G&S Discography Revision History

November 8, 1999 — April 7, 2000

Version 17.53 — April 7, 2000 (528 pages)

• Marc Kenig has supplied a listing of G&S programs that appeared on the original CBS Omnibus program.
• Charles Lax supplied details of the CD of audio highlights from the Brent Walker videos.
• Chris Webster and Chris Buchman have supplied some additional comments on the 1939 Mikado Film.

Version 17.521 — April 6, 2000 (526 pages)

• Michael Walters has contributed a review of the Russell Hunting Company Pinafore.
• 78s 2 CD has re-issued the 1931 D'Oyly Carte Ruddigore on CD.

Version 17.52 — April 4, 2000 (526 pages)

• Bruce Miller has kindly allowed us to post the liner notes he wrote for the Symposium re-issue of the 1907 Russell Hunting Company Pinafore and the 1907 Pathé Yeomen.
• Helga Perry provided CD album scans for the 1997 CD The Best of Gilbert and Sullivan and the New D'Oyly Carte Pinafore.

Version 17.51 — April 2, 2000 (525 pages)

• Chris Webster's Sounds on CD label has re-issued on CD the 1949 D'Oyly Carte recordings of Trial by Jury, H.M.S. Pinafore, and The Pirates of Penzance.
• Jay Records has issued the latest installment of the New D'Oyly Carte series, H.M.S. Pinafore, including the world-premiere recording of the "lost" ballad for Captain Corcoran, "Reflect, my child."
• Symposium Records has issued on CD two extremely rare early recordings: the 1907 Russell Hunting Company Pinafore and the 1907 Pathé Yeomen.
• Newport Classics has issued the Ohio Light Opera's production of Princess Ida on CD.
• Jeff Trim has supplied a superbly detailed review of the 1966 BBC Ruddigore.
• Bruce Miller has provided album cover scan for Victor's issues of the 1917 and 1926 HMV Mikados.
• Chris Webster has provided an additional album cover scan for the HMV 1919 Gondoliers.
• Chris Webster has supplied further updates to the D'Oyly Carte radio broadcasts page.
• Alfred Falk has commented on the Edmonton Wind Ensemble recording of Pineapple Poll.

Version 17.5 — February 29, 2000 (523 pages)

• Peter Kline and his wife, Syril, have corrected a number of errors in my description of the Lyric Theater Company recordings.
• Michael Walters has contributed a comparative review of three recordings of The Rose of Persia.
• Stan DeOrsey has updated his Lost Songs page to include new information concerning Iolanthe.
• Tim Devlin supplied the following album cover scans:
  • Decca 1950 Ruddigore.
  • Decca 1951 Patience.
  • Decca Mikado/Patience highlights (mono sets).
  • Decca Pirates/Ida highlights (mono sets).
  • Decca Yeomen/Ruddigore highlights (mono sets).
  • Sargent Pinafore, original mono issue on HMV.
  • Sargent Gondoliers, original mono issue on HMV.
  • The Best of Gilbert & Sullivan, Volume 2 (Linden Singers/Llewelyn)
  • Decca 1966 Sorcerer.
  • Gilbert & Sullivan Choruses
  • World Record Club 1962 Mackerras Pineapple Poll (1962)
  • Sargent/EMI Highlights (EMI CFP, 1970s).
  • Decca Mackerras Pineapple Poll (1983).

Version 17.42 — January 28, 2000 (521 pages)

• Added the following album cover scans from Mel Moratti and Tim Devlin:
  • Songs and Snatches, as re-issued on Belart with the title "Gilbert & Sullivan Favourites"
  • 1961 Gondoliers highlights CD on Belart
  • New D'Oyly Carte Pirates highlights CD on Showtime
  • New D'Oyly Carte Iolanthe highlights CD on Koch International
  • New Sadler's Wells Ruddygore highlights CD on Koch International
  • The Best of Gilbert and Sullivan (Sargent/EMI, 1988 CD)
  • The Most Unforgettable Gilbert and Sullivan Classics Ever (Sargent/EMI, 1996 CD)
  • Lamplighters' "A Song to Sing, O!"
• Added the following album cover scans from Stan DeOrsey:
  • The World of Gilbert and Sullivan (D'Oyly Carte highlights CD, 1990).
  • The World of Gilbert and Sullivan, Volume 2 (D'Oyly Carte highlights CD, 1992).
• Added a new compliation on Sony Classical from the New D'Oyly Carte, The Best of Gilbert and Sullivan (a name that has been used about a dozen times over the years, at least). Thanks to Mel Moratti.

Version 17.41 — January 3, 2000 (521 pages)

• Added Mel Moratti's review of the Stratford Iolanthe.
• Added a link on the home page to Memories of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, an outstanding site for groupies of the original company.

Version 17.4 — January 1, 2000 (519 pages)

• Added two new articles by Chris Webster:
  • Original D'Oyly Carte Radio Broadcasts
  • Non-D'Oyly Carte BBC Broadcasts
• Added Maureen Roult's review of the Stratford Iolanthe.
• A Happy Millennium to all!

Version 17.31 — December 31, 1999 (513 pages)

• Added Jeff Trim's comments on The Best of Gilbert and Sullivan (BBC, 1997).
• Added Mel Moratti's review of Gilbert and Sullivan Choruses (D'OC, 1969).
• Added the DVD versions of the Stratford Pirates, Iolanthe, and Mikado. Thanks to Mel Moratti.

Version 17.3 — December 27, 1999 (512 pages)

• Added Bruce Miller's detailed reviews of the Civic Light Opera Mikado and Pirates.
• Added Gilbert & Sullivan Overtures (Frank James, London Radio Orchestra). Thanks to Tim Devlin.
• Added Gilbert and Sullivan Revisited (Jim Timmens and his Jazz All-Stars, 1958). Thanks to Mel Moratti and Larry Garvin for the write-ups, and Tim Devlin for the cover art.
• Added cover art and a track listing for The Best of Gilbert and Sullivan (James Griffett, Christina Clark, 1973). Thanks to Tim Devlin.
• Added cover art for Gilbert and Sullivan: Best Loved Favourites.

Version 17.2 — December 15, 1999 (509 pages)

• Added the 1973 animated film The Gentlemen of Titipu. Thanks to J. Donald Smith, and apologies for taking nearly nine months to get to this!

Version 17.12 — December 13, 1999 (508 pages)

• Bruce Miller supplied a scan of the announcement of the 1926 HMV Mikado recording, as it appeared on p. 10 of the His Masters Voice monthly new records supplement of May 1st, 1927.
• Bruce Miller supplied a scan from the RCA Victor Musical Masterpieces Catalogue of 1940 that shows pictorially how manual, slide automatic, and drop automatic side coupling worked. It has been incorporated into the discussion of side coupling.
• Bruce Miller supplied scans from magazine ads of the time, of RCA Victor's 1952 re-issues of the 1936 Mikado and the 1930 Pinafore coupled with the 1927 Trial.
• Added Robert Angus's comments on the Allegro-Royale Mikado.

Version 17.11 — December 12, 1999 (508 pages)

• Stan DeOrsey has made some additions to the Lost Songs page.
• Added album art for the New Sadler's Wells Pinafore and the ENO Mikado.

Version 17.1 — December 12, 1999 (508 pages)

• Added three D'Oyly Carte radio broadcasts. Recordings of these broadcasts are not known to survive, but as historical events they are interesting to read about. Thanks to Robert Morrison for the detailed reports included here:
  • The Mikado (1926)
  • Cox and Box (1929)
  • The Mikado (1951)
• Added several album cover scans, thanks to Robert Morrison:
  • Arabesque 1930 Patience/1931 Gondoliers
  • Sweethearts
  • Sir Arthur Sullivan Sesquicentennial Commemorative
  • The Art of the Savoyard (CD version)
• Bruce Miller has narrowed down the U.S. issue dates for many of the HMV electrical recordings.

Version 17.02 — December 8, 1999 (505 pages)

• Added the CD-ROM From Which We Came (marketed by Opera Classics), which includes transfers of the HMV acoustical recordings of The Mikado, H.M.S Pinafore, Princess Ida, and Ruddigore. Note that this CD can be played only on a computer, not on a conventional audio player.
• Changed all references to The Gilbert and Sullivan Archive to reflect the new domain name for Boise State University, where it is hosted.

Version 17.01 — December 7, 1999 (505 pages)

• The soundtrack CD to Topsy-Turvy was issued today. The web page has been updated to reflect that, and photographs from the movie have been added.

Version 17.0 — December 5, 1999 (505 pages)

• Added a new page, Articles and Discussions, which lists sections of the website that cover general topics or provide comparative reviews of multiple recordings.
• The 1-to-5-star ratings have been removed from the chronological index. They remain on the individual opera pages and on the video index. The main reason I did this is because the ratings were never meant to be comparable across operas.
• Added considerable detail and album cover art for the Gilbert and Sullivan Highlights featuring Dennis Olsen, Thomas Edmonds, and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. Thanks to Robert Morrison.
• Added a review and CD album cover art for the Opera Australia Patience. Thanks to Robert Morrison.
• Added photos and a background article to the South Australia Pinafore of 1981. Thanks to Robert Morrison.
• Added a profile of George Baker. Also, updated the discussion of EMI's 1970 compilation, A Tribute to George Baker. Thanks to Robert Morrison.
• Revised and corrected the pages for the Civic Light Opera of New York Mikado and Pirates, and also added scans to those pages. Thanks to Bruce Miller.
• Added a 1966 promotional disc for the D'Oyly Carte Mikado film. The disc was intended to be played on U.S. radio stations to advertise the film's theatrical run. Thanks to Bruce Miller.
• Added Leon Berger's comments on the new CD A Society Clown.
• Added Joe Woodland's review of the 1974 Pearl/Cheam Grand Duke
• Added shots of Matt Bland's stunning cover art for Chris Webster's new issues of the 1917 HMV Mikado and the 1920 HMV Pirates.
• Added an advertising poster for The Story of Gilbert & Sullivan.
• A new cylinder icon debuts. See the listing of the Russell Hunting Company recording on the Pinafore page. (Thanks to Bruce Miller.)

Version 16.22 — November 10, 1999 (496 pages)

• Added Bruce Miller's review of Arthur Fiedler's recording of Gilbert and Sullivan Overtures.

Version 16.21 — November 9, 1999 (496 pages)

• Added Bruce Miller's review of the Al Goodman Mikado.
• Added Jamie Moffat's review of the New D'Oyly Carte Patience.
• Corrected various errors, thanks to Stan DeOrsey and Chris Webster.

Version 16.2 — November 8, 1999 (496 pages)

• Added Stan German's and Phil Sternenberg's comments on the Stratford Gondoliers.
• Corrected various typos from yesterday's release. Thanks to Leon Berger, Jim Lockwood and Bruce Miller.

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