The Michael Sammes Iolanthe (1966)
Mary Thomas, soprano
The Michael Sammes Singers |
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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 the Lord Chancellor. Helen Landis was the contralto on all the Gilbert and Sullivan For All recordings and obviously sings the Fairy Queen here.
The recording is not in my personal collection, but Chris Webster provided a list of the selections:
Side 1 | Side 2 |
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Geoff Dixon provided the following comments:
Much of the my review of Mikado applies also to Iolanthe. The numbers are heavily cut, and the Peers' Chorus is a pale shadow (if not a travesty) of what it should be. The chorus is so thin as to be almost imperceptible, and again the Finale to Act I is mauled beyond recognition. Soprano and contralto are good enough, but taken as a whole there are simply not enough forces for the job in hand.
Date | Label | Format | Number | Comments |
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1966 | WING (Philips) | Stereo LP | WL-1112 | |
1966 | Ditto | Cassette | DTO 10244A | Also contains Mikado |
1967-8? | Fontana | Stereo LP | SFL-13032 | |
197-? | Philips International | Stereo LP | 6625 005 [U.K.] 6641 241 [Australia] |
Two-record set, "G&S Extravaganza, Vol. 1," including the Michael Sammes Mikado and Iolanthe |