Fontana Special 859 019 FZY

Michael Sammes made numberous recordings in the 1960s of highlights from musicals and operettas. His G&S output includes several discs dedicated to individual operas, plus a Best of Gilbert and Sullivan disc consisting of highlights from all the others. The singers are not credited with specific roles, but presumably Sammes sang Ko-Ko. Eric Wilson-Hyde was never a member of D'Oyly Carte, but he made a guest appearance as Bob Becket, the Carpenter's Mate on the 1960 Pinafore, so presumably he sang either The Mikado or Pooh-Bah. Helen Landis was the contralto on all the Gilbert and Sullivan For All recordings.

Contents are as follows:

Geoff Dixon provided the following comments:

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Not all the items in the above list are complete by any means, since the recording contains many cuts and jumps. The overture consists of just a few bars of miscellaneous muddle, whilst accompaniments are changed and re-orchestrated. Sullivan's harmonies do not always survive and the tempi vary — from the acceptable to the turgid. Two examples of typical abbreviation are:

1. "I am so proud" consists entirely of the final ensemble ( The sleeve title for this number is quite accurate since that is exactly where it starts!)
2. The Finale to Act I lasts just 4 minutes and ends just before Katisha's "The Hour of gladness."

The individual principals are acceptable enough — particularly perhaps the soprano and the tenor — and some items emerge quite creditably. The performance suffers from the lack of a proper chorus, although the overall effect is not so slinky and creamy as the Michael Sammes Gondoliers. A one-word summing up would have to be "bland," and this recording could not be used to persuade anyone of the excellence of G&S.