Philips International 6625 006

This is the one of six highlights discs featuring the Michael Sammes Singers. The singers are not credited with specific roles, but presumably Michael Sammes and Eric Wilson-Hyde are Duke and Don Alhambra respectively (but they may cover other roles, as well).

The performances here are unidiomatic and unmemorable. Whoever plays the Duke (Sammes?) is dull as dishwater, although the Don Alhambra (Wilson-Hyde?) is quite good. Some of the musical choices are odd, such as playing the accompaniment of the "Good morrow, pretty maids" section without any singing, and presenting "I am a courtier" (an odd choice to end the album with) as a duet for Marco and Giuseppe. I could also swear that there are more than two men singing in "We're called gondolieri." The orchestrations are "souped up"—not as badly as in some other recordings that have attempted this, but still irritating.

Contents are as follows: