Gilbert & Sullivan

Conductor Sir Charles Mackerras has always been a champion of the music of Arthur Sullivan. In the early '90's, he began to record the Gilbert & Sullivan operettas with Telarc. Like the Sargent recordings of the '50's, Mackerras uses mostly opera singers–veterans of Covent Garden and of the English and Welsh National Operas but he secured the services of two veteran Savoyards, Richard Suart and the late Donald Adams. Mackerras planned to record at least seven of the Savoy operas, perhaps more, but was forced to suspend the series due to lack of funding as I understand. This fine recording of The Mikado, fortunately, was one of the four he was able to complete.

This album was released in 1973 following the amazingly original albums 'Back To Front' and 'Himself' released in 1972 and 1971. It seems the 70s are O'Sullivan's vintage era and it is astonishing he could keep writing so many songs of highest quality and originality. Like the previous album, this one includes, not only hit songs like 'Get Down' and 'Ooh Baby', but also heart-warming and memorable songs like 'Where peaceful waters fllow', 'Afriend of mine' and 'They've only themselves to blame'. One of the characteristics of this album is the unabashed sense of humour and striking melodies which go very well with the witty lyrics in the songs like 'I'm a writer not a fighter', 'Who knows perhaps maybe' and 'If you love me like you love me'. This is certainly one of the best albums by O'Sullivan.

Scottish Opera - Gilbert & Sullivan: HMS Pinafore (2016) {2CD Set Linn CKD 522}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 343 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 200 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 18 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2016 Linn Records | CKD 522
Classical / Opera / Romantic / Musical Comedy

The Scottish Opera's live concert performance of Gilbert & Sullivan's HMS Pinafore was given at the 2015 Edinburgh International Festival, and the one-night-only show was well received by both the audience and critics. Featuring a charismatic cast including John Mark Ainsley as Sir Joseph Porter, Elizabeth Watts as Josephine, Andrew Foster-Williams as Captain Corcoran, Toby Spence as Ralph Rackstraw, Hilary Summers as Buttercup, and comedian Tim Brooke-Taylor as the Narrator, the production was especially noteworthy for conductor Richard Egarr's historically informed approach to the music.

Raymond Edward O'Sullivan (born 1 December 1946), known professionally as Gilbert O'Sullivan, is an Irish singer-songwriter who achieved his most significant success during the early 1970s with hits including "Alone Again (Naturally)", "Clair", and "Get Down". O'Sullivan's songs are often marked by his distinctive, percussive piano playing style and observational lyrics using word play…

Himself is Irish-English singer-songwriter Gilbert O'Sullivan's debut album, originally released in August 1971. Union Square Music re-released it 2011 on Salvo label in part of the Gilbert O'Sullivan - A Singer & His Songs collection. In 1972, MAM/London saw fit to let the U.S. have its first proper Gilbert O'Sullivan record, a repackaging of his 1971 U.K. debut release, Himself. The repackaging included new cover art (with Gilbert sporting the first of his famous "G" emblazoned varsity sweaters) as well as an altered track listing. "Susan Van Heusen" and "Doing the Best I Can," from the U.K. release, were omitted in favor of "We Will" and his Number One, U.S. smash "Alone Again (Naturally)."