To think that I'm 75 and just now realized that this is a parody of the Entrance of the Guests from Tannhäuser -- though one that works on its own terms.
Yes this is quite splendid. This is how it should be done, singing with the utmost conviction Bow Bow ye lower-middle-classes. All too often people try and bring in comic capers, but it is far more convincing (and far funnier) when taken absolutely straight. Well done!
Absolutely! I was in a production of this opera forty years ago almost to this day. Upon looking at a photograph of the same recently I noticed that whilst I was playing the Earl of Mountararat, I was actually wearing a Duke's coronet. I like to think that Gilbert's ghost would have laughed out loud.
Pity we don't see Iolanthe performed more often. One problem is that the final scene requires everyone on stage to suddenly sprout wings and fly away to Fairyland. A staging trick that is difficult to bring off.
Many years ago, when I was around 12 or 13, my mother bought a large album of many G&S operettas, and the songs from Iolanthe were among my favorites including this one. The comments mentioned that Sullivan often paradied other composers, but I didn't know enough at the time to see all of them. This chorus is obviously inspired by "The Entrance of the Guests" from Tannhäuser by Wagner.
@@billwalderman3943 Yes, but the whole opera shows Wagner's influence--particularly Sullivan's liberal and highly enjoyable use of the leitmotif, one of Wagner's hallmarks. (For people unfamiliar with the term, "leitmotif" could be called, roughly, the 19th century's equivalent of a character's theme or signature tune.)
I recognise Alistair Donkin's Iolanthe when I see it. I've done those moves myself in two festival productions at the International G&S Festival in Buxton. Great fun.
A lovely production. What a shame however -- especially having regard to the fact that many Yorkshire noblemen actually have Yorkshire accents -- that the director elected to use home-counties pronunciation for the word 'classes'. I feel sure that -- just as Mr. Shakespeare had intended 'sole' and 'soul' in The Merchant of Venice to LACK parechesis -- Mr. Gilbert intended 'classes' and 'masses' to rhyme. I once sang in Surrey Constabulary Male-Voice Choir; this was in our repertoire. It sounded good and we all enjoyed singing it! ΠΞ
MrCuddlyable3: A sound repeated, Sir; so having the phonic effect of a rhyme but not in the same way. If you listen to most productions of the Merchant, you'll hear 'sole' and 'soul' rendered the same (by Portia). Some of us think this incorrect -- although the error, assuming it be one, can be mitigated by the use of suitable gestures -- and that the former ought to have a pure 'o' for the vowel, as in the North of England, and the latter a pure 'oo', as in the word 'fool'. ΠΞ
@Pericles Xanthippou Thank you for acquainting me with the term parechesis (παρήχησις) from Greek rhetoric where my best English dictionaries failed me. I think it may apply equally to repetition of a vowel or to alliteration of a consonant. Basing my expectation of Gilbert's speech on that of Sullivan that has been recorded, his Home Counties pronunciation would rhyme "classes" with "brasses" (like farces), but not with "masses" . It's refreshing to hear that in Surrey you made a policeman's lot a happy one!
It's a shame -- given how useful it is in analysing English literature -- that parechesis be so little recognized and understood. (One can readily see in its origins 'para' (alongside) and 'echo' so I think it ought to be seen -- in the school syllabus, for example -- as an essential tool.) I agree with your extension of the concept: it's by no means confined to, e.g., a phoneme or a whole syllable. The Surrey choir -- originally, as you see, a male-voice one -- later (after my time) became co-ed, so to speak. Later still -- presumably after the retirement of the superb musical director, Harry Porter -- it folded and became a community choir in the nearby village of Shalford but I find no trace of it on the Web. I can assure you that -- if not for all -- then at least for the choir itself our performances were happy. Our capacity for innocent enjoyment -- 'cent enjoyment -- was just as great as any honest man's! (G. & S. were well represented in our book!) ΠΞ
Such excellent costuming and singing should be matched by more "parliamentary" scenery because the arcadian backdrop is only right for the fairy scenes.
Really good staging. Not done very well, unfortunately, but the formations and timings were excellent. Again let down by an over-enthusiastic video editor who fails again and again to show the formation's completion. Shame.
To think that I'm 75 and just now realized that this is a parody of the Entrance of the Guests from Tannhäuser -- though one that works on its own terms.
Very good men's chorus, all the words come out very clearly.
Yes this is quite splendid. This is how it should be done, singing with the utmost conviction Bow Bow ye lower-middle-classes.
All too often people try and bring in comic capers, but it is far more convincing (and far funnier) when taken absolutely straight. Well done!
Absolutely!
I was in a production of this opera forty years ago almost to this day. Upon looking at a photograph of the same recently I noticed that whilst I was playing the Earl of Mountararat, I was actually wearing a Duke's coronet. I like to think that Gilbert's ghost would have laughed out loud.
I agree, and quite considerable so !!!
traditional Gand S is traditional and should be kept that way
I like a caper....😊
Pity we don't see Iolanthe performed more often. One problem is that the final scene requires everyone
on stage to suddenly sprout wings and fly away to Fairyland. A staging trick that is difficult to bring off.
Many years ago, when I was around 12 or 13, my mother bought a large album of many G&S operettas, and the songs from Iolanthe were among my favorites including this one. The comments mentioned that Sullivan often paradied other composers, but I didn't know enough at the time to see all of them. This chorus is obviously inspired by "The Entrance of the Guests" from Tannhäuser by Wagner.
Not inspired by -- a parody of
@@billwalderman3943 Yes, but the whole opera shows Wagner's influence--particularly Sullivan's liberal and highly enjoyable use of the leitmotif, one of Wagner's hallmarks. (For people unfamiliar with the term, "leitmotif" could be called, roughly, the 19th century's equivalent of a character's theme or signature tune.)
I recognise Alistair Donkin's Iolanthe when I see it. I've done those moves myself in two festival productions at the International G&S Festival in Buxton. Great fun.
A great performance - when I was in high school over 40 years ago we sang this at speech night and I still remember the words
That is awesome :)
A wonderful intro for this chorus. Just learning it now myself and this is a good teaching aid.
Great performance, and the traditional style and colors made me think it was film from the 1970's at first!
An Alistair Donkin production without any shadow of a doubt of any kind whatever. I've done that choreography in my G&S group. Brilliant as always.
Terrific singing and great choreography
Lovely strong tenor line, unusually.
I'm very jealous of the number of men you have in your chorus.
From my hometown! Wonderful! Please upload more!
This looks like a very decent production.
Great performance. Rehearsing against it found a slight tempo hiccup at about 5:04 (last bar p47 - 1st bar p48).
Excellent voices and orchestra.
Bravi!
Gilbert and Sullivan at their very best
Very nice job!
Not bad. Nice Act 1 set. Traditional stage business. 3 stars...!!!
Nice! The set looks like the original one from 1882.
Landlords be like
A lovely production. What a shame however -- especially having regard to the fact that many Yorkshire noblemen actually have Yorkshire accents -- that the director elected to use home-counties pronunciation for the word 'classes'.
I feel sure that -- just as Mr. Shakespeare had intended 'sole' and 'soul' in The Merchant of Venice to LACK parechesis -- Mr. Gilbert intended 'classes' and 'masses' to rhyme.
I once sang in Surrey Constabulary Male-Voice Choir; this was in our repertoire. It sounded good and we all enjoyed singing it!
ΠΞ
@Pericles Xanthippou What does "parechesis" mean?
MrCuddlyable3: A sound repeated, Sir; so having the phonic effect of a rhyme but not in the same way.
If you listen to most productions of the Merchant, you'll hear 'sole' and 'soul' rendered the same (by Portia). Some of us think this incorrect -- although the error, assuming it be one, can be mitigated by the use of suitable gestures -- and that the former ought to have a pure 'o' for the vowel, as in the North of England, and the latter a pure 'oo', as in the word 'fool'.
ΠΞ
@Pericles Xanthippou Thank you for acquainting me with the term parechesis (παρήχησις) from Greek rhetoric where my best English dictionaries failed me. I think it may apply equally to repetition of a vowel or to alliteration of a consonant. Basing my expectation of Gilbert's speech on that of Sullivan that has been recorded, his Home Counties pronunciation would rhyme "classes" with "brasses" (like farces), but not with "masses" . It's refreshing to hear that in Surrey you made a policeman's lot a happy one!
It's a shame -- given how useful it is in analysing English literature -- that parechesis be so little recognized and understood. (One can readily see in its origins 'para' (alongside) and 'echo' so I think it ought to be seen -- in the school syllabus, for example -- as an essential tool.)
I agree with your extension of the concept: it's by no means confined to, e.g., a phoneme or a whole syllable.
The Surrey choir -- originally, as you see, a male-voice one -- later (after my time) became co-ed, so to speak. Later still -- presumably after the retirement of the superb musical director, Harry Porter -- it folded and became a community choir in the nearby village of Shalford but I find no trace of it on the Web.
I can assure you that -- if not for all -- then at least for the choir itself our performances were happy. Our capacity for innocent enjoyment -- 'cent enjoyment -- was just as great as any honest man's! (G. & S. were well represented in our book!)
ΠΞ
I agree.
1:12
The backdrop could be more parliamentary because those gorgeous robes are best worn indoors.
Such excellent costuming and singing should be matched by more "parliamentary" scenery because the arcadian backdrop is only right for the fairy scenes.
Really good staging. Not done very well, unfortunately, but the formations and timings were excellent. Again let down by an over-enthusiastic video editor who fails again and again to show the formation's completion. Shame.
How is this even considered entertainment? Tantantara zing boom?
It's tzing, not zing!
That's the best bit...
Cloth ears! AND you’re in a tiny minority!