The Grand Duke, Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company - 2012

Filmed at the 19th International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival, Buxton, England in 2012. Director: Andrew Nicklin with Richard Suart as Rudolph, James Elliott as Ernest Dummkopf, Stephen John Davis as Ludwig, Bruce Graham as Doctor Tannhauser, Donald Maxwell as The Prince of Monte Carlo, Richard Gauntlett as Viscount Mentone, Catrine Kirkman as The Princess of Monte Carlo, Jill Pert as The Baroness von Krakenfeldt, Victoria Joyce as Julia Jellicoe & Victoria Byron as Lisa.

[@johnedreslin]

A much underrated work. Should be done as much as any of the others. Fortunately it is starting to get played more. This is a very nice performance. Wish the whole thing was available on TH-cam.

[@coloraturaElise]

So much fun, and the credits don't mention him, but the FANTASTIC Herald was played to the max by John Savournin!

[@chessparrotify]

I attended the Buxton Fest in 1996 and saw nothing approaching this standard. Fantastic!!

[@bobhicks4547]

I saw a production of The Sorcerer last year performed by a local Savoyard group. It contained an extra incantation scene at the end that was part of the original script and cut out in later years. The score to one song has been lost, but fit perfectly with a song from Pirates. With this scene added back in the show made a lot more sense and was one of the best G&S shows I have seen.

[@markpettis2896]

I like all Gilbert and Sullivan but to me the Grand Duke is my favorite. When I first saw it I made a point of not reading the plot synopsis so as the opera was performed it was all new to me I think I found a recording which contained all the music. Maybe it's long but it's worth it

[@anniespencer7879]

I like Yeomen of the Guard best because of the dark ending.but I have always wanted to see this 'live'. I would pay good money fur a DVD release. Thank you!

[@markpettis2896]

Annie Spencer Annie I too like the yoemen of the guard. that is my second favorite to the grand Duke and also the yeoman of the guard is unique among Gilbert and Sullivan operas

[@markpettis2896]

Annie this is Mark again check on TH-cam for RAGSPT REVISITED he or she has a Gilbert and Sullivan operettas complete including the grand Duke live performances from New Zealand enjoy including a couple numbers often left out of the yoemen of guard

[@daisybtoes]

I like the Mozart era setting very much. This works a lot better than the late 19th century or worse, the 1930's (!) which both have negative associations for too many people.

[@eclecticdufus]

I love the performance and the period costumes. I think GD is a better work than Utopia (or for that matter Sorcerer) despite Gilbert's problematic libretto thanks to Sullivan's terrific music. I've already ordered both the CD and DVD!

[@anniespencer7879]

If anybody's reading this seven yesrs on please could they let me kniw if those Dvd's are still available? Did they miss out "Well You 're A Pretty Kind Of Fellow"? What a shame but what a great video this is.

[@lonwall9333]

i enjoy the Grande Duke very much myself - But to say that Sorcerer was their 'worst" piece is grossly unfair. Sorcerer has a great many classic pieces and is a lot of fun. although it is distinctly different than any other G&S operetta. We could argue for eons about "best" and "worst" which essentially comes down to personal preferences. Grand Dukes weaknesses are that it is VERY long, somewhat hard to keep track of plot-wise and had the misfortune to come about in 1896 when the style was well known and to some extent worn out. British musical theater had moved on quite an extent by this period.

[@mensamoo]

dont know why GD gets bad press. comic opera was waining at the time of its first showing, but compared with the other 12 I think it still holds the G&S magic.

[@mawzon59]

Is the whole performance available anywhere? I think this is a fantastic production of my favourite G & S opera.

[@rosuav]

You can get all the DVDs from the Festival's web site. This one is here:
gsfestivals.org/content/dvd-cd-offer-grand-duke-%E2%80%93-gs%20-opera-company-2012
I'm not affiliated with the Festival in any way, but a good few of my dollars have been turned into pounds and sent their direction :)

[@mensamoo]

My fave too. It has to be said Sorceror, as the first full length G&S operetta, was the worst thing they collaborated on.

[@Mousy677]

sorcerer is fun, but it has plot holes big enough to drive a bus through.

[@424Collection]

+mensamoo You are incorrect, Thespis predates Sorceror by six years. The problem that I have with Sorceror is that the characters all come across as being rather nasty pieces of work, and the jokes are at at their discomforts.

[@shaneleebrown]

I saw the National G&S Opera Company do The Sorcerer last night and it's interesting to see it on stage after knowing the music well for twenty-five years or more. There are issues with it (there really is no plot for the first forty minutes or more), but it's still fun and entertaining. I'll take it over several of the other operas, though.