Gilbert & Sullivan - The Gondoliers / Franks, Douglas, Maconaghie, Australian Opera

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Delightful!
Review: I love this production of "The Gondoliers" for its festive costumes, wonderful choreography, and lively young cast. It captured me the minute I started watching and it made me laugh to tears. It brings joy. Wit and humor are the soul of Gilbert & Sullivan operetta, and they are carried out through the delightful music and the jocose librettos. In this production lyrics and dialogues were amiably given some modern treatment, which, for some audience, adds vividness, but for others, vulgarity. Well, for me, I appreciate its freshness and enjoy every bit of brilliancy on the stage.
While the whole company is excellent, from singing, to acting, and to dancing, the two adorable gondoliers, played by David Hobson and Roger Lemke distinguished themselves with their dashingly good looks and fabulous singing (no wonder the girls fall in a faint one after another). They pair very well and sound very good together. Several years later they paired again in La Bohème, giving superb performance as Rodolfo and Mercello. From comedic G & S to tear-jerking Puccini, what great talent they have!
I experienced no problem with the sound quality. The volume tends to be softer, but on a good sound system with Dolby 5.1, it gives pretty decent sound. Louder or softer, it's simply up to your ears.

Rating:
Summary: A GEM OF A JEWEL. MAGIC. NECTAR OF THE GODS!
Review: I WAS NOT AWARE OF THE SYDNEY OPERA COMPANY UNTIL I SAW A PRODUCTION OF LA BOHEME. i FELL IN LOVE WITH DAVID HOBSON AND LOOKED FOR MORE. I FOUND THE GONDOLIERS AND FOUND IT TO BE EXHILERATING, ENCHANTING, IT SPARKLES, IT SHINES. IT MOVES RIGHT ALONG . UNLIKE SOME OF YOUR REVIEWERS I FOUND THE SOUND TO BE PERFECT. THE CHOREOGRAPHY WAS GREAT AND THE UPDATES A RIOT. UNLIKE THE PURISTS WHO LOVE TO BE NAYSAYERS IMPRESS OTHERS WITH THEIR SNOBBERY( BY THE WAY THE PURISTS NEED TO CHECK UP ON TRADITION OF G=S AND LEARN THAT UP DATES TO THE TIME WITH AD LIB IS PART OF THE SCORE...READ IT!!.)THE MAN PLAYING COUNTESS DEL TORO IS MAGNIFICENT AND SEEMED TO BE THE REINCARNATION OF HERMIONE GINGOLD. I DONT KNOW WHAT I TOUGHT WAS GOING ON IN THE SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE UNDER THOSE GORGEOUS SAILS BUT I KNOW NOW...PURE MAGIC.CAN YOU IMAGINE DAVID HOBSON WITH EAINE PAIGE? WOW. IF YOU WERE DISGUSTED BY THE PERFORMANCE I'LL BUY YOUR COPY FOR FRIENDS WHO HAVE TASTE.

Rating:
Summary: A GEM OF A JEWEL. MAGIC. NECTAR OF THE GODS!
Review: I WAS NOT AWARE OF THE SYDNEY OPERA COMPANY UNTIL I SAW A PRODUCTION OF LA BOHEME. i FELL IN LOVE WITH DAVID HOBSON AND LOOKED FOR MORE. I FOUND THE GONDOLIERS AND FOUND IT TO BE EXHILERATING, ENCHANTING, IT SPARKLES, IT SHINES. IT MOVES RIGHT ALONG . UNLIKE SOME OF YOUR REVIEWERS I FOUND THE SOUND TO BE PERFECT. THE CHOREOGRAPHY WAS GREAT AND THE UPDATES A RIOT. UNLIKE THE PURISTS WHO LOVE TO BE NAYSAYERS IMPRESS OTHERS WITH THEIR SNOBBERY( BY THE WAY THE PURISTS NEED TO CHECK UP ON TRADITION OF G=S AND LEARN THAT UP DATES TO THE TIME WITH AD LIB IS PART OF THE SCORE...READ IT!!.)THE MAN PLAYING COUNTESS DEL TORO IS MAGNIFICENT AND SEEMED TO BE THE REINCARNATION OF HERMIONE GINGOLD. I DONT KNOW WHAT I TOUGHT WAS GOING ON IN THE SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE UNDER THOSE GORGEOUS SAILS BUT I KNOW NOW...PURE MAGIC.CAN YOU IMAGINE DAVID HOBSON WITH EAINE PAIGE? WOW. IF YOU WERE DISGUSTED BY THE PERFORMANCE I'LL BUY YOUR COPY FOR FRIENDS WHO HAVE TASTE.

Rating:
Summary: Showing its age, but still entertaining
Review: Okay, so I'm a purist -- within reason. I don't care a fig when directors want to update the production by locating it in 21st century China or precolumbian Mexico instead of Venice. But I care a great deal when W. S. Gilbert's clever and delightful words are thrown away and substituted with ridiculous new lyrics mentioning, of all things, disco and Kentucky Fried Chicken. This might have been a fun antic for a cast party but it makes this production excruciating to watch. Ugh. I haven't finished watching this, and I'm not sure I will.

Rating:
Summary: The Best of G & S
Review: The Opera Australia production of The Gondoliers, surpasses any other procduction.
The cast is superb, the singing strong and in perfect pitch.
The costumes lavish.
Orchestral playing first rate.
I would highly recommend this DVD to anyone, especially those who are now discovering Gilbert and Sullivan for the first time.
There is an abundance of thoroughly singable/danceable music
that is both thrilling to listen to and to watch.
I have lived G&S for over 40 years, and this production leaves me breathless.

Rating:
Summary: Showing its age, but still entertaining
Review: The problem with using 'topical' references in G&S (or similar) productions is that they quickly become dated, so in this case what was regarded as very funny in 1988 is now passe and almost forgotten (even by Australians) and in one instance - the reference to the Princess of Wales - painfully unfortunate.

Modern lyrics aside, the music is as delightful as ever, of course, although the sacrifice of 'I am a Courtier, Grave and Serious' was regrettable (particularly since the Duke and Duchess' Duet which preceeded it was 'modernised'). The singing, too, is first -class, even when one is reminded just how old this production is by the young David Hobson's endearingly croaky bottom notes in 'Take a Pair of Sparkling Eyes' - the future Mozart stylist was still near the beginning of his career!

The routine pairing of Hobson and Roger Lemke, thoroughly enjoying themselves as Marco and Giuseppe Palmieri - the Gondoliers of the title - complimented by Christine Douglas (Gianetta) and Suzanne Johnston (Tessa) made for some excellent performances by the 'young chickens'. Right behind them, though, were the 'old birds', Australian Opera stalwarts Robert Gard and Graeme Ewer as the Duke and Duchess of Plaza-Toro, and the inimitable Dennis Olsen (Don Alhambra).

Susan Benson's costumes showed to particular advantage in the highlight of the production, the Act II "Cachucha" sequence - where Director/Choreographer Brian Macdonald was to be congratulated for managing to make most of the cast look like reasonable dancers!

Rating:
Summary: HORRIBLE SOUND RUINS IT ALL!
Review: This DVD has ABSOLUTELY AWFUL SOUND! Products like this should not be put on the market. As this was my introduction to THE GONDOLIERS (a bad mistake, I found out later, as the majority of the songs had been re-written), so it was quite irritating when I had NO IDEA what was being said, due to an operatic chorus that over vocalises and throws away the consenants, and the fact the the whole thing sounds like it was recorded in a tin can.

From getting to know the show later, this visually seems to be a good production, everyone looks their part (particularly the two *extremely* dashing gondolieri), and I have no quibbles with a man doing the Duchess of Plaza-Torro--BUT I STILL HAVEN'T WATCHED THIS ALL THE WAY TRHOUGH BECAUSE OF THE AWFUL, AWFUL SOUND!

AVOID AT ALL COSTS!

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: This is the same production of The Gondoliers that was played at the Stratford Festival in Canada. It is unfortunate that they have wasted an excellent cast. Visually, it is a very good work. I am not a total purist who objects to any alteration in the libretto but this is carried to extremes and not with any real style or grace. The aria "Rising early in the Morning" for example is totally butchered. It is altered from a very funny song showing the two kings are not quite up to the job of kingship to a mish-mash of topical references which distract from the story and the story does need that particular song.

The people act well, dance less well than the Stratford Festival people did, and generally do the best that they can with the distractedly altered material. The soprano comes on weakly, as if she is either slightly sick or hasn't warmed up enough, but gains in strength and goes on to do an excellent job. I'll forgive much of a live production. She is also a rarity in that she can sing and also act. Her acting when she is remembering past embraces is hilarious and definitely would have met with Gilbert's approval.

It is unfortunate that I can't give this a higher rating, the people are good, the staging is easily acceptable, and the singers do a good job in general but the audio isn't up to snuff.

If you purchase this DVD and this is your first introduction to The Gondoliers , please don't thing that you are watching The Real Gondoliers as envisioned by Gilbert.