The Pearl/Cheam Grand Duke (1974)

This recording is not in my personal collection, but Joe Woodland provded the following review:

The Ludwig is charming, a kind of Ko-Ko approach. Sandford on the official recording is a touch heavy in comparison, although of course he is the stronger singer. A pity that Pearl's Ludwig is deprived of his second act patter song. Cuts of famous numbers make the set disappointing. The famous "mad scene" for Julia is missing. No huge loss, as I recall that her voice was wavery and unpleasing. The Rudolph sounds like he has a cold, but is very funny, and he and the Baroness get both verses of their Act I duet (trimmed on the D'Oyly Carte recording). Luckily, the Prince of Monte Carlo and Rudolph get their second act songs, which would have been unavailable but for the intervention of John Wolfson, the G&S scholar. The remainder of the cast is vivid, but not vocally strong. The orchestra is scrappy, and some tempi are slow compared to the D'Oyly Carte recording. This was a good recording from which to learn the opera.