Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Overture - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Isidore Godfrey
2. 1. Pour, oh pour the pirate sherry - George Cook, The D'Oyly Carte Opera Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Isidore Godfrey
3. 2. When Fred'ric was a little lad - Christene Palmer, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Isidore Godfrey
4. 3. Oh, better far to live and die - Donald Adams, The D'Oyly Carte Opera Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Isidore Godfrey
5. 4. Oh, false one, you have deceived me - Christene Palmer, Philip Potter, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Isidore Godfrey
6. 5. Climbing over rocky mountain - Pauline Wales, Jean Allister, The D'Oyly Carte Opera Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Isidore Godfrey
7. 6. Stop! ladies, pray! A man! - Pauline Wales, Jean Allister, Philip Potter, The D'Oyly Carte Opera Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Isidore Godfrey
8. 7. Oh, is there not one maiden breast - Valerie Masterson, Philip Potter, The D'Oyly Carte Opera Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Isidore Godfrey
9. 8. Oh, sisters, deaf to pity's name, For shame! - Valerie Masterson, The D'Oyly Carte Opera Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Isidore Godfrey
10. Poor wand'ring one! - Valerie Masterson, The D'Oyly Carte Opera Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Isidore Godfrey
11. 10. What ought we to do, Gentle sisters say? - Valerie Masterson, Jean Allister, The D'Oyly Carte Opera Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Isidore Godfrey
12. 11. How beautifully blue the sky - Valerie Masterson, Philip Potter, The D'Oyly Carte Opera Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Isidore Godfrey
13. 12. Stay, we must not lose our senses - Philip Potter, The D'Oyly Carte Opera Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Isidore Godfrey
14. 13. Hold, Monsters! - Valerie Masterson, John Reed, George Cook, The D'Oyly Carte Opera Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Isidore Godfrey
15. 14. I am the very model of a modern Major-General - John Reed, The D'Oyly Carte Opera Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Isidore Godfrey

Disc 2:

1. 15. Oh, men of dark and dismal fate - Valerie Masterson, Pauline Wales, Jean Allister, Christene Palmer, Philip Potter, George Cook, John Reed, Donald Adams, The D'Oyly Carte Opera Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Isidore Godfrey
2. 16. Hail Poetry, thou heav'n born maid! - Valerie Masterson, Pauline Wales, Jean Allister, Philip Potter, George Cook, John Reed, Donald Adams, The D'Oyly Carte Opera Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Isidore Godfrey
3. 17. You may go, for you're at liberty - Valerie Masterson, Pauline Wales, Christene Palmer, Jean Allister, Philip Potter, George Cook, John Reed, Donald Adams, The D'Oyly Carte Opera Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Isidore Godfrey
4. 18. Pray observe the magnanimity - Valerie Masterson, Pauline Wales, Jean Allister, Philip Potter, George Cook, John Reed, Donald Adams, The D'Oyly Carte Opera Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Isidore Godfrey
5. 19. Oh, dry the glist'ning tear - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Isidore Godfrey, Valerie Masterson, The D'Oyly Carte Opera Chorus
6. 20. Then Frederic - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Isidore Godfrey, Philip Potter, John Reed
7. When the foeman bares his steel - Valerie Masterson, Jean Allister, Owen Brannigan, The D'Oyly Carte Opera Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Isidore Godfrey
8. 22. Now for the pirates lair! - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Isidore Godfrey, Christene Palmer, Philip Potter, Donald Adams
9. 23. When you had left our pirate fold - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Isidore Godfrey, Christene Palmer, Philip Potter, Donald Adams
10. 24. Away, away, my heart's on fire - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Isidore Godfrey, Christene Palmer, Philip Potter, Donald Adams
11. 25. All is prepared - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Isidore Godfrey, Valerie Masterson, Philip Potter
12. 26. Stay, Fred'ric stay! - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Isidore Godfrey, Valerie Masterson, Philip Potter
13. 27. Ah, leave me not to pine alone and desolate - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Isidore Godfrey, Valerie Masterson, Philip Potter
14. 28. Oh, here is love and here is truth - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Isidore Godfrey, Valerie Masterson, Christene Palmer
15. 19. No, I'll be brave - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Isidore Godfrey, Valerie Masterson, Owen Brannigan, The D'Oyly Carte Opera Chorus
16. 30. Sergeant approach (Dialogue) - Valerie Masterson, Owen Brannigan, The D'Oyly Carte Opera Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Isidore Godfrey
17. . When a felon's not engaged in his employment - Owen Brannigan, The D'Oyly Carte Opera Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Isidore Godfrey
18. 32. A rollicking band of pirates we - Owen Brannigan, The D'Oyly Carte Opera Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Isidore Godfrey
19. 33. With cat-like tread - George Cook, The D'Oyly Carte Opera Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Isidore Godfrey
20. 34. Hush! Hush! Not a word - Philip Potter, John Reed, Donald Adams, The D'Oyly Carte Opera Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Isidore Godfrey
21. 35. Sighing softly to the river - John Reed, The D'Oyly Carte Opera Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Isidore Godfrey
22. 36. Now what is this, and what is that - Valerie Masterson, Philip Potter, John Reed, Donald Adams, The D'Oyly Carte Opera Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Isidore Godfrey
23. 37. We triumph now - Owen Brannigan, Donald Adams, The D'Oyly Carte Opera Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Isidore Godfrey
24. 38. Away with them, and place them at the bar - Christene Palmer, John Reed, The D'Oyly Carte Opera Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Isidore Godfrey
25. 39. Poor wand'ring ones, though ye have surely straye - Valerie Masterson, Pauline Wales, Jean Allister, Christene Palmer, Philip Potter, George Cook, Donald Adams, The D'Oyly Carte Opera Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Isidore Godfrey

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2315 in Music
• Released on: 2003-03-24
• Number of discs: 2
• Formats: Box set, Original recording reissued
• Dimensions: .24 pounds
• Running time: 104 minutes

Customer Reviews

D'Oyly Carte at their Finest (dialogue included)
I've owned this recording on vinyl for 30 years & recently acquired it on cd.

G+S can be performed in many ways & the D'Oyly Carte recordings often fall short of the perfection which they ought to achieve - but not in this case. In my opinion, this is the finest D'Oyly Carte performance ever recorded - your chance to hear them at their very best.

Every role is brilliantly performed & (as usual) the chorus is first class. It's almost unfair to elevate any one of them - but I particularly like Philip Potter as Frederic. He is the romantic lead (which could so easily be a bore) but he perfectly captures Frederic as naive & gullible - which is so much part of Gilbert's humour - pricking the bubble of honour & duty. Also, the way the chorus imitate Owen Brannigan's vocal inflection in "When a Felon's not engaged.." (ie "A Policeman's lot").

The dialogue is terrific & we are privileged to have a complete a performance on disc of this calibre. I can see that many people will be irritated by its presence. I myself have taken a copy, leaving out the dialogue, for when I don't want to listen too intently.

Pirates of Penzance - Decca
I agree that this is the definitive recording. Doyly Carte at their very best. I like the quaint dialogue and I think its integral to the performance and fixes the piece in its very Victorian place. For me the high point is Valerie Masterson's brilliant "Poor wand'ring one" - absolute perfection!

Excellent Music, shame about some of the dialogue
This set includes the dialogue, which is helpful for keeping track but palls with repeated hearing. The section which relates to a misunderstanding about the words 'orphan' and 'often' is much too laboured for today's audiences and could have been omitted without loss of continuity. However, the cast do the very best that they can with it. The musical side is a total treat and of course Owen Brannigan steals the show as the Sergeant of Police but as he is also in the Sargent version, which is one of this conductor's best sets and--I think--omits the dialogue, it might pay to search this out.