G&S

[Guest]

Are G&S still loved and cherished hereabouts? I enjoyed Mike Leigh’s Pirates from the ENO which was broadcast last night. Mainly it was because of feelings of nostalgia which it aroused bringing back memories of a young schoolboy making trips to matinee performances by the D’Oyly Carte. Great fun.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

G&S brought me a lot of pocket money as a teenager - and the memories of taking part in various pit bands are very happy ones. (I often wonder what happened to that clarinettist in Ruddigore - Preston G&S Soc, March 1974.) I avoid going to see them unless somebody I know is involved (or I'm paid!) - professional productions tend to ham them up terribly (Opera North's Ruddigore in 2011 was not only badly acted, but the professional singers couldn't cope with the patter songs - amateurs do it much better.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

(Opera North's Ruddigore in 2011 was not only badly acted, but the professional singers couldn't cope with the patter songs - amateurs do it much better.

That's interesting. My reaction was the opposite. I had seen amateur productions and considered the work to be inferior to the G & S offerings. Opera North changed my view completely.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

That's interesting. My reaction was the opposite. I had seen amateur productions and considered the work to be inferior to the G & S offerings. Opera North changed my view completely.

Well - apart from the gasping soloists trying to keep up with the orchestra, there was also that infuriating octave leap from one member of the bridesmaids' chorusevery time "Hail the bridegroom, hail the BRIDE" was sung (and it was sung a dreadful number of times - THAT wouldn't've been allowed in any amateur production. (And Richard gabbled his dialogue, seeming to think that leering and gurning would make the meaning plain to the audience.) AND I've seen a school production that made the portraits come to "life" much more effectively. AND that lovely line where the ghost of the Bishop objects was lost because the character was positioned so far away from Sir Rupert that he had to make a complete turn in order to see him. AND Dame Hannah could neither sing nor act well, so the "Roddy-Doody" was just embarrassing and the "Little flower" duet was painful to listen to.

I was most disappointed.







(Mind you, I had got the wrong night, and had been expecting Guilio Cesare!)

[MrGongGong]

Dum de dum de dum de dum de dum de dum

That's £20

(the only time I found anything of interest in G&S was when I was a music student and played horn in several productions)

Otherwise

[french frank]

(the only time I found anything of interest in G&S was when I was a music student and played horn in several productions)

You mean your horn playing was the only interesting feature?

In my late teens I was reelly into heavy, serious stuff like the big Hollywood musicals and G&S (because a friend often sang with the local group). Now, the only work I look back on with any interest is Carmen Jones, though I haven't heard it for years so maybe I would find that tiresome too.

[MrGongGong]

You mean your horn playing was the only interesting feature?

In my late teens I was reelly into heavy, serious stuff like the big Hollywood musicals and G&S (because a friend often sang with the local group). Now, the only work I look back on with any interest is Carmen Jones, though I haven't heard it for years so maybe I would find that tiresome too.

I think it was more the £

G&T is more like it

(Though some folks seem to love the recent Pirate party at the coliseum )

[Padraig]

Maybe it's a generation thing. I do like Gilbert and Sullivan, both words and music. The Pirates was our school show one year - was it 1951? - and I believe I never got those policemen out of my head. I heard most of the recent broadcast and I thought it was very good. I thought the Pirate King was the singer of the show. Exit muttering tarantara tarantara taran......

[Stanley Stewart]

I agree, Padraig. Last night's broadcast (29 June) was a joy with clear enunciation, from soloist and ensemble and the evening started so well with the overture seizing the attention of the audience from the opening bars. I do hope a DVD will follow in due course. Endless pleasures.

[richardfinegold]

I enjoy G&S, but it's hard to find any professional productions here

[Conchis]

I'm afraid I loathe G&S with a consuming passion. There's something about the combination of Sullivan's tum-te-tumming tunes with Gilbert's pompous versifying that really activates my hostility gland.

Sexless, tepid and typically 'English' - in the worst sense of the word!

[Barbirollians]

Can' t abide G and S

[Oliver]

Thank God....I thought I was the only one.

[Conchis]

I enjoy G&S, but it's hard to find any professional productions here

President Nixon was a huge fan.

[ardcarp]

There was an interesting critique on the whole G&S thing by conductor Martin Handley on last weekend's Sunday Feature on Radio 3.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b060bpry#auto

It's entitled A Most Ingenious Paradox - Loving G&S to Death

MH presented it very well, and seemed to lay most of the blame for the fossilisation of the tradition on the D'Oyly Carte company. My all boys' schooling included a G&S every other year, hence having been Phyllis in Iolanthe (aged 12), back-row of Japanese young ladies (aged 14) and Frederick in The Pirates (aged 16) I cannot help holding G&S in some affection and indeed admiration. I remember, though, even then for amateur school productions we had to stick to the D'Oyly Carte 'copyright' and were not allowed to deviate in any way apart from some topical allusions in the patter songs.

For G&S loathers, I'd just say that everything has to be seen in the context of its time, and Gilbert's coruscating satire plus Sullivan's eclectic musical style were winners in their day.

I saw a live stream of the ENO Piarates a couple of weeks ago. I admired it for not being too trendy; my only misgiving being that I could not suspend my disbelief when Frederick (supposedly a young lad of 21) appeared to be middle-aged and not exactly sylph-like. Fabulous voice though.

Anyway, love it or loathe it, do listen to the programme.