Sullivan Discography

Overview

Works by Date of Composition

Works by Genre

Recordings List

External Links

Arthur Sullivan at the G&S Archive

Arthur Sullivan at Wikipedia

Discography of Sir Arthur Sullivan:
Instrumental Compilations

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EMI ASD 2435

This recording was the first appearance of Sullivan's "Irish" Symphony on disc, and indeed, the first modern recording of anything substantial outside of the operas. Groves gives a somewhat dull reading of the score, which has been eclipsed, I feel, by the more recent Hughes/BBC recording. The Overture di Ballo, of course, has been recorded many times, and there is nothing remarkable about this reading of it.

The issue history below chronicles the release of these items as a pair. Follow the hyperlinks to the sections on Symphony in E and Overture di Ballo for reissue details of the items individually.

Issue History

Date	Label	Format	Number
1968	EMI	Stereo LP	ASD 2435
	Odeon	Stereo LP	PASD 2435
1982	Musical Heritage Society	Stereo LP	MHS 4595
		Cassette	MHS 6595

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The World of Sir Arthur Sullivan

Decca SPA-548

The contents of this disc, all previously released material, include:

Side 1
Imperial March (Nash, RPO, 1976) Marmion overture (Nash, RPO, 1977) "I Would I Were a King" (Christopher Keyte with Jennifer Partridge, piano, 1969) The Long Day Closes (Morriston Orpheus Male Choir, Ivor E. Sims cond., 1958) "The Lost Chord" (Kenneth McKellar, orch. cond. by Bob Sharples, 1963)
Side 2
Cox and Box overture (Nash, RPO, 1978) Overture di Ballo (Collins, NSOL, 1972) Excerpts from Henry VIII incidental music (Nash, RPO, 1975) Macbeth overture (Nash, RPO, 1975)

Issue History

Date	Label	Format	Number
1979	Decca	Stereo LP	SPA-548

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This disc combines Sir Charles Mackerras's latest recordings of two works with which he is highly familiar: his own ballet arrangement for Pineapple Poll, and Sullivan's best-known concert work, the Overture di Ballo.

The issue history below shows the history of these two recordings as a pair. See the Pineapple Poll and Overture di Ballo pages for further issues of each recording individually.

Issue History

Date	Label	Format	Number
1983	London	Stereo LP	LDR 71119
		Cassette	LDR5 71119

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This disc presents the innaugural recording of Sullivan's Cello Concerto in D, newly reconstructed by David Mackie and Sir Charles Mackerras, who also conducts. The cellist is the Julian Lloyd Webber, Andrew's brother.

Coupled with the Sullivan concerto are Victor Herbert's Cello Concerto No. 2 in E minor and Elgar's Romance for Cello and Orchestra. These are appropriate pairings, as both composers are considered musical heirs of Sullivan's. And Herbert, like Sullivan, is far better known for his musical theater works than for his serious music.

The Sullivan and Elgar pieces have been re-issued on CD, coupled with the Groves recording of the Symphony in E and Overture di Ballo.

Issue History

Date	Label	Format	Number
1986	EMI/Angel	Digital Stereo LP	DS-38318
		CD	CDC 7 47622-2

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Bandleader BNA 5067

This extremely enjoyable disc contains thirteen Sullivan selections. The program is an appealing mix of the familiar and the obscure, all played with great virtuosity. To anyone willing to try a change of pace, this disc will deliver considerable enjoyment.

This is the second Sullivan recording by the Royal Military School band; the other, dating from 1959, contained instrumental excerpts from The Yeomen of the Guard and The Gondoliers.

The selections on this disc are as follows:

1. The Procession — March (arr. F. Renton)
2. Iolanthe Overture (arr. N. Richardson)
3. "Three Little Maids from School" (arr. P. Stredwick)
4. Incidental Music to Shakespeare's Henry VIII (arr. F. Renton)
   1. March
   2. King Henry's Song
   3. Graceful Dance
5. Danish March (Princess of Wales March) (arr. F. Renton)
6. The Yeomen of the Guard Overture (arr. W. J. Duthoit)
7. The Absent-Minded Beggar March (arr. F. Renton)
8. "The Lost Chord" (arr. F. Renton)
9. The Battle of St. Gertrude (arr. D. Bertie)
10. March of the Peers (arr. F. Renton)
11. Overture di Ballo (arr. F. Renton)

The item called "The Battle of St. Gertrude" is, in fact, an instrumental setting of "Onward, Christian Soldiers." (St. Gertrude was Sullivan's name for the tune.)

Issue History

Date	Label	Format	Number
1992	Bandleader	CD	BNA 5067

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EMI CDM7 64726 2

This compact disc, part of a "British Composers" series, contains Sullivan's Concerto in D for Cello and Orchestra, re-issued from the 1986 Sullivan & Herbert LP, plus the Overture di Ballo and Symphony in E, "Irish", re-issued from Sir Charles Groves's 1968 recordings.

Filling out the disc is Sir Edward Elgar's Romance, originally issued on the Sullivan & Herbert disc.

Another entry in the same "British Composers" series offers Pineapple Poll and several overtures.

Issue History

Date	Label	Format	Number
1993	EMI	CD	CDM7 64726 2

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This recording presents four major works from Sullivan's non-operatic output: the Symphony in E, the Imperial March, the Ballet Suite No. 1 from Victoria and Merrie England, and the Overture in C, "In Memoriam". The disc presents an excellent cross-section of material. The symphony and "In Memoriam" overture are early works and date from the period when most of the musical community, and probably Sullivan himself, assumed his true calling to be that of a serious composer. The Imperial March, a pièce d'occasion, is a late work and shows Sullivan's gift for orchestral color at its best. Victoria, also a late work, shows Sullivan where he was most comfortable, in the theater.

In short, the programming of this disc is particularly appropriate for the listener looking to explore the whole range of Sullivan's output. It is well worth hearing.

Issue History

Date	Label	Format	Number
1994	CPO	CD	999 171-2

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Amati 9703

This recording presents the somewhat odd coupling of cello concertos by Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900) and Friedrich Gulda (b. 1930). The liner notes are only in German, but as far as I can tell, they do not pretend to claim any nexus between the two concertos. At any rate, we now have a second recording of Sullivan's cello concerto to choose from. I didn't do a side-by-side comparison, but the new recording seems every bit as good as the old, while the Gulda concerto intrigues with its novelty.

Issue History

Date	Label	Format	Number
1999	Amati	CD	9703

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Chandos 9859

This recording includes the Overture "In Memoriam", the Suite from The Tempest, and the Symphony in E.

So far, my only review is from Ian Bond, who wrote: "It is disappointing, to say the least. "In Memoriam" is pedestrian, The Tempest uninspired, The Symphony rushed (come on boys let's get it out of the way and go home!!) — one would have hoped Hickox would have had a little more respect. All I can say is — stick to Groves on EMI."

Issue History

Date	Label	Format	Number
2000	Chandos	CD	9859

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British Music Collection: Arthur Sullivan

The contents of this disc, all previously released material, include:

Decca 468 810-2

1. "The Lost Chord" (Stuart Burrows, tenor; Martin Neary, organ; The Ambrosian Singers; Wyn Morris, cond.
2. "Onward, Christian Soldiers" (arr. Rogers; The Eric Rogers Chorale & Orchestra)
3. "Overture di Ballo" (Philharmonia Orchestra; Sir Charles Mackerras, cond.)
4. Henry VIII Incidental Music: March and Graceful Dance (D'Oyly Carte Opera; Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; Royston Nash, cond.)
5. Macbeth Overture (Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; Royston Nash, cond.)
6. Victoria and Merrie England Suite No. 1 (Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; Royston Nash, cond.)
7. Marmion Overture (Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; Royston Nash, cond.)
8. "My Dearest Heart" (Felicity Palmer, soprano; John Constable, piano)
9. Pineapple Poll Suite (Eastman Wind Ensemble; Frederick Fennell, cond.)

The arrangements of "The Lost Chord" (rec. 1968) and "Onward, Christian Soldiers" (rec. 1963) are arguably overwrought, arranged in a "101 Strings" style that was popular a generation ago, but that most listeners today would consider tasteless. The orchestral selections are all fine performances, and Felicity Palmer's "My dearest heart" tastefully refined.

Issue History

Date	Label	Format	Number
2001	Decca	CD	Decca 468 810-2

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Reference Recordings RR-115

The clever premise of this disc is to present instrumental treatments of Shakespeare's The Tempest by two different composers, Arthur Sullivan and Jean Sibelius. Inevitably, Sullivan comes off poorer by the comparison, in that Sibelius's Tempest was written in his maturity, while Sullivan's was one of the earliest pieces he wrote. The recording is not as good as the 1955 reading under Kurt Herbert Adler, but it is nevertheless enjoyable, as is the Sibelius work.

Issue History

Date	Label	Format	Number
2008	Reference Recordings	CD	RR-115