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During the 1970s, and through the mid-1980s, the University of Michigan
Gilbert and Sullivan Society (UMGASS) issued most of its performances on LP records,
and later cassettes.
The original recordings are not in the scope of this website, as they generally were
purchased only by cast members and local fans. However,
Sounds on CD has started to issue select
UMGASS performances of interest on CD, of which this is the first.
UMGASS records were usually transcriptions of stage performances. As this
was UMGASS's first production of The Grand Duke, and there was no
professional recording in the catalog (the D'Oyly Carte's
being three years away), the company decided to record this production in
the studio. The sessions were soon after the stage production closed, so the
performers were still fresh in their roles. The recording session also restored
material that had been cut on stage.
This recording enjoyed somewhat wider circulation than most by UMGASS, because
of the novelty of a new LP of an opera that was then rarely performed. Indeed,
like Katisha's right heel, it was "much admired by conoisseurs" long before Chris
Webster re-issued it on CD.
Sounds on CD VGS 230 |
Chris added:
During my work on this transfer I received the tragic news that Stephen Poulos,
heard here as Ludwig, lost his life in the shocking events in New York on September
11th, 2001. I am therefore respectfully dedicating this CD issue to his memory
and have decided that a donation from each sale will be made to an
appropriate charity of his widow, Lisa's, choice.
I learned that opera had been a passion of Steve's. He was studying it at
Michigan at the time of this recording when he was 18, and it was his career
for 20 years. He was particularly interested in the encouragement and
development of young singing talent and Lisa had already requested amongst
family and friends that any donations should be sent to the Metropolitan
Opera Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, and this is her wish in
this instance also. I am very happy to comply with this and so a donation
from the sale of each set will be made in Steve's memory. For more details
about this excellent cause please visit
http://www.metopera.org/infodesk/lyadp.html
The recording is magnificently conducted by Eric Stern who is now a well
known conductor on Broadway. To quote from [director] Jim Drew's notes, "Everyone
connected with this production accepted it as an established fact that Eric
Stern was a certified genius. Subsequent history has proven the accuracy of
this assessment. Eric's work as a Broadway conductor has placed him in the
forefront of his profession. Every tempo in this recording has the feel of
being the one exactly right for the moment. ... the amazing control of
dynamics in the concerted numbers can leave one breathless."
There is the occasional slip but these are infrequent and quite often are
hardly even noticeable. All in all this really is a very fine recording of
a very under-rated Savoy Opera which has had all too few recordings, and it
deserves a place in every G&S collectors CD collection. There are very few
cuts and the total running time is over 145 minutes.
Several reviewers commented. Ed Patterson wrote:
As to recordings, without a doubt the best recording of the Grand Duke
IMHO is (drum role) UMGASS!! It is so musically precise and sung to
perfection. Bravo! Bravo!
Roy Taylor wrote:
American accents in G&S do usually jar with me
but none did in this recording, in fact I could
almost believe that I was listening to an English professional company.
Eric Stern's interpretation of the score is pure delight with many fine
touches, and the excellent cast give the opera a new lease of life. In my
opinion a much superior performance than the 1976 D'Oyly Carte
recording and certainly deserves a much wider audience.
Mitch Gillette wrote:
Jim Drew directed The University of Michigan Gilbert and Sullivan Society in its
first production of The Grand Duke in 1973. A wonderful studio recording
was made that included all the songs, some of the first night dialogue, and a
few cuts to the first act finale ( but very few). ...
It is a quintessential production of the work.
It is the recording that made me fall in love with the show, and has one
of the best "mad scenes" ever.
Michael Walters wrote:
The Michigan Grand Duke is the best recording of the opera I have ever
heard. I knew it previously only from a rather scratchy
reel-to-reel tape, so it is good to hear it now the glorious Webster
technicolour (or is it technicolor?).
It was particularly moving to hear such a fine performance from the late
Stephen Poulos.
Chris has done a superb job in preparing this recording. Get it!
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