The New D'Oyly Carte Iolanthe (1991)

Cast
Lord ChancellorRichard Suart
Earl of MountararatLawrence Richard
Earl TollollerPhilip Creasy
Private WillisJohn Rath
StrephonPhilip Blake Jones
Queen of the FairiesJill Pert
IolantheRegina Hanley
CeliaYvonne Patrick
LeilaMadeleine Mitchell
FletaLouise Owen
PhyllisElizabeth Woollett

Chorus and Orchestra of the D'Oyly Carte Opera
Conductor: John Pryce-Jones

Koch International 340 282
Koch International 340 282
Sony S2K-58898
Sony S2K-58898

This Iolanthe was one of two recordings issued after the New D'Oyly Carte's 1991 season. The recording was based on a performing edition prepared from Sullivan's autograph by Gerald Hendrie, who is also preparing the forthcoming Broude Brothers critical edition of the full score. The set also includes Strephon's deleted aria "Fold your flapping wings."

The CD issue on TER (but not the TER cassette or the Sony CD) also includes a recording of the ballet music from Thespis, which was recently rediscovered quite by accident by Selwyn Tillett and Roderick Spencer of the Sir Arthur Sullivan Society as they were preparing for a revival of Sullivan's ballet L'Ile Enchantée. If you can forego dialogue, the extra material makes this the Iolanthe recording of choice.

The CD highlights disc on Koch International includes the following tracks, for a total playing time of 44:47:

  • Tripping Hither
  • Good morrow good mother
  • None shall part us
  • Loudly let the trumpet bray
  • When I went to the bar
  • When darkly looms (complete Act one finale)
  • When all night long
  • If were weak enough to tarry
  • My lord, a suppliant
  • Finale Act 2
Issue History
DateLabelFormatNumberComments
1991 Sony CD S2K 58898  
TER CD CDTER2 1188 With Thespis ballet
Cassette ZCTED 1188  
1994 Koch International CD 340302 Highlights