London CM 9137

This version of excerpts from all of the G&S operas is the best of all the orchestal adapatations that I have heard. It works for several simple reasons. The numbers are played extremely well without the "jazzing up," which seems to be common to most other recordings of this type. All of the numbers chosen are originally purely orchestral or add skillfully chosen winds or brass to cover vocal lines which are not otherwise covered. They are done as individual numbers, not as medleys. And, the performances use the original Sullivan orchestrations. (The New Symphony Orchestra was engaged in making the first LP D'Oyly Carte recordings at about the same time.) The numbers from Utopia and Grand Duke must surely represent the first professional recordings of any excerpts from those operas since the beginning of the century. A record well worth having — if one can find it!

Contents are as follows:

Don Smith says the date is not listed on the record jacket but can be inferred from the fact that there is text explaining what an LP record is. Chris Webster later provided the date 1956/7. Tim Devlin adds that he "can still remember [his] junior-high-schooler excitement at finding music from the last two unheard and semi-mythical operas.

Chris Webster reports that a Decca catalogue in his possession lists five 78rpm records (numbers F 10585 to F 10589) called "G&S Favourites," with Stanford Robinson and the New Symphony Orchestra. These must surely be precursors to the above LP.