Gilbert & Sullivan - The Gondoliers / Michell, McDonnell, Egerton, Opera World

Amazon.com Tuneful and atmospheric, The Gondoliers comes closer to conventional operetta than most Gilbert and Sullivan works. Two young men learn that one of them is heir to a throne. But no one knows which is the prince and which is the gondolier, so they travel to the fictitious kingdom of Barataria to rule jointly. Sullivan's Italianate score--his most radiant--sets the tone, though there's a fair helping of Gilbert's trademark wit. The result is exceptionally mellow for G&S. This production (part of the Opera World series of Gilbert and Sullivan works, made for British TV in the 1980s) is well done in a straightforward way, neither gimmicky nor very imaginative. The cast, a mix of Savoyards, opera singers, and stage actors, is pretty good vocally and comically. Things would be more stimulating if Tom McDonnell and Francis Egerton, in the title roles, were less generic. Marco and Giuseppe are impossibly idealistic: kings naive enough to believe in democracy. They should be adorable (like other Gilbert and Sullivan leading men, they're pursued by an entire chorus of women) as well as absurd. These performers offer only mild personalities and reasonable voices. As with many productions in the series, this one suffers from less than perfect technical values. The performers are badly amplified; you can tell when someone has stepped away from a microphone. And the actors sometimes address their lines to persons unknown offscreen, which suggests an attempt to save money by cutting down on cast size. --David Olivenbaum Product Description FEATURING THE LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AND A HOST OF INTERNATIONAL STARS, INCLUDING VINCENT PRICE, JOEL GRAY, PETER MARSHALL, KEITH MITCHELL, FRANKIE HOWERD AND PETER ALLEN. FILMED IN ENGLAND AND CREATED ESPECIALLY FOR TV, THEY HAVE DELIGHTED FANS ON PBS AND THE BBC. From the Back Cover From the popular series seen on PBS and the BBC. With two handsome gondoliers and 24 prospective brides, you'd expect a problem or two. Wisely, Giuseppe and Marco "Let impartial fate/Select for us a mate!" A splendid plan, but complications ensue when a royal mystery arises. One of them is believed to be the King of Barataria, who was wed in infancy to the daughter of a duke. The gondoliers rule the palace in tandem until all is happily resolved with typical Gilbertian ingenuity. Featuring the London Symphony Orchestra and the Ambrosian Opera Chorus and starring Eric Shilling, Keith Michell, Francis Egerton and Tom McDonnell. DVD SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE an introduction to the opera by Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Gilbert & Sullivan profile, song index and companion booklet featuring the Gondoliers libretto.
ASIN: B00006JU6D
VSKU: DBV.B00006JU6D.A
Condition: Acceptable
Author/Artist:Eric Shilling|Anne Collins|Francis Egerton|Tom McDonnell|Fiona Kimm|Nan Christie|Keith Michell|Sandra Dugdale|Christopher Booth-Jones|Peter Savidge|Alan Watt|Meriel Dickinson|William S. Gilbert|Dave Heather|Peter Wood
Binding: Dvd