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Gilbert & Sullivan - The Mikado / WNO · Mackerras
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Binding: Audio CD
EAN: 0089408028427
Label: Telarc
Manufacturer: Telarc
MPN: 80284
Number Of Discs: 1
Publisher: Telarc
Release Date: February 11, 1992
Studio: Telarc
Related Items: Featured Listmania!
Editorial Review:
Regarded by G & S fans as the best of the all the operettas, The Mikado is given a sizzling performance by Sir Charles Mackerras, who--by leaving off the overture (which isn't by Sullivan anyway)-- manages to squeeze the piece onto one CD. He also shortens the "list" song since Gilbert's original features a prominent use of the "N" word, which, not withstanding the fact that he's making fun of people who performed in black-face in the 19th century, isn't worth the trouble it would cause by leaving it in. The singers are real singers; that is, they treat the music with respect and make it sound great. Of course, it is. --David Hurwitz
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Mikado Rules All
I had a high-school teacher who suggested that the reason W.S. Gilbert never received a knighthood (unlike his collaborator) was that the establishment was less than thrilled with his satirical views on British society. Nowhere is this satire more in evidence than in the Mikado, their "comeback" and arguably greatest work. Obviously, even Gilbert, who had satirized the armed services as well as other segments of society, couldn't lampoon the British crown directly, but one assumes that various well ... Read More
Rating:  - disappointing
While I agree with most of the other reviewers on the quality of musicianship on display here, the spirit of the piece seems to be missing. I cannot truly enjoy a Mikado where the central comedian, Ko-Ko, does not elicit a single chuckle. With the exception of the title character's traditional hyperventilation, there is none of the shading or embellishment that can bring these parts to life. I recently saw a production of The Mikado, so I know it can still generate some excitement. This seems more ... Read More
Rating:  - Well we liked it
The performance is spirited, the diction is good, the orchestra is on form, it's a very enjoyable recording. Other reviewers have complained about the missing overture and dialogue. We are not alone in thinking the overture "will not be missed" - it's pretty ordinary. Music for the audience to settle down by.
And since we wanted, and got, a recording of the Mikado music, we also don't miss the dialogue, a fair bit of which is really only there to set the scene for a song anyway. If we ... Read More
Rating: - Joyous music
--Gilbert & Sullivan--
William Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan were a match made in heaven, yet on earth their pairing seems even with hindsight a most unlikely coupling. Both were destined for other things, Gilbert in fact for decidedly non-musical careers. Introduced by a mutual friend, Fred Clay, the fledgling lyricist Gilbert met the military-band-leader's son Sullivan and together continued to conspire to inspire the delights of audiences from high Victorian times down to the present, as their ... Read More
Rating: - My favorite modern recording of The Mikado
This is by far the best recording of The Mikado made since 1928. Yes, it has been shortened a bit by omitting the Overture and removing one verse of the "List" song. But the Overture wasn't even written by Sullivan, so you're not missing that much.
The reason this performance is so wonderful is that it harkens back to the original tempi and spirit of the old D'Oyly Carte Company. If you listen (as I have) to all of the famous recordings of The Mikado, you will notice that, over time, The Mikado ... Read More
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