Gilbert and Sullivan Overtures
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, cond. Kenneth Alwyn
World Record Club (WRC) T292
Kenneth Alwyn's complete recording of The Mikado is available on an EMI Classics for Pleasure CD/download and the set includes, in addition to the Mikado Overture itself, three of the present overtures (Patience, Iolanthe and Yeoman) as 'fillers'. The uploading of this Lp here presents the only vinyl-sourced version of all of Alwyn's G & S overture recordings available online, to the best of my knowledge. As with other posts here, I will willingly remove this album from this blog should anyone concerned in its production or copyrighting complain about its presence here on legal grounds.
The RPO's playing is predictably polished in this repertoire often undertaken by lesser ensembles. Alwyn has a natural way with the music, drawing out the wit and charm as necessary. It's a pity that we couldn't have had Isidore Godfrey's coda to Gondoliers included though; his recording (with the New Symphony Orchestra of London on Decca) had Dance a cachucha, fandango, bolero as an ending, whereas here we end with the usual - but anti-climactic - Gavotte. Nevertheless, there's much to enjoy.
The WRC release seems to have made use of original masters of the recording: a subsequent release on the Music for Pleasure Lp label was less resonant and the discs themselves have not lasted as well as the WRC, produced several years before the budget label reissues. However, the MfP art (included in the download below) was much more fun than the art that can be seen above.
Track listing
Overtures to:
Side One
1. The Mikado
2. Iolanthe
3. The Gondoliers
Side Two
1. (Trk 4) The Yeoman of the Guard
2. (Trk 5) The Pirates of Penzance
3. (Trk 6) Patience
4. (Trk 7) HMS Pinafore
Download links (Flac is high quality, but takes up significant computer space (about the equivalent of an audio CD for the whole album). Use flac for reference listening or for further editing/mixing etc.; Mp3 is more suitable for mobile listening, still of fairly high quality, but takes up much less space. Both downloads come with the same notes and high resolution artwork. Click on above image for preview):
The RPO's playing is predictably polished in this repertoire often undertaken by lesser ensembles. Alwyn has a natural way with the music, drawing out the wit and charm as necessary. It's a pity that we couldn't have had Isidore Godfrey's coda to Gondoliers included though; his recording (with the New Symphony Orchestra of London on Decca) had Dance a cachucha, fandango, bolero as an ending, whereas here we end with the usual - but anti-climactic - Gavotte. Nevertheless, there's much to enjoy.
The WRC release seems to have made use of original masters of the recording: a subsequent release on the Music for Pleasure Lp label was less resonant and the discs themselves have not lasted as well as the WRC, produced several years before the budget label reissues. However, the MfP art (included in the download below) was much more fun than the art that can be seen above.
Track listing
Overtures to:
Side One
1. The Mikado
2. Iolanthe
3. The Gondoliers
Side Two
1. (Trk 4) The Yeoman of the Guard
2. (Trk 5) The Pirates of Penzance
3. (Trk 6) Patience
4. (Trk 7) HMS Pinafore
Download links (Flac is high quality, but takes up significant computer space (about the equivalent of an audio CD for the whole album). Use flac for reference listening or for further editing/mixing etc.; Mp3 is more suitable for mobile listening, still of fairly high quality, but takes up much less space. Both downloads come with the same notes and high resolution artwork. Click on above image for preview):
Gilbert and Sullivan OverturesFLAC
Gilbert and Sullivan OverturesMP3
Please feel welcome in commenting on this album via the box or link below.
Gilbert and Sullivan OverturesMP3
Please feel welcome in commenting on this album via the box or link below.
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