Arthur Sullivan - The Yeomen of the Guard (1993 Marriner recording) - No. 3. "Oh! a private buffoon", "Hereupon we're both agreed", "Free from his fetters", "Strange adventure" & "When a wooer" (Kurt Streit, Thomas Allen, Sylvia McNair, Jean Rigby)

I'm more and more falling under the spell of the topsy-turvydoom of the British power duo, Gilbert & Sullivan, especially after hearing "The Yeomen of the Guard", possibly, their best, most openly operatic and less topsy-turvy work.

A thorough libretto can be found here:

http://www.karadar.com/Librettos/sullivan_YEOMEN.html

P.S. As if Act One wasn't good enough, Act Two is even better :).

No. 13 (noted are the order in which the pieces appear in the opera). Aria - "Oh! a private buffoon is a light-hearted loon". In a traditional for Gilbert and Sullivan but completely logical patter song Point lists to an impressed Wilfred the perils of being a jester, starting from the need to be funny through the night and ending with the necessity of pleasing different masters.

No. 14. Duettino - "Hereupon we're both agreed". Point and Wilfred swear on their plan in a high-stakes duet for two baritones, involving everything one might expect from a comic baritone: patter, echoes, even snatches of coloratura.

No. 15. Aria - "Free from his fetters". In his second, highly romantic aria with a simple bass line, graced by sudden rushes of the strings, Fairfax bemoans the fact that he remains a prisoner of the Tower, even outside his cell, as he still cannot announce his true identity.

No. 16. Quartettino - "Strange adventure". This little quartettino for Fairfax, Dame Carruthers (contralto), her niece, Kate (mezzo-soprano, her only number in the opera), Sergeant Meryll is simply a prolonged reaction of the characters at the turmoil that prevails in their life, thus it is not really necessary but it is interested for the complete abandonment of any kind of accompaniment to back up the singers (only several phrases are backed up by the orchestra), while we are mostly treated to a wonderful a capella ensemble with each couplet ending with a humorous echo of the final phrase or word.

No. 17. Quartet - "When a wooer" (only a part of the quartet made it into this upload, the end is given in the final upload which I will upload tomorrow). An important dramatical confrontation which finds Phoebe and Point finally realizing that Fairfax and Elsie respectively are not in love with them. This is brilliantly shown in the form of couplets being sung first by Fairfax and Elsie together and then Phoebe and Point who each getting a separate arioso. The melody is elegant and its' constant cycling helps to underline the fact that a single situation is followed by different consequences for each of the characters.

Here is a list of performers who appear in these selections:

Kurt Streit - Colonel Fairfax,
Stafford Dean - Sergeant Meryll,
Thomas Allen Jack Point,
Bryn Terfel - Wilfred Shadbolt,
Sylvia McNair - Elsie Maynard,
Jean Rigby - Phoebe Meryll,
Anne Collins - Dame Carruthers,
Judith Howarth - Kate.

Hope you'll enjoy :)!

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Gilbet
• Sullivan
• comic
• opera
• Savoy
• D'Oyly
• Carte

[lskarin]

Wish the poster had added the verse:

"When a jester is outwitted, feelings fester, heart is lead;

Would have liked to hear Terfel do that.

[LindoroRossini]

I will upload that particular except in a couple of days, it's been on a small hiatus :P. On a side note, it's actually the equally delightful Thomas Allen who sings the role of Point, while Terfel is awarded the smaller but nonetheless quite worthy role of Wilfred :).

[LindoroRossini]

The second finale will also be presented with the reprise of Elsie's and Point's lovely duet.

[lskarin]

Thank you for the correction. I love G&S and think it's important for us to keep alive and expand the comical/cynical Gilbert did. I am always updating (on my computer) topicalities Gilbert might do. GASP, in New York City, is the best approximation of D'Oyly Carte I know of.

Cheers.

[LindoroRossini]

I think you'll be happy to know that I've decided to post the final upload right now, as it is high time to properly end the series :). Also, what do you think of this version as a whole :)?

[bhandsdes]

Thanks again, Lindoro Rossini. Best G&S by a considerable margin. I come back time and again. "You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll sing along (to the annoyance of those sitting nearby) . . . a giant roller coaster of an opera." And the adorably honorable and stupid Fairfax . . . how could you not want to chuck him under the chin with one hand and smack him on the back of the head with the other?

[DeadWiegraf]

Sullivan really had a way with madrigal like composition. His Quartets are always my favorite parts of the shows. " The World is but a Broken Toy" in Princess Ida is a wonderful one also.

[drtmuir]

Tom Allen singing in his "oop North" accent, LOL

[grimalover]

It is not hard to fall under the spell of Gilbert and Sullivan. I loved it as a child, and grew up loving. I can remember seeing their operettas on stage.

[racehorse87]

I've heard many a version of Yeomen and this one is well sung! (and probably well danced, if it were a staged show)

[emilygclarinet]

Thanks so much for posting this. I LOVE Gilbert and Sullivan!

[lskarin]

The additional verse "When a jester is outwitted... did not come through. But that's irrelevant to the magnificent work you've done

Thank you so much.

Larry Skarin

Rochester New York USA