The Original 4 page advertising brochure - c1982
The much maligned Brent Walker series, apart from including all 11 operas from TRIAL through to GONDOLIERS, also included COX AND BOX, and it is generally acknowledged that this recording is one of the best of the series.
Freed from the restrictions of the stage, this production is able to take the three protagonists out of the house, into the street, and even into the local inn. There being no chorus in COX AND BOX the Ambrosian Opera Chorus are used as various inhabitants of the neighbourhood and the whole production has a delightful ambiance redolent of a seedy victorian London suburb.
Russell Smythe is a delightful Cox whose vain attempts to bring some kind of sanity into the increasingly bizarre situations in which he finds himself, find him increasingly frustrated. Box (John Fryatt) on the other hand seems to take each new turn of events in a very laid-back manner, until that is, the threatened arrival of Penelope-Ann brings him back to earth.
As a very Irish Bouncer, Thomas Lawlor is an absolute comic delight.
The London Symphony Orchestra is conducted by Alexander Faris and the opera is presented more or less complete with all the verses usually cut, the full 'Gambling Duet' and most of the musical repeats. The DVD is coupled with TRIAL and is available from UNIVERSAL 823 146-1. The DVD is also included as part of Universal's 11 DVD set.
The Brent Walker series of videos made in the early 1980's has come in for a considerable amount of flack over the years. However, with the reissue of the series on DVD by Universal there has been a chance to re-evaluate these performances and it has to be said that TRIAL is certainly one of the best in the series. It now has the bonus of being coupled with the only complete performance with orchestra in any format of the original version of COX AND BOX. The recordings were made during 1982 and were first released in the UK in 1983.
Love him or loathe him, Frankie Howerd actually makes a very decent Learned Judge - the part actually suits him, unlike his appaling Sir Joseph in the same series' PINAFORE.
He is ably backed by a sweet, simpering, but sometimes petulent Kate Flowers as Angelina. Ryland Davies is a handsome, freshvoiced Edwin whi is accompanied on his day in court by a silent Anna Dawson as The Other Woman. Tom McDonnel is a bemused Counsel and Eleanor McCreadie is suitably (but silently) outraged as the Bride's Mother.
The main action is preceded by Sullivan's delightful 'Overture Di Ballo' during which we see the various characters (including the charwoman who cleans the court) preparing for the forthcoming day.
The Ambrosian Opera Chorus and the London Symphony Orchestra are all ably conducted by Alexander Faris, a frequent guest conductor with D'Oyly Carte.
The DVD is available as part of Universal's 11 disc boxed set and also singly, catalogue number 823 146-1.
Back in 1982 a video production company controlled by George Walker announced a complete series of Gilbert and Sullivan presentations. In the event all the operas with the exception of THESPIS, UTOPIA and GRAND DUKE were produced, with varying results. Introductions to each presentation, given by Douglas Fairbanks Jnr. were an annoying feature of these tapes as were the multiple cuts in YEOMEN.
One of the best of the series was undoubtedly THE SORCERER and this has now become available in the UK again, this time on DVD. Currently this is part of an eleven disc set containing all the operas, but hopefully they will become available singly at a later date.
The medium of film allows the director the freedom to move in and out of Sir Marmaduke's mansion, around the gardens, in and out of the refreshment tent and, at one point, out into a neighbouring field to visit a haystack!!
This production is thankfully lacking in the "star" names that spoil some of the other presentations in this series. The cast is headed by ex-D'Oyly Carter, Donald Adams as Sir Marmaduke, playing a role her never assumed on stage but obviously relishing every moment. Nuala Willis is suitably matched as Lady Sangazure. Nan Christie is a thoroughly delightful Aline and Alexander Oliver is suitably pompous and strong willed as Alexis. Enid Hartle and Janis Kelly give excellent performances as Mrs Partlet and her daughter, Constance and an ageing David Kernan gives a suitably bumbling performance as Dr Daly. Clive Revill, who made such a tremendous impression as Ko-Ko at Sadler's Wells in 1962, gives a splendid performance as John Wellington-Wells. The Notary is uncredited but was possibly a member of the Ambrosian Opera Chorus. The London Symphony Orchestra is conducted splendidly by Alexander Faris.
Douglas Faibanks Jnr. is still present, but then the advantage of DVD is that you can skip him!!
The set has been reissued in new packaging and with complete production libretto included in each case, by Universal (catalogue number DVD 8228651-11), the rrp is £99.99 although it can be found much cheaper. www.amazon.co.uk often retail this set at much less. Each separate disc has its own catalogue number and this DVD is now available separately on 822 870-3 although it does seem to go in and out of stock.
The Brent Walker series has come in for a considerable amount of flack over the years and the reissue on DVD by no means dispels all the arguments. However, the production is much better than perhaps one has been led to believe. The production does tend to fall between two stools (traditional D'Oyly Carte and Broadway) but there are many excellent moments. Gillian Knight (Ruth) brings her D'Oyly Carte experience to the fore in an excellent performance.
The complete set of 12 operas has been reissued in new packaging and with complete production libretto included in each case, by Universal (catalogue number DVD 8228651-11), the rrp is £99.99 although it can be found much cheaper. The price at www.amazon.co.uk constantly varies and it is always worth checking out . Each separate disc now has its own catalogue number and this DVD is available separately on 823 118-4.
www.ebay.co.uk
The medium of film allows the director the freedom to move in and out of fairyland, around the palace of Westminster, in and out Iolanthe's pond and so on. This is one of the notorious Brent Walker series first issued on video in 1982 and prefaced by some ghastly introductions by Douglas Fairbanks Jnr.
This production is thankfully lacking in the "star" names that spoil some of the other presentations in this series and is certainly one of the better performances overall. The cast is headed by Derek Hammond-Stroud (Sadler's Wells, English National Opera) as the Lord Chancellor, Anne Collins as the Fairy Queen and Kate Flowers as Phyllis. Alexander Oliver is (unusually) a tenor Strephon. The London Symphony Orchestra is conducted splendidly by Alexander Faris. The video in general is quite delightful and a good evening's entertainment.
Douglas Faibanks Jnr. is still present, but then the advantage of DVD is that you can skip him!!
The set has been reissued in new packaging, with complete production libretto included in each case, by Universal (catalogue number DVD 8228651-11), the rrp is £99.99 although it can be found much cheaper. www.amazon.co.uk often retail this set for considerably less and it has been seen on the shelf in W. H. Smith for £69.99. It is also worth checking www.ebay.co.uk . Each separate disc has its own catalogue number and this DVD is now available separately - 822 870-2.
I have to say that when this production first appeared in 1982 I was less than enthusiastic. The original idea had been for the Brent Walker organisation to record all the current D'Oyly Carte productions, but when the government once again refused any funding for the opera company, thus causing it to disband, Brent Walker had to return to the drawing board.
In the event they recorded 11 operas plus COX AND BOX and Offenbach's ORPHEUS IN THE UNDERWORLD with various artists - some occasionally with D'Oyly Carte or wider operatic experience, but more often with established television or musical theatre pedigrees.
In the case of this production the cast is headed by William Conrad (Cannon) in the title role, and despite the forebodings that this naturally creates, he actually does quite a reasonable job. Ko-Ko is portrayed by Clive Revill, 20 years after playing the same role at Sadler's Wells. The characterisation is the same, sly and manipulative, and it actually works very well.
Strafford Dean is far from the rotund Pooh-Bah that we expect but for all that gives an excellent performance. Kate Flowers proves to be an excellent Yum-Yum, whilst the remarkable Anne Collins cannot be faulted for her portrayal of Katisha.
The lynchpin of the entire series is Alexander Faris who conducts the whole series with the London Symphony Orchestra and the Ambrosian Opera Chorus. Faris, of course, was a regular guest conductor with D'Oyly Carte and the pedigree shows. The DVD is included in the 11 disc set released by Universal but is also available separately - 822 870-6.
The Brent Walker series of Gilbert and Sullivan operas issued originally on VHS between 1982 - 1985 were, to say the least, patchy. YEOMEN, whilst well sung, has to be accounted one of the worst of the series for a number of reasons.
Not only do the producers advance the action to the time of Charles I (making the costumes for the Yeomen themselves rather less spectacular than usual), but there are numerous cuts; Phoebe loses the 1st verse of her opening number, the act one trio "Alas I waiver" and Fairfax's ballad are both missing. Fairfax's act two ballad, "Strange Adventure", "When a wooer goes a-wooing", and "Rapture, rapture" are absent. The excuse for this was that the piece needed to run no longer than two hours for the purposes of television broadcast, and yet when the production was first broadcast on the BBC and on CBS, much of the missing material was present. Strange too that, although not the longest of the works, none of the other operas in the series suffered cuts of a similar magnitude.
The insistence on using 'star' names in this series also has an incongruous effect with Jack Point, a quintessentially English character, being played by Joel Gray, an American, whose strong accent grates throughout the entire piece, despite the fact that he is essentially very good.
One to be avoided, but if you must see it, apart from being part of the 10 disc box set, it can be obtained singly on the Universal label - 822 870-4.
The Brent Walker series has come in for a considerable amount of flack over the years and the reissue of the entire series of 12 operas on DVD by no means dispels all the arguments. However, the production of GONDOLIERS is much better than perhaps one has been led to believe. It is certainly one of the more acceptable productions of the series. The habit at the time of filming (1982) of updating the period of the costumes from 1750 to the late Victorian/early Edwardian era, does, to my mind, take a lot of the colour and sparkle out of the production, but as a performance this is enjoyable.
It has to be said that the stars (despite the billing) are Eric Shilling as the Duke and Anne Collins as the Duchess ably supported by Sandra Dugdale as Casilda. The remainder of the cast are excellent in their way although it is very obvious at times that the chorus are miming to pre-recorded tape (when they remember they should be singing), whilst the principals are singing live.
Star name, Keith Michell, is too lightweight as a singer for Don Alhambra, although he acts well and some of his dialogue takes on a distinctly, and appropriately, sinister tinge. The London Symphony Orchestra are superb and the whole is ably conducted by Alexander Faris.
The complete set of 12 operas has been reissued in new packaging and with complete production libretto included in each case, by Universal (catalogue number DVD 8228651-11), and can be purchased at various purchase prices, check out amazon as a guide although they are by no means the cheapest. Keeping an eye on ebay often reveals considerable bargains, whether as a 'buy now' item or as an auction. The opera can also be purchased separately. UNIVERSAL (DVD 8228700-11).