Sullivan, A: The Pirates of Penzance: Overture

Recordings: Walthamstow Assembly Hall, London, UK, July 1962 (Ruddigore), April 1964 (The Yeomen of the Guard); Watford Town Hall, Watford, UK, August 1959 (H.M.S. Pinafore), September 1960 (Iolanthe, The Gondoliers), September 1961 (Patience); Decca Studios, West Hampstead, London, UK, May 1965 (Princess Ida), February 1966 (The Sorcerer), December 1967 (The Pirates of Penzance), January 1969 (Choruses), January 1973 (The Mikado), June 1974 (Macbeth), July 1975 (Utopia Limited), March 1976 (The Grand Duke); Kingsway Hall, London, UK, January 1961 (Cox and Box), November 1982 (Overture di Ballo); Whitfield Street Studios, London, UK, February 1977 (Marmion)

In 2011 Decca Eloquence will commence on a series of G&S operetta highlights discs. By way of an ‘overture’, here’s a 2CD set of Overtures from the D’Oyly Carte recordings made over several years by Decca, together with some of Sullivan’s ‘concert overtures’ – Macbeth, Marmion and Di Ballo. Also included is an extremely rare 1969 Decca recording of Sullivan Choruses conducted by James Walker, better known in musical circles as one of Decca’s key recording engineers, but an ardent G&S fan. It receives its first release on Decca CD. A perfect introduction to the set pieces and patter songs in orchestral guise.

Despite being, by common consent, the best of three post-war D’Oyly Carte Opera Company recordings of The Mikado, this sparkling early stereo performance with Donald Adams, Thomas Round and Peter Pratt has never been reissued by its parent label during the CD era.

As it was not recorded with dialogue, the extra space has enabled Magdalen to include not only John Hollingsworth’s vivid version of Pineapple Poll but also, for the first time on CD, three overtures conducted con brio by the inimitable Arthur Fiedler.