The Gondoliers

The Gondoliers, the sunniest of all the Savoy operas, was preceded by dissension and followed by the bitterest of quarrels between its collaborators. After Yeoman of the Guard (1888), Gilbert and Sullivan exchanged peevish letters, each accusing the other of swamping his efforts. D'Oyly Carte attempted to make peace between the two, and they began their new collaboration, in Gilbert's words, as "master and master -- and not as master and servant." (One wonders, in the latter, supposedly ideal, arrangement, just who was which!) During the premiere of The Gondoliers at the Savoy in London, on December 7, 1889, the demand for encores almost doubled the length of Act I. Critics praised not only the score and libretto, but also the lavish sets and costumes. This live performance is yet another feather in the cap of the Ohio Light Opera, which has been dedicated to producing and promoting the best of the traditional operetta repertoire for more than 25 years. This CD set, like so many others in the Ohio Light Opera/Albany series, will give the operetta aficionado a taste of what makes this company unique.