The 1976 D'Oyly Carte Utopia Limited

Cast King Paramount Kenneth Sandford Scaphio John Reed Phantis John Ayldon Tarara Jon Ellison Lord Dramaleigh James Conroy-Ward Capt. Fitzbattleaxe Meston Reid Capt. Corcoran John Broad Mr. Goldbury Michael Rayner Sir Bailey Barre Colin Wright Mr. Blushington David Porter Princess Zara Pamela Field Princess Nekaya Julia Goss Princess Kalyba Judi Merri Lady Sophy Lyndsie Holland Phylla Rosalind Griffiths D'Oyly Carte Opera Chorus Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor: Royston Nash Recorded at Decca Studios, West Hampstead 25–27 July 1975

Kenneth Sandford as King Paramount London OSA-12105

In 1975, in celebration of the D'Oyly Carte centenary, the Company mounted a new production of Utopia Limited, a work that had been out of the repertory since the early 1900s. Incomprehensibly, only one performance of this production was scheduled (on Friday 4th April 1975), and the Company was shocked to discover that people were lining up by the thousands for tickets. Four more performances were arranged for later that year, at the Royal Festival Hall, in July. And then, to the dismay of virtually everyone, the opera was dropped.

This recording was made shortly after that 1975 production. Although the stage performances had cuts, the recording is musically complete and even includes some snatches of dialogue in Act II. It is surely no surprise that there have probably been more productions of this opera since 1976 than in the entire three-quarters of a century before. The recording transformed the opera from an obscure abstraction to something real.

Decca 473 662-2

Since Sullivan's overture is insubstantial (little more than a preview of the Act II Drawing Room music), the recording also included Sullivan's Imperial March, which he wrote at about the same time and which seems to fit the spirit of the opera. The CD re-issue includes Sullivan's Victoria and Merrie England Suite No. 1 and his Marmion and Macbeth overtures.

James Tappin mentioned that, on his copy of the original LP issue, there is a note saying that it is available "on cassette and cartridge." The latter would appear to refer to eight-track tape (a format that was on its last legs in 1976). If this recording did come out in that format, the bibliographic details for it have not yet come to my attention.

Issue History