Operetta recording recommendations?

[mjohnson2]

Posted: 9/18/14 at 2:52am

Hello all,
So at the suggestion of a poster on this board I recently listened to THE RED MILL and BABES IN TOYLAND and loved them both. I also realized that aside from THE MERRY WIDOW they were the only operettas I had listened to. Do you guys have any suggestions for more operetta recordings that you like? I would prefer it to be in English, but if it is in another language that is ok too.
Thanks.

[VeraCharles3]

Posted: 9/18/14 at 4:36am

Hi there

I would recommend two CDs

Joan Sutherland's "Love Live Forever" and Julia Migenes' "Vienna"

Lots of operetta arias and hopefully they will give you an idea of some operetta CDs to purchase.

Joan soaring away "Come boys, Lets all be gay, boys" from The Student Prince sure cheers me up with each listen.

Enjoy whatever you end up purchasing.

[Fan123]

Posted: 9/18/14 at 5:17am

I'm interested in this question too. In particular, any recommendations for Gilbert and Sullivan recordings in which the words are clearly understandable? Several recordings I've heard make this difficult, due to the singing style used and/or the music balance being tipped strongly in favour of the orchestra. (Both of these 'problems' are no doubt intentional and have merit for many listeners, but that recording style is generally not to my taste.)

[tazber]

Posted: 9/18/14 at 5:59am

Gilbert & Sullivan's The Mikado is my favorite operetta. The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company is probably the best recording.

(and for fun check out the Hot Mikado cast recording)

I also really enjoy Sigmund Romberg's works particularly The New Moon and The Student Prince.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 9/18/14 at 7:40am

I agree with tazber on THE STUDENT PRINCE and THE NEW MOON. I don't have a particular recording in mind, but I've worked on both shows and love the scores.

And he's right that the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company is considered the gold standard for G&S; but as someone who loves Gilbert as much as Sullivan, I prefer recordings where the tempi aren't so rushed.

There's always the OBC of PIRATES OF PENZANCE with Kevin Kline, Linda Ronstadt (better than you expect) and Angela Lansbury. It's more like listening to a Broadway show (which it is, I guess).

Now that we can sample recordings on line, you should be able to find a MIKADO and PINAFORE where you can understand the lyrics.

***

Note, if anybody finds a recording they like, I'm sure I'm not the only one who would like to know about it.
Updated On: 9/18/14 at 07:40 AM

[After Eight]

Posted: 9/18/14 at 7:48am

There was a wonderful recording in English of a wonderful Offenbach operetta, La Perichole, with Cyril Ritchard (inimitable), Patrice Munsel and Theodore Uppman. An online check shows that this is being released this month on cd, so maybe you can have the opportunity to hear it. This one I definitely recommend.

There is a fairly good English recording of one of the loveliest operettas, Messager's Veronique. but, to be honest, the French recordings far better capture the authentic flavor of the piece, so I would recommend listenng to one of those.

Many years ago, there was an excellent recording of The Chocolate Soldier with Rise Stevens. Beautiful music here.

Likewise back in time, there were quite a few recordings of operettas and operetta excerpts, but I don't know if they've been transferred to cd or i tunes. Among these are Victor Herbert's Sweethearts, Rose Marie, with Julie Andrews, The Desert Song, Music in the Air, The Arcadians, many others. All worthwhile.

There's an excellent recording of Beverly Sills singing Victor Herbert songs. Beauiful singing, rapturous music.

To return to Offenbach, various melodies from his operettas were set to new lyrics to make up the score to one of my favorite musicals, The Happiest Girl in the World, again with Cyril Ritchard, the beguiling Janice Rule, and the always-delightful Lu Leonard. Worth hearing

Noel Coward's Bitter Sweet has a full length recording that is very good. A recording of excerpts with Vanessa Lee is even better.

And then there is the delightful parody of operettas: Little Mary Sunshinel A must!

There are many others, to be sure, but those are the ones that come immediately to mind.

Happy listening!







Updated On: 9/18/14 at 07:48 AM

[mjohnson2]

Posted: 9/18/14 at 9:36am

Thank you all for you suggestions. Looks like I have my work cut out for me over the next few days!

[South Fl Marc]

Posted: 9/18/14 at 10:50am

"There's always the OBC of PIRATES OF PENZANCE with Kevin Kline, Linda Ronstadt (better than you expect) and Angela Lansbury. It's more like listening to a Broadway show (which it is, I guess)."

A quick friendly correction - the OBC cast of Pirates had Estelle Parsons as Ruth, Ms Lansbury did the movie.

[Jon]

Posted: 9/18/14 at 11:29am

The Broadway PIRATES OF PENZANCE features new orchestration with synthesizers, etc., that make it sound like a Looney Tunes cartoon.

If you want authentic Gilbert & Sullivan, look for the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. The recordings made in the 1960's and 70's, with John Reed and Kenneth Sanford as the principal comic leads, are the best in sound quality and vocal enunciation.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 9/18/14 at 7:29pm

A quick friendly correction - the OBC cast of Pirates had Estelle Parsons as Ruth, Ms Lansbury did the movie.

Oops! Thank you, Marc. I saw both and I knew Lansbury. I should have remembered.

(Per Amazon, it looks like one can also get a version with the same leads plus Patricia Routledge. Apparently it is the original, Delacorte cast.)

Updated On: 9/18/14 at 07:29 PM

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 9/18/14 at 7:31pm

Jon, I'm not convinced that what is considered "authentic" today in England would have been authentic in the late 1800s.

Here's the first line from a consumer review of the film:

"It is very difficult to understand the words of practically everything sung by the chorus of a D'Oyly Carte Opera Company recording of Gilbert & Sullivan."

(But the soundtrack of the film is well enunciated.) I'm afraid this represents the majority opinion here in the States.

[mjohnson2]

Posted: 9/18/14 at 7:59pm

So I've now listened to the original casts of LITTLE MARY SUNSHINE and THE HAPPIEST GIRL IN THE WORLD (both were absolutely magical) and I have found good recordings of LA PERICHOLE, THE CHOCOLATE SOLDIER, THE DESERT SONG, THE ARCADIANS, BITTER SWEET, THE STUDENT PRINCE, THE NEW MOON, H.M.S PINAFORE, THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE, and THE MIKADO on Spotify, as well as having ordered a copy of VERONIQUE from Amazon. Thank you guys so much for you help!

[Fantod]

Posted: 12/19/14 at 9:39pm

There's a new recording of Blossom Time by Victor Herbert that is wonderful. Give it a try.