Deadeye. Thirty-four years after contributing positively to Decca’s Godfrey D’Oyly Carte set, he still has never lost touch. What, never? Well – hardly ever! And he manages to still underpin the villainy in the character so vividly, even without dialogue this time around. And Richard van Allan makes a superb Boatswain, in a role that is specially suited to him. The choral contributions are first-rate, the orchestral playing delectable, and Mackerras conducts the music with more style and wit than Godfrey, with perfectly-judged tempi. The crystal-clear and atmospheric Telarc recording caps off a delightful rendering of the opera and makes this recording, or rather ALL the Telarc Mackerras G&S recordings, set to eclipse all others, even D’Oyly Carte’s.